Skip to main content

resources.header.title

resources.header.subtitle

resources.header.partnerPromo

resources.sleepDebt.title

resources.sleepDebt.whatIs

resources.sleepDebt.whatIsDesc

resources.sleepDebt.howAccumulates

resources.sleepDebt.howAccumulatesDesc

resources.sleepDebt.effects

  • resources.sleepDebt.cognitive resources.sleepDebt.cognitiveDesc
  • resources.sleepDebt.physical resources.sleepDebt.physicalDesc
  • resources.sleepDebt.emotional resources.sleepDebt.emotionalDesc
  • resources.sleepDebt.performance resources.sleepDebt.performanceDesc

resources.circadian.title

What is Your Circadian Rhythm?

Your circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and other biological processes.

Key Factors Influencing Circadian Rhythm

  • Light Exposure: The primary zeitgeber (time cue) that resets your clock
  • Meal Timing: When you eat affects metabolic rhythms
  • Exercise: Physical activity can shift your circadian phase
  • Temperature: Body temperature naturally drops at night to facilitate sleep

Circadian Misalignment

Occurs when your sleep-wake schedule conflicts with your internal clock. Common causes:

  • Jet lag (crossing time zones)
  • Shift work (especially night shifts)
  • Social jet lag (sleeping late on weekends)
  • Excessive evening blue light exposure

resources.sleepStages.title

The Four Stages of Sleep

Stage 1 (N1) - Light Sleep (5%)

Transition between wakefulness and sleep. Lasts a few minutes. Easy to wake up from.

Stage 2 (N2) - Light Sleep (45%)

Body temperature drops, heart rate slows. Memory consolidation begins. Comprises nearly half your sleep.

Stage 3 (N3) - Deep Sleep (25%)

Also called slow-wave sleep. Hardest to wake from. Critical for physical restoration, immune function, and clearing metabolic waste from the brain.

REM Sleep (25%)

Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Brain active, vivid dreams occur. Essential for emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and learning. Increases toward morning.

Sleep Cycles

You cycle through these stages 4-6 times per night, with each cycle lasting about 90 minutes. Deep sleep dominates early cycles; REM increases in later cycles.

resources.cbti.title

CBT-I is the gold standard treatment for chronic insomnia, recommended as first-line therapy by major medical organizations.

Core Components

1. Sleep Restriction Therapy

Limit time in bed to match actual sleep time (with minimum of 5-6 hours). Increases sleep pressure and improves efficiency.

2. Stimulus Control

Strengthen the association between bed and sleep. Only use bed for sleep and intimacy. Leave bed if can't sleep within 20 minutes.

3. Cognitive Therapy

Address anxiety and unrealistic beliefs about sleep. Challenge catastrophic thinking about consequences of poor sleep.

4. Sleep Hygiene Education

Optimize environment and habits for better sleep (covered extensively in our Sleep Hygiene Checklist).

Try our Sleep Efficiency Tracker to implement CBT-I principles and track your progress.

resources.chronotypes.title

Chronotype refers to your natural preference for sleep and wake times, largely determined by genetics.

The Spectrum

  • Morning Types (Larks): ~15% of population. Peak alertness early, prefer early bedtime.
  • Intermediate Types: ~70% of population. Flexible sleep-wake preferences.
  • Evening Types (Owls): ~15% of population. Peak alertness late, prefer late bedtime.

Chronotype Impacts

  • Cannot be changed through willpower alone
  • Attempting to fight your chronotype increases sleep debt and stress
  • Shifts with age (teens tend toward evening, older adults toward morning)
  • Misalignment with work/school schedules causes "social jet lag"

Take our Chronotype Assessment to discover your natural sleep-wake pattern and optimal daily schedule.

resources.seekHelp.title

While our tools can help optimize your sleep, some conditions require medical evaluation:

  • Loud snoring with gasping or breathing pauses (possible sleep apnea)
  • Chronic insomnia (difficulty sleeping 3+ nights/week for 3+ months)
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness despite adequate sleep
  • Restless legs syndrome or involuntary leg movements
  • Sleepwalking, night terrors, or other parasomnias
  • Falling asleep at inappropriate times (narcolepsy symptoms)

resources.reading.title

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Comprehensive overview of sleep science and its importance

The Sleep Solution by W. Chris Winter

Practical guide to better sleep by a sleep neurologist

Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

Actionable tips for optimizing sleep quality