The Science of Sleep: Why You're up at 3AM — And Why Worrying About It Makes It Worse | Sara Mednick

Sara Mednick is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long "Mental Health Reboot" series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.
This episode is from our archives.
In this episode we talk about:
• The nuances of napping
• Dr. Mednick's definition of the "downstate"
• Whether there are practices that can compensate for poor sleep
• Why heart rate variability is an important measurement of health
• Why sex is so helpful for sleep
• And when to take melatonin to best effect
Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!
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