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Sheeps Blog
Falling asleep, plainly explained
Sourced answers to the questions people ask at 1 a.m. — which sleep techniques have evidence behind them, what supplements and gadgets actually do, why a busy mind stays awake, and what a sleep story should leave out.
Latest
Newest first.
- Falling asleep 4-7-8 breathing for sleep Breathe in for 4, hold for 7, out for 8: how to do Andrew Weil’s exercise gently, what has been measured, and what has not.
- The body at night Does a cooling mattress help you sleep? What the studies of cooling mattresses and pads actually found, who paid for them, what Eight Sleep says about its Pod, and the cheaper ways to a cooler bed.
- Sleep stories Falling asleep with the TV on What the light, the changing sound and the next episode do once you have dropped off — and a gentler way to keep the habit.
- The body at night Heart rate when falling asleep Why the heart slows on the way into sleep, what “normal” means at night, what HRV is — and why it sometimes races instead.
- Bedtime routine A hot shower before bed What the research found about a warm shower or bath before bed, why warming up helps you cool down, when to have it, and who should be careful with hot water.
- Falling asleep How long should it take to fall asleep? Up to half an hour is normal, from infancy to old age. Why dropping off instantly is not the goal, and why the clock is a poor judge of the wait.
- Supplements Magnesium for sleep What the magnesium trials actually tested, which forms they used, and why the evidence is still too thin to recommend it.
- Supplements Does melatonin work for sleep? Melatonin is a timing signal more than a sleeping pill: where its evidence is strong, where it is weak, and why the label may be wrong.
- Falling asleep The military sleep method The relax-the-body, still-the-mind routine said to put pilots to sleep in 2 minutes: where it comes from, what is known about it, and how to try it.
- Sleep tech and trends Mouth taping for sleep What the trend promises, the handful of small studies behind it, who should never try it, and the snoring that needs a doctor rather than tape.
- Sleep tech and trends Orthosomnia: when sleep tracking keeps you awake The name for worrying about your sleep data until the worry costs sleep — where it comes from, why it happens, and what to do about it.
- Falling asleep Paradoxical intention for sleep The counter-intuitive technique of lying in the dark and gently trying to stay awake: why it works on effort, what the trials found, and how to do it.
- Bedtime routine Screens before bed E-readers, Night Shift and blue-light glasses, study by study — and why what a screen does to your bedtime may matter more than what its light does to your melatonin.
- Bedtime routine Sleep hygiene: what the rules are worth Where the familiar list came from, which of its rules have research behind them, which are thin, and why following it to the letter can backfire.
- Sleep tech and trends Sleepmaxxing: does it work? The trend of stacking sleep hacks, each one held up to its evidence — and why the stacking itself can keep you awake.
- Supplements The sleepy girl mocktail The viral bedtime drink, ingredient by ingredient: what the cherry and magnesium studies found, and what the drink itself has never been tested for.
- A racing mind Tired but can’t sleep: why it happens Sleep pressure and the body clock are separate systems, and the clock’s push to stay awake peaks in the evening. Why you can be exhausted and wide awake at once.
- Sleep tech and trends Do weighted blankets help you sleep? One striking trial, a mixed literature, a weight rule nobody has tested, and the people who should never sleep under one.
- Falling asleep What to do when you can’t sleep A calm, ordered plan for the middle of the night: when to stay put, when to get up, why not to check the time, and what to do the next day.
The guides behind them
Each post belongs to one of these longer answers.
- Falling asleep How to fall asleep fast Every popular technique for falling asleep faster, ranked by the evidence behind it: what it asks of you, what was tested, in whom, and who it suits.
- The body at night What happens when you fall asleep Not a switch but a descent: what your heart, breath, temperature, muscles and brain waves do in the minutes on the way into sleep.
- Guide Plotless sleep stories Why the best sleep stories go nowhere: no characters with problems, no question to answer, and nothing to stay awake for.
- Bedtime routine A bedtime routine for adults What each step of an evening routine has behind it — the schedule, light, caffeine, a warm shower, screens, the last half hour — and the trap of doing it perfectly.
- Supplements Sleep supplements: what the evidence shows Ten popular sleep supplements, each against its trials — who was tested, what was found, and who should ask a doctor first.
- Sleep tech Are sleep trackers accurate? What a watch, ring or mattress sensor really measures, what independent studies found, what a sleep score is — and how to use one without letting it run your nights.
- Racing thoughts Racing thoughts at night Why a busy mind speeds up at bedtime, why pushing thoughts away backfires, and what to do instead — before bed and in it.