Inside Health Weekly

We all know that one person who romanticizes pulling all-nighters, runs on four cups of coffee, Celsius, and pure chaos… and somehow still wonder why they’re still tired in the morning.

  This Week’s Focus: SLEEP

This week at Inside Health, we’re putting sleep under the microscope:
- What’s really going on during REM
- Why blue light messes with your vibe
- And how one bad night can delete your focus faster than you can say “just one more episode.”

From REM cycles to melatonin hacks, let’s dive into the science of rest, recovery, and how to stop waking up more tired than when you went to bed.

🎧1. LISTEN

If sleep were an Olympic sport, Bryan Johnson would be taking home the gold. The founder of “DON’T DIE” dropped millions of dollars trying to fix his terrible sleep..

The only person more obsessed with sleep than Matthew Walker is Joe Rogan. On his podcast, Joe sits down with the sleep scientist to unlock the reality on why sleep is your brain’s MVP, and what happens when you don’t get enough.

If you’ve been treating sleep like that group chat you ignore, these two will make you rethink your whole night routine.

2. 💔FACTS NOT FEELINGS

Bad sleep, like your last situationship, seems chill at first… until it slowly ruins your life. One late night turns into five, 8AM feels illegal, and suddenly you’re spiraling into a full-on “who even am I?” existential crisis over iced coffee.

Running on bad sleep gives off the same energy as your toxic ex:

• Disrupts your peace

• Leaves you exhausted, confused, and craving stability

• Always has you saying “never again”… until the next all-nighter.

Unlike your ex, this one’s backed by science, your body isn’t being dramatic, it’s sending SOS signals with cortisol spikes, brain fog, and mood swings.

So if you’re done being tired (and done with the red flags), let’s spill the sleep tea: no mixed signals, just cold hard facts.

Ready? Let’s do the dream work. 🛌

“Women experience hormonal fluctuations and have a higher susceptibility to anxiety and depression than men do.”

These hormonal changes can:

• Disrupt circadian rhythms

• Increase susceptibility to anxiety and mood disorders

• Contribute to sleep disturbances like insomnia and restless sleep. “

NREM = Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

Characterized by: Reduced brain activity, relaxed muscles, deep sleep stages and dreaming!!

“As waste-products naturally build up in our brain during the day, (NREM) sleep serves as our brain’s ‘reset’ button to naturally rid of the excess junk.”

🚨🚨”Accumulation of too much waste product may lead to cognitive decline, a higher risk of: Neurodegenerative disease (such as Alzheimer’s) & Impaired decision-making, which can cause impulsivity or irrational thinking from lack of sleep. “

BioTech Spotlight

3. 💤PRODUCT: TAVO 

Say Goodbye to Rough Mornings…

Tired of that soul-crushing alarm sound ruining your morning? It’s time to try TAVO, and the best part? Inside Health scored you an exclusive discount code to make waking up way smoother.

Built by sleep scientists who actually get how your brain works, TAVO is all about making sleep your best experience. From acupressure mats and nasal strips, they’ve cracked the code behind the science of sleep, helping you wake up feeling like a champ.

Here’s how it works: TAVO V1 BAND uses tech to track your sleep cycles and vibrates softly to wake you up right when your brain’s ready… no more jump scares when your alarm goes off.

Products Include:

• TAVO V1 Band

  • track your sleep cycle, detect when you are in light sleep

  • allows customization of wake up window, tailor your sleep to you!

• Somnia Acupressure Mat

  • Lie on bare skin 20min before bed, activates nervous system for deep relaxation, reduces overall stress.

• Nasal Strips & Mouth Tape

  • Boost nasal breathing at night

  • Increase oxygen intake and nitric oxide production

4. 📖READ: Why We Sleep By: Matthew Walker

This book put me to sleep.

If you’ve ever thought “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Matthew Walker is here to politely (and scientifically) tell you: congrats, you’re speeding up the process.

This isn’t your typical snooze-fest read. It’s part science, part reality check, and a full a wake-up call about why skipping sleep is the fastest way to fry your system.

If reading is not your thing, don’t worry… We read Why We Sleep and pulled the best facts so you don’t have to. TLDR:

• Less than 7 hours?

  • A fast pass to heart disease, cognitive decline, weight gain, lower testosterone and a shorter life period, yikes.

• Sunlight is Sleep Reset

  • Want to wake up better? Get 5–10 minutes of sunlight right after you get up. Your circadian rhythm will thank you.

• Nap like a Pro

  • Do it before 3 PM, keep it under 60 minutes

  • Midday snoozes are great if you do it right

• Chronotypes = Built-In Sleep Schedule

  • Being a night owl isn’t lazy, it’s biology.

  • Your internal clock (aka chronotype) is hardwired by genetics.

  • Some people naturally wake up early, others hit peak focus in the evening

Common Misconceptions

6. MISCONCEPTIONS: A quick roast.

😴”I’ll sleep when I’m dead” → Cool, you’ll get there faster.

• Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and shortened lifespan.

• Sleep isn’t optional, it’s literally your body’s repair mode.

🍭“Melatonin Gummies = instant knockout” → It’s giving placebo, not power nap.

• Not really. Melatonin only helps regulate your internal clock, it doesn’t knock you out like a sleeping pill.

• Overusing it? Can mess with your natural production. Use with caution ( don’t treat it like candy)

☕️“Caffeine doesn’t affect me” —> Oh it does, your brain’s just too tired to notice.

• Caffeine blocks adenosine (the chemical that makes you sleepy), it’s not magic.

• Caffeine stays in your system for up to 10 hours. Afternoon Americano? Might cost you deep sleep.

Sleep is a health multiplier. If you're not sleeping right, nothing else (gym, diet, skincare, therapy) hits as hard as it could.

That’s everything for now! Thanks for hanging out with Inside Health this week. Understanding how you function starts with education, and you’re already doing the work just by being here.

Until next time, keep asking questions, stay curious, and don’t stop Inside Health-ing your way to a smarter, healthier you.

Until next time 🙂 — The Inside Health Team.