Good sleep is critical to our innate physiological repair processes, while poor sleep triggers a cascade of negative downstream consequences, from insulin resistance to cognitive decline, as well as mental health issues.
Study after study has found powerful associations between insufficient sleep and adverse health outcomes ranging from the common cold to cardiovascular disease.
But as important as sleep is for the physical body, it may even be more so for the brain. Good sleep—in terms of both amount and quality—is critical to our cognitive function, our memory, and even our emotional equilibrium.
Below is a collection of past articles, audio clips, and podcasts discussing the science of sleep and how sleep can be a powerful longevity tool. If you are new to this content, I would strongly recommend listening to our 7-part series with sleep expert Matthew Walker, where we discuss everything you could possibly want to know about sleep, the affects of sleep on your health, and how to improve it.
“In case you haven’t guessed yet, there’s been a lot of drug traffic on the beach. And I’m not talking about Robitussin and No-Doze. I’m talking about the hard stuff, and a lot of it. I’ve been trying to find out who’s behind it. It hasn’t been easy. I don’t shower much.” —Irwin M. Fletcher
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Criticism and skepticism can be far more useful than praise and unflinching belief.
There’s an art and science to critical thinking and how to conduct yourself. There’s a multitude of fallacious appeals we could spell out, but a good rule of thumb is not to attack the person, attack the ideas. Don’t look for the flaws in the person, look for the flaws in the hypothesis. Let’s keep the brawling to movies depicting minor league hockey teams and political “news” shows.
Thank you for adding to the discussion.
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