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! Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel This episode is sponsored by: Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Ten Percent Happier listeners get 20% off a Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier Quo — The business communication system built so you never miss a call. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris