The Science of Sleep | Dr. Sara Mednick

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

If you’re trying to improve your sleep, thinking about doing so right before you get into bed might not be the best approach.

Dr. Sara Mednick, is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the new book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long “Mental Health Reboot” series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.

According to her research, Dr. Mednick says that we need to take a more holistic approach to getting better sleep, and that sleep is just one of the ways that our bodies rest and restore.

In this conversation, 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

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/sara-mednick-445

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