The Sleep Consultant

A “sleep divorce” is when a couple chooses to sleep in separate beds or separate rooms to get better-quality sleep — and despite the dramatic name, it has nothing to do with relationship breakdown. It’s a practical sleep strategy that’s become increasingly common and openly discussed. The rationale is sound: a partner’s snoring, movement, different schedule, temperature pref...

CBD (cannabidiol) shows promise for sleep, but the evidence is still developing and more mixed than the marketing suggests. The clearest mechanism is indirect: CBD appears to reduce anxiety for many people, and since anxiety is a major driver of poor sleep, easing it can improve sleep. Direct evidence that CBD is a reliable sleep aid for the general population is limited and...

The “colors” of noise differ in their balance of high and low frequencies, and each suits sleep differently. White noise contains all frequencies at equal intensity (a sharp, staticky hiss) and is best at masking disruptive sounds. Pink noise emphasizes lower frequencies (a softer, more balanced sound like steady rain) and has the most research suggesting it may enhance deep...

Sleep is essential for memory and learning. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories — transferring and stabilizing the day’s experiences into long-term storage, integrating new information with existing knowledge, and strengthening the neural connections that hold memories. Different sleep stages handle different jobs: deep (slow-wave) sleep is especially important for...

That groggy, disoriented feeling when you wake is called sleep inertia, and it’s a normal physiological state that can last anywhere from a few minutes to 30 minutes or more — occasionally longer. It’s worst when you’re woken from deep sleep, which is why an alarm catching you mid-cycle feels brutal. To wake up easier: get enough sleep (the biggest factor), keep a consistent...