The Science of Sleep: Why You're up at 3AM — And Why Worrying About It Makes It Worse | Sara Mednick

Dan Harris

Sara Mednick is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long "Mental Health Reboot" series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.

This episode is from our archives.

In this episode we talk about:

  • The nuances of napping
  • Dr. Mednick's definition of the "downstate"
  • Whether there are practices that can compensate for poor sleep
  • Why heart rate variability is an important measurement of health
  • Why sex is so helpful for sleep
  • And when to take melatonin to best effect

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here

Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

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This episode is sponsored by:

Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Ten Percent Happier listeners get 20% off a Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier

Quo — The business communication system built so you never miss a call. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier

To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

More description

Sara Mednick is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the book The Power of the Downstate. This episode is part of our month-long "Mental Health Reboot" series to mark Mental Health Awareness Month.

This episode is from our archives.

In this episode we talk about:

  • The nuances of napping
  • Dr. Mednick's definition of the "downstate"
  • Whether there are practices that can compensate for poor sleep
  • Why heart rate variability is an important measurement of health
  • Why sex is so helpful for sleep
  • And when to take melatonin to best effect

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here

Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

This episode is sponsored by:

Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Ten Percent Happier listeners get 20% off a Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier

Quo — The business communication system built so you never miss a call. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier

To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

2026-05-13 52 min
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