Sleep research

If you wake up at 3 a.m. and suddenly feel wide awake, your first instinct might be to panic. Modern sleep culture has convinced many people that healthy rest must happen in one uninterrupted eight-hour stretch, so waking in the middle of the night often feels like a sign that something is wrong. But history …

When the world is fast asleep and your bedroom is wrapped in darkness, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one awake. Thoughts that seemed small in daylight can suddenly loom large. Cravings emerge for salty snacks, cigarettes, or a bit of social media doom-scrolling, and self-control seems to fade into the shadows. It …