Finding Your Body’s Sleep Rhythm

We often think of sleep as the gas that keeps us running. We refuel at night — or whenever we can — run around all day until our tanks are empty, and then do it all over again the next day. But some sleep scientists would like us to think about sleep less as fuel, and more as a biological rhythm — one that’s as essential to our overall health as our heartbeat. On this episode, we’ll explore how finding your body’s unique sleep rhythm can help you get better rest. Researcher Olivia Walch explains why sleep regularity and darkness are key when it comes to getting a good night’s rest, neurologist and sleep expert Chris Winter offers helpful tips to improve quality sleep for children and teens, and we’ll hear whether it’s possible and worth it for night owls to change their sleep habits.

ALSO HEARD:

• In college, Olivia Walch considered herself a “sleep deprivation cowboy.” She would go days with only three or four hours of sleep and then crash. But soon, sleep deprivation caught up with her, affecting her memory, focus, and health. Now, she’s an investigator at the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan who studies sleep regularity. Her book is called, “Sleep Groove: Why Your Body’s Clock Is So Messed Up And What to Do About It.”
• We talk with neurologist and sleep researcher Chris Winter about what quality of sleep looks like for children and parents, as well as common culprits of poor sleep and how they affect the brain. He is the author of “The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It” and “The Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired, or Irritable Child May Have a Sleep Disorder — And How To Help.”