Some of the greatest athletes of our time will tell you that quality sleep is the extra edge they’ve needed in order to prolong their careers, viewing it equally as important as nutrition and physical training. But for many others, sleep is one of the last things on the list of priorities, and they’ll reach for another cup of coffee before seeking help from a sleep doctor. Some might not think their sleep challenge is all that serious, while others might simply think it’s just “them,” and that there is no fixing it. But what if all they needed was some knowledge and a better understanding of the underlying issues at play?

Dr. Michael Howell has been practicing sleep medicine for years now, and as the co-founder of Sleep Performance Institute, he aims to show people the importance of quality sleep and unveil the steps necessary in obtaining it. It’s certainly not a one-for-all solution, and he joins the podcast to discuss why and how to go about understanding your own natural sleep chronotype. He dives into the details of what happens during sleep, including lymphatic clearance, the “pruning” of unimportant memories, the amplification of emotional memories during REM sleep, why we sleep under blankets, and why melatonin may be helpful for some and not for others. Interested in hearing more? Press play and check out sleepperformanceinstitute.com.

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