Sleep Science Articles
In-depth guides to sleep cycles, circadian biology, chronotype, caffeine, melatonin, and the real science behind common sleep questions. Each article is grounded in peer-reviewed research with citations.
Sleep Timing
Sleep Cycles Explained
What happens during a 90-minute sleep cycle, why each stage matters, and how to wake up without feeling wrecked.
Caffeine and Sleep: Half-Life, Adenosine, and Your Cutoff Time
How caffeine works in the brain, why its half-life matters more than how you feel, and the research on its real impact on sleep architecture.
Circadian
Melatonin for Sleep: What the Research Actually Says
Understand how melatonin works, optimal dosing (0.5mg vs 10mg), timing, and when it actually helps versus when it doesn't.
What Is a Chronotype? Lion, Bear, Wolf & Dolphin Explained
Understand your natural sleep-wake rhythm, the genetic basis of chronotype, social jet lag, and how your type affects health and performance.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: When Night Owl Becomes Clinical
DSPS diagnosis, prevalence, treatment options including light therapy, melatonin timing, and chronotherapy for persistent late sleep timing.
Sleep Health
Alcohol and Sleep: The Science Behind 'I Sleep Better After a Drink'
Why alcohol makes you drowsy but worsens sleep quality — REM suppression, sleep architecture damage, and the second-half rebound effect.
How to Recover from Sleep Debt: A Science-Based Plan
Sleep debt is real and it accumulates. How long recovery actually takes, what strategies work, and why the weekend catch-up is mostly a myth.
Sleep Needs by Age: NSF Guidelines for Every Life Stage
How much sleep each age group actually needs, from newborns to older adults, why needs change across life, and what really counts as enough.
Life Situations
Teen Sleep Deprivation: Why Your Teenager Is Always Tired
The biological sleep shift in puberty, brain development impacts of chronic short sleep, school start times, and strategies to protect teenage sleep.
Shift Work Sleep Guide: How to Sleep Better on Night Shifts
What actually works for shift workers: light management, strategic napping, rotating schedule advice, and building a sustainable sleep routine.
Sleep Banking Guide: How to Prepare for Unavoidable Sleep Loss
The science of sleep banking, how much sleep credit you can accumulate, and effective strategies for preparing for scheduled sleep loss.