Chronic insomniacs are treated harshly in the media. We’re told that six hours of sleep damages the brain, weakens the immune system, and causes the heart to fail. That the risk of depression increases. And yet, some people still make it to 95 just fine

When you’re under pressure your body enters a state of alertness. The stress hormone cortisol keeps you vigilant. That’s useful in urgent situations, but the brain doesn’t distinguish between a caregiving task tomorrow morning and a lion around the corner. Under stress, the body remains in a heightened state of readiness, which prevents proper recovery during sleep. As a result, you either don’t get enough sleep or the quality of your sleep declines.

If you think you sleep poorly because your father or mother did too, and that it’s simply “in your DNA,” some nuance is needed. Predisposition explains why you may be more vulnerable. It doesn’t necessarily explain why you’re sleeping poorly now or why it just isn’t improving.

A large observational study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, conducted among over 53,000 adults, shows that three small daily adjustments together can already make a noticeable difference for your heart

The ‘Dutch Method’: A viral sleep trend that misses the science

Good sleep is rarely the result of luck. More often, it reflects a pattern of choices, signals, and rhythms that either support rest or quietly undermine it.

What makes caffeine sneaky is that it’s in more products than you think. Many people only think of coffee, but tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate, and even some workout supplements and painkillers also contain caffeine. Together, they can add up to a stack bigger than you expect—and that your body still has to handle at night

Yoga combines movement, breathing, focus, and relaxation. This appears to reduce stress and positively influence your nervous system. Interestingly, it's not about the gentle, slow yoga, but rather more intensive forms like power yoga or vinyasa flow

In my sleep coaching programs, I don’t treat questionnaires as just a 'test'. I use them as a starting point for meaningful change

A sleep routine helps signal to your brain and body that it’s time to wind down. By repeating the same calming habits each day, you reduce stress, fall asleep more easily, and improve the quality of your sleep.

Which forms of physical activity are the most sleep-inducing? Research by an international team, drawn from several Asian universities, provides the answer.

A scientific consensus study by the National Sleep Foundation from 2015, based on over 300 previous studies, concluded that there is no optimal number of sleep hours. Age, genetics, health, lifestyle, and many other factors together determine how much sleep you need