The department of

Sleep

Sleep is the nightly repair cycle that shapes mood, memory, and metabolism — find essays on insomnia, sleep hygiene, REM cycles, and honest mattress notes.

Pieces 6
A photorealistic overhead shot of a person lying awake on their back in a…
Insomnia June 2026 · 4 min

I Slept Every Which Way for a Month to See If Sleep Position Fixes Insomnia

For a month I went to bed in a different posture each week — back, right side, left side, and a propped semi-upright wedge — and logged how long it took me to fall asleep.

By Judith Hawthorn · Read →
A serene bedroom at 6 a.m. in early winter, soft blue pre-dawn light filtering…
Sleep June 2026 · 5 min

The 6 a.m. New Year's Resolution: I Spent 30 Days Tracking Whether an Earlier Wake-Up Actually Made Me Better

Every January, the same resolution surfaces in my notes app like a buoy: wake up at 6 a.m. It is one of the most common New Year's resolutions in the wellness-adjacent world I live in — earlier…

By Thomas Greenwood · Read →
Close-up portrait of a person's face in a darkened bedroom, the cool blue glow…
Sleep June 2026 · 9 min

The Best VR Accessory for Your Quest 3 Might Be the One That Lets You Stop Wearing It

The most useful thing you can buy for a Meta Quest 3 is not a better controller or a louder pair of strap-mounted speakers.

By Thomas Greenwood · Read →
A moody, intimate nighttime photograph of a dimly lit bedside scene: a single half-full…
Sleep June 2026 · 5 min

A Nightcap and Sleep Apnea: Why the Drink That Knocks You Out Makes Your Airway Worse

A drink before bed helps you sleep. Most people believe some version of this, and they are not crazy to.

By Thomas Greenwood · Read →
A clinical research scene inside a dim neuroscience lab, a young adult lying on…
Sleep June 2026 · 9 min

Poor Sleep Quality Doesn't Just Tire You Out — It Turns Up the Volume on Pain

Lose enough sleep and your body will hurt more the next day — not because you're tired, and not because something has broken, but because your nervous system has quietly recalibrated how much pain a…

By Diane Norwood · Read →
A photorealistic nighttime bedroom scene shot at 2 a.m., a person lying awake on…
CBT-I June 2026 · 5 min

Before You Try Natural Sleep Aids, Ask the Better Question

You have probably had this exact thought, lying awake at 2 a.m.: should I take something? Maybe melatonin.

By Marcus Webb · Read →