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Recent Articles
Lack Of Sleep Makes You Feel Lonely And Unengaged – Here’s How To Fix It
Can I be Flexible With Bedtime?
Sleep Apnea: A Ticking Time Bomb In Your Sleep
5 Reasons You Wake Up Too Early – And What You Can Do About It
Modern Anti-Snoring Gadgets To The Age-Old Problem Of Snoring
Travel, Jet Lag, And The One Time To Use Your Mobile Phone To Help You Sleep
@doctorpark: New post (The Functional Oral and Airway Health Summit) has been published on Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | New … – https://t.co/fkKpLMLwOr https://t.co/CIaEMIO5Kc
Can Baby be Taught to Sleep in a Different Bed?
The Relaxing, Sleep-Promoting, Health-Boosting Powers Of Lavender
@doctorpark: New post (Book Review: Tongue-Tied by Dr. Richard Baxter) has been published on Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | … – https://t.co/4n77akhWU5 https://t.co/5ZtAyLoeqR
Beddr’s Sleep Sensor-Mobile App Gets $5.6 Million in Series A Funding, Plans to Offer Access to Sleep Physicians in the Future

Lack Of Sleep Makes You Feel Lonely And Unengaged – Here’s How To Fix It

Tom -

This was really interesting to me. University of California researcher Matt Walker, PhD found that sleep deprived people feel lonelier and are less likely to engage with others, avoiding close contact, similar to people with social anxiety, reports Sleep Review Magazine.  Not only that, this situation seems to send out a weird signal to those around a sleep deprived person making them more socially undesirable. Yikes! Get this, even someone who is well-rested will feel lonely after just hanging out with someone who is sleep deprived, almost like a virus of social isolation.

The study also looked at the brain activity of those who were sleep deprived while they watched a video of a person walking toward them and saw increased brain activity in areas that seem to light up when a person feels their personal space being violated (think about a close-talker here from Seinfeld- do you remember that episode?) It’s like a crazy cycle, the more sleep deprived you are the less you want to socially interact, then others also find you socially unattractive, and you can get stuck in a crazy loop, which seems to cause loneliness.

Loneliness is a HUGE problem here in the US, about half of people feel lonely regularly and it has been found to increase mortality by more than 45%. It seems

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Can I be Flexible With Bedtime?

Tom -

After parents and baby put in the work to develop the skills to sleep through the night, there can be a real sense of accomplishment, which is absolutely deserved! It’s no walk in the park and getting baby sleeping through the night is an amazing feat, for sure.

But there can be a tendency to drift back into old habits once baby’s sleeping well, and the one I see most often focuses on bedtime.

So when is it OK to switch up bedtimes? How often, and what are the consequences if you do it too often? I’ve got all of that and more in this week’s video.

Rather read than watch? Click here.

Sleep Apnea: A Ticking Time Bomb In Your Sleep

Tom -

The public is very much aware of snoring but rarely do their associate it with sleep apnea. For many, it is just a nasty habit that has plagued millions (especially men) from then until now that we all just have to learn to live with. Even if you snore and have trouble sleeping each night, not many will seek professional treatment because it is expensive and time-consuming. These are just some of the reasons why a lot of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed. The majority do not see it is as a major threat to their health and life, so they just learn to accept this bothersome symptom and go on with their lives.

Patients who snore and have sleep apnea but haven’t gotten treatment yet often lack focus and feel overly sleepy during the day. It’s because they weren’t able to get a decent amount of sleep at night. But more than the chronic sleeplessness, sleep apnea in itself is a deadly condition. Think about yourself not breathing for several seconds multiple times throughout your slumber. That’s what happens when you have sleep apnea. These periods of breathing gaps are critical because your brain is trying to decipher whether it should focus on breathing or sleeping instead. It is even more alarming to find out that almost a …

5 Reasons You Wake Up Too Early – And What You Can Do About It

Tom -

For those people who hit the snooze button three or four times before really waking up for the day, this might seem like a luxury problem. But the many people who wake long before it’s actually time to rise, and struggle to fall back to sleep, know otherwise.

Waking too early is an incredibly frustrating sleep issue. It can deprive you of the sleep you need, throw your sleep cycle off kilter, and cause a lot of stress.

Are you one of the millions of people who often wakes at three or four a.m. and struggles to fall back to sleep? There are several possible reasons why this might be happening. Let’s look at 5 of the most common ones—and at ways to address this particular sleep problem.

You have insomnia

Many of my patients think of insomnia as first and foremost an inability to fall asleep at bedtime. While it’s true that people with insomnia frequently do have problems falling asleep at night, that’s not the only form of insomnia out there.

Insomnia has not just one, but several symptoms:

    • Trouble falling asleep
    • Trouble staying asleep
    • Experiencing unrestful, unrefreshing sleep
    • Waking too early

People with insomnia can experience several of these symptoms at once. That’s to say, you might have trouble falling asleep sometimes, and other times wake very

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Modern Anti-Snoring Gadgets To The Age-Old Problem Of Snoring

Tom -

Snoring has been an ancient problem and people from all walks of life complain about it. Back then, the public just made fun of snorers saying that it is a hilarious habit and you likely have your own personal stories to tell about your snoring grandpa, father, uncle, or even complete strangers. But in the light of modern discoveries, science has found out that snoring is actually the most predominant symptom of a deadly yet often underrated condition known as sleep apnea.

With sleep apnea, you literally stop breathing for several seconds to minutes as your brain struggles to choose between breathing and sleep. This is usually caused by an abnormal structure that causes the airway to become narrow, thus the loud snoring sound. It is essentially the air passing through your airway that causes the vibration that triggers snoring.

Over the years, we have seen our fair share of anti-snoring gadgets that promise to reduce, if not totally eradicate, snoring. Some work while others don’t and they usually come at a price. You’re no longer forced to use CPAP because many are apparently not a big fan of it.

We’ve all been told that unplugging — putting our phones away and turning off the television at least 30 minutes before going to bed — is better for our sleep,

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Travel, Jet Lag, And The One Time To Use Your Mobile Phone To Help You Sleep

Tom -

If you are crossing more than 3 times zones, especially if you are going EAST, you will likely experience jet lag.

Jet lag is one of the weirdest experiences you may have, not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your brain seems to be split into two different realities. All of the things going on around you in your new destination make sense because the sun is out (or not) and the normal things that go on at whatever time zone you are in, match with your external reality.

But there is often one significant problem, your brain is not exactly cooperating. You get tired when you thought you were awake, you get hungry at weird times (and can have weird cravings), and when you do manage to get in bed, your body feels exhausted, but your brain is ready to rock and roll (if you want to learn more about the ins and out of jet lag check out my blogs here). I’d also recommend packing a few Nightfood bars in your bag so that you have an appropriate nighttime snack in your new area and don’t have to go searching and make undesirable choices.

So, what is a weary traveler to do? I would like to introduce you to an application for your phone which has been …

Can Baby be Taught to Sleep in a Different Bed?

Tom -

We all get our best nights’ sleep in our own bed, and babies are no exception. But if you’re spending the night away from home, the option’s not always available.

So is there a way to help your child get a good sleep when they’re away from the bed they’re familiar with? I’ll give you my opinion and suggestions in this week’s video.


Rather read than watch? Click here.

The Relaxing, Sleep-Promoting, Health-Boosting Powers Of Lavender

Tom -

You know the scent when it hits you—the rich, mellow, floral scent of lavender. In Southern California where I live, it grows both wild and cultivated in gardens (including my own). I’m always struck by how instantly calming that familiar lavender smell is. It’s no accident that lavender pops up all the time in soaps, shampoos, lotions and other body and self-care products. It’s wildly popular.

Not long ago, I talked about the most effective essential oils for sleep. Lavender is on that list. It’s one of the well-known, and well-studied, essential oils. Lavender’s potential benefits as a medicinal herb go beyond what many people know. There’s a lot to learn about lavender and how this flowering plant may benefit sleep and health.

What is Lavender?

Lavender is a perennial and evergreen plant. There are more than 40 types of lavender. One that is common and used for medicinal purposes is Lavendula angustifolia. Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean region, lavender now also grows throughout the United Kingdom and in parts of the United States, as well as other parts of the world.

Almost wherever lavender grows, it grows abundantly. It’s a plant that’s known to spread quickly, leading some people to think of it as a weed! The plant’s flowers, leaves and essential oil are all used

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