The Science of Sleep: Improving Rest and Rejuvenation

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, integrative medicine physician, researcher, and best-selling author, has cutting edge strategies for improving sleep. He emphasizes circadian rhythms, time changes, and jet lag. He details reducing stress and “FOMO” from news and social media, prioritizing sleep by cutting nonessential activities, and the health risks of short sleep, including increased heart attack risk, obesity risk, and impaired immunity, plus the role of deep sleep and the glymphatic system. Teitelbaum recommends a dark, cool room, limiting blue light (eye masks, warm/yellow lighting), bedtime routines, sustained-release melatonin, chamomile tea, herbal blends, lavender, magnesium, and addressing issues like sleep apnea (including positional strategies), restless legs (ferritin testing, iron, magnesium), nocturnal hypoglycemia (protein snacks, phosphatidylserine), reflux (bicarbonate, bed elevation), and selective low-dose medications when needed. They also cover daylight saving time adjustment and travel strategies such as shifting schedules, melatonin timing, hydration, and morning light exposure.