Have you ever noticed your mind gets busy the moment your head hits the pillow? Thinking before sleep is completely normal, the difference isn't whether you think, it's what kind of thinking you do.

Sleep is a hot topic at the moment, and the fast growth of sleep trackers has created a trend some people refer to as "sleepmaxxing". However, this is the cause of a condition called 'orthosomnia' for some people, meaning they feel stress and pressure to sleep perfectly. So is sleep tracking helpful or harmful?

When journalist, Ed Cooper, approached me for help with his sleep, he described himself as poor sleeper - he wasn't sure he'd ever slept well. His challenge was to follow my 'expert' advice, and to use an Oura ring to track whether changing his daily habits would transform his sleep.

We all know that sleep has positive effects on energy, health and wellbeing, so surely getting more sleep at the weekend must be a good thing? Well.. not necessarily. Irregular sleep patterns can have negative impacts on sleep quality, and disrupt our circadian rhythms - so lying in could be a double-edged sword...  In this blog we’ll look at the evidence for and against catching up on sleep at the weekend, and how to make the most of your lie-in without negative effects. 

Sleep is one of the most powerful and easy-to-apply levers that we have for improving health and wellbeing. Sleeping for 7 hours or more is beneficial for a wide variety of physical performance outcomes, including speed, power, endurance and accuracy (Craven 2022). While most athletes can get through training in the morning without any ill effects, it’s in the afternoon that the effects of being well slept become more noticeable.

In this episode of the Instant Genius podcast, I spoke to journalist Jason Goodyer about light therapy and other solutions for SAD.

Recovery is just as important to us as the training because if you don't recover correctly, then there's no point in doing the training...

Sleepwalking, or somnabulism, is a parasomnia - one of the family of sleep disorders which involves unwelcome experiences or behaviours.

Does using your phone before bed really interfere with sleep? It depends. A new review explains why screens are not the arch enemy for sleep

Jet lag is also called circadian desynchrony and it's a mismatch between your internal body clocks and the light-dark cycle of the sun.

Do you do a lot of travel for work? 🛫 Does it take you a surprising amount of time to bounce back? Find out why, and what to do about it

For years we’ve been told that 7+ hours of sleep is recommended for good health, but it may be that a consistent sleep-wake pattern is...

Could being the parent of a sleepless infant put you at similar risk behind the wheel as being over the limit for drunk driving?

Tip 1: A specific to-do list can be a great way to download thoughts before bed, and make it easier to let go and relax.. This is a...

Histamine encourages the immune system to go to work – increasing blood flow, causing swelling, mucus production, itching and sneezing

Stressed? That’s not always a bad thing. Last month I was lucky enough to experience an overdose of micro stressors in Norway with Vicki...

Ambient light has been shown to disrupt the depth of sleep, so could wearing an eye mask improve sleep quality, and our ability to learn?

A script for progressive muscle relaxation

In this article we look at the relationship between sleep and financial decision-making, and how to set yourself up for success.

How successful were you at sticking to a New Year’s Resolution in 2022? Have you tried to lose weight, quit smoking, or get fitter in the...