Podcasts Science The Science of Happiness Encore: The Science of a Good Night's Sleep

Encore: The Science of a Good Night's Sleep

Published: Nov. 9, 2023, 11 a.m.

This week we revisit our science-backed tips for a good night's sleep with sleep scientist Eti Ben Simon and host of the Sleep with Me podcast Drew Ackerman.

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Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p8t47eh

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Episode summary:

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A good night\u2019s sleep can be hard to come by, and beating yourself up over not sleeping enough will only make it worse. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, the host of Sleep With Me podcast Drew Ackerman joins us to try science-backed tips for finding your natural sleep rhythm. Drew, also known as \u201cDearest Scooter,\u201d talks about his history with insomnia and sleep anxiety, sleep hygiene, and his philosophy on bringing more self-compassion into his approach to trying to fall asleep. Then we hear from sleep scientist Eti Ben Simon about how sleep affects your social life.

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Practice:

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  1. Avoid alcohol and caffeine after 2 p.m. to unmask your true biological sleep needs.

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  2. Keep lights dim in the evening and limit access to LED lights after 9 p.m.

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  3. Go to sleep as soon as you feel tired (even if you're in the middle of something). This will help you figure out the earliest window it is physiologically possible for you to fall asleep.

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  4. Do not use an alarm clock to wake up.

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Today\u2019s guests:

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Drew Ackerman is the host of one of the most listened-to sleep podcasts, Sleep with Me.\xa0

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Listen to Sleep With Me Podcast: https://pod.link/sleep-with-me

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Follow Drew on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/2p8nrhnp

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Follow Drew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearestscooter/

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Follow Drew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sleepwithmepodcast/

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Eti Ben Simon is a sleep scientist and postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, where she works at Matthew Walkers\u2019 Center for Human Sleep Science.

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Learn more about Eti and her work: https://www.sleepingeti.com/

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Follow Eti on Twitter: https://twitter.com/etoosh

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Follow Eti on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/328aa5yr

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Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

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Four Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night\u2019s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p832bh5

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How Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8rhkhj

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Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zvbjz

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More Resources for A Good Night\u2019s Sleep:

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Matthew Walker\u2019s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality: https://tinyurl.com/2kadu7va

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TED - Sleeping with Science: https://tinyurl.com/23mmbdy3

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Harvard Health - 8 Tips to Get a Good Night\u2019s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8um9z7

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BBC - Why Do We Sleep? https://tinyurl.com/2p8z9v2d

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Tell us about your experiences and struggles with falling asleep. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Help us share The Science of Happiness!

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Rate us on Spotify and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus