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Red light therapy has recently gained popularity as a secret weapon for biohacking your way toward wound healing, wrinkle reduction, and more. It’s even used in medical settings to promote faster recovery or combat the side effects of chemotherapy. Whether you purchase your own red lights to use at home or you visit a red light therapy salon, the benefits are seemingly endless. The science behind how red light improves health lies in the way that the wavelengths of red light affect our cells. Red light encourages our cells to produce more energy within the mitochondria, allowing for faster regeneration and repair. Moreover, skin health isn’t the only perk of red light healing. Sleep quality is also proven to improve massively in those who regularly use red light therapy. Red light promotes the secretion of melatonin, a sleep hormone that helps us wind down in the evening. On the other hand, different spectrums of light (like blue light) are proven to interrupt melatonin production, making red light a solid evening light source for your best sleep yet.

Non-sleep deep rest, also known as NSDR, was coined by Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman as a quick reset that can help add focus to your day or prepare your brain and body for sleep in the evening. It’s less intimidating than traditional meditation and includes a guided script and body scanning. All you have to do is follow along with the instructions, making it a simple practice for people who are new to the world of mindfulness and meditation. What’s more, it stimulates brain waves similar to that of slow-wave sleep, which is vital for the rejuvenation and healing of the body and mind. Including this practice in your daily routine helps to promote the onset of quality sleep. Many NSDR sleep protocols can be found online, including traditional Yoga Nidra (which NSDR was derived from) and NSDR meditations led by Andrew Huberman himself.

There’s a reason we feel better after a long hug with a loved one. It's the same reason that babies feel comfort when swaddled up tight. This soothing sensation is known as deep pressure stimulation – and it’s a game changer when it comes to managing our nervous system. Deep pressure stimulation soothes the body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, taking us from a state of stress and overwhelm to a state of relaxation and calm. A weighted blanket provides calming, deep pressure that we can take anywhere, anytime. Using a weighted blanket allows us to reap the benefits of deep pressure stimulation for better sleep, emotional regulation, and more – all without having to hug a loved one all day long. Boost feel-good chemicals dopamine and oxytocin while lowering cortisol with the deep pressure stimulation achieved through using a weighted blanket. Just be sure to select the right material, filling type, size, and weight for optimal results and comfort.

It might be the norm to share a bed with your partner, but a snoring partner and sleep deprivation are closely linked. In fact, spouses of snoring partners wake up 21 times per hour each night when compared to spouses of non-snorers. These disruptions quickly add up, causing massive sleep debt. Aside from being dangerous, sleep debt and deprivation are thought to make us more reactive, impulsive, and grouchy, which is a recipe for even more relationship disasters. If your sleeping schedules or preferences are different, there are a few solutions to improve your relationship and sleep quality. For one, switching your sleep patterns from one long chunk into two or more sections may provide more flexibility with your schedule. Plus, it’s how we naturally slept prior to the industrial revolution. If there’s no other option, you and your partner may benefit from sleeping in separate beds. Although it sounds like a drastic option, a temporary sleep divorce may be necessary to get your health back on track. The Scandinavian sleep method offers a compromise that involves sleeping with two separate blankets rather than one. Moreover, addressing the root cause of your partner’s snoring can solve your sleep disruptions altogether. Typically, mouth breathing is a common culprit - and over 60 percent of us do it habitually rather than breathing through our noses.

Being a student quickly leads to overwhelm and stress due to a heavy workload. With so much to accomplish each day, sleep may take a backseat to other tasks. If you’re not making sleep a priority, you’re not alone. More than half of all college students admit that they’re chronically sleep deprived. However, the dangers linked to a lack of sleep are no joke. And even more concerning, running short on sleep can seriously harm your memory and concentration, leading to poor academic performance. Therefore, skipping sleep means that you’re lowering your ability to achieve your highest success as a student. That’s why we’ve rounded up sleep hacks to help build the best night routine for students that promotes academic excellence. For example, that all-nighter that you think will help you get a better score on tomorrow’s exam may actually decrease your score. And that evening coffee that you rely on to get through homework? It’s keeping you awake at night and throwing off your sleep patterns.

Have you ever been unable to sleep, only to lay in bed for hours restless? Even worse, have you ever laid awake for so long that you begin to hear chirping birds outside? Although the sound of morning bird song is beautiful, there’s nothing more daunting than insomnia that lasts all night long. Sometimes, anxiety about insomnia and being unable to sleep only worsens the issue. Other times, medication or a pre-existing condition may be to blame for your sleepless nights. Half of all adults struggle with insomnia, and identifying which kind you’re dealing with is half the battle. Once you uncover whether or not your anxiety is based on short-term environmental factors or a long-term, serious condition, you can seek the proper lifestyle changes and treatment to finally achieve the quality sleep you’ve been dreaming of.

There’s a hack or quick fix for everything these days, but do these hacks really work? We’re continuously bombarded with tips to help us get our best sleep yet. They usually include things to implement into our routine, but we don’t spend enough time discussing what we shouldavoid at night to improve our chances of quality rest. For example, have you ever asked yourself if watching that fifth episode of Netflix is harming your chances of better sleep? Do you know if it’s bad to work out before bed? What about eating a large pizza thirty minutes before you plan to turn in for the night? Is that nightly glass of wine really helping you improve your circadian rhythm, or does it actually disrupt your sleep-wake patterns? We’ve rounded up all of the answers by uncovering seven things you should avoid every night for your best rest yet. 

Half of all older adults report that they struggle with their sleep in one way or another. It’s not a surprise that more people are buying and taking melatonin than ever before. Melatonin is known for helping to bring on the onset of sleep. There’s just one issue: the side effects associated with long-term use and high dosages. For example, melatonin anxiety is possible, as the supplement has been found to increase anxiety over time in some individuals. Melatonin nightmares are also a real risk since the supplement boosts the amount of time you spend in stages of sleep where dreaming occurs. That said, if used in small doses and for quick fixes, like to correct jet lag, it can be beneficial. So is melatonin really worth all the hype it receives as a natural sleep aid? Or does it do more harm than good?

Why do so many people find themselves waking up tired after eight hours of sleep? If eight hours is the recommended amount, why do so many people still feel groggy, irritable, and weary after sleeping all night long? As it turns out, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for the amount of sleep we each need. Some people may need more, while others need less. Furthermore, if the sleep you’re getting isn’t quality, restorative sleep, you’ll rack up a sleep debt and face the dangers of sleep deprivation. Genetics plays a role in the amount of sleep you need and finding the sweet spot depends on how you feel in the morning. Huberman Lab sleep recommendations may help you increase the amount of quality sleep you get each night, along with mouth taping for improved airway function as you rest

Counting sheep doesn’t work for most. Not only do a huge number of people experience sleep disturbances and disorders, but we’re also chronically low on a number of vitamins and nutrients. Is there a link between the two? Researchers think so. For example, over one billion of us are deficient in vitamin D, while half of all Americans suffer from a magnesium deficiency. In theory, boosting vitamin D intake or taking magnesium oil for sleep should work, right? The answer isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. However, if you’re chronically low on a specific nutrient, supplementation is sure to boost your time spent sleeping and overall quality of life. That’s why we’ve gathered science-backed recommendations for the top ten supplements to try for improved sleep.

Mouth breathing at night is extremely detrimental to your overall health and wellbeing. So how can you stop breathing through your nose instead of your mouth? Tongue training is a wonderful place to start. Physical aids such as mouth tape are great options, too.