Sleep aids should not be viewed as a quick fix; understanding sleep quality versus mere sedation is crucial for effective sleep management.

Sedation is not the same as sleep; true restorative rest requires a rhythm, routine, and proper wind-down techniques.

Establishing a wind-down routine, whether through stretching, listening to a podcast, or meditation, is essential for preparing for sleep, as sleep is not like a light switch; it requires a gradual wind-down routine, similar to landing a plane. Find what helps you relax and stick to it religiously.

I recommend dimming your lights at night to facilitate a smoother transition to sleep and improve sleep quality.

Body position during sleep is critical for ensuring that the sleep you get is optimally restorative.

Polyphasic sleep, which involves multiple short sleep periods, has been shown to decrease overall sleep quality and can lead to impairments in cognition and mood.

The sleep you get after drinking alcohol is not restorative and is often characterized by multiple awakenings and poor quality.

To improve sleep quality, maintain consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends, and avoid sleeping in more than an hour beyond your normal wake-up time.

As we age, our sleep architecture changes, with infants experiencing highly polyphasic sleep, transitioning to biphasic and eventually monophasic sleep patterns in childhood.