If you're not getting enough rest, sleep isn't the only answer

Life doesn’t stop when you’ve slept terribly or feel exhausted. 😫 You still show up for deadlines, drop-offs, aging parents, and workouts.

But if you’re consistently running on a half tank of gas, naps and caffeine might only help so much. 

It’s probably why nervous system resets are gaining so much traction…when you turn off your body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ alarm, what follows is energy, focus, and calm. 🔋

Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) is a type of reset whose goal is to put you in a state between wakefulness and sleep.

Some research suggests 20 minutes daily is enough to boost mood, lower blood pressure, and support heart health via stress regulation. ❤ Though NSDR can leave you feeling refreshed, studies show it can’t actually replace sleep, like many claim. But it may help you sleep better and support healthy aging in more ways than one. 

→ Explore why sleep debt isn’t so simple

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It’s a category of relaxation practices, including hypnosis, body scan meditations, yoga nidra, and certain types of breath work. 🪷

Coined by Stanford professor Andrew Huberman, PhD, host of the Huberman Lab podcast, a 2024 study in Applied Psychology explains that NSDR techniques share four key characteristics:

‼ Internally, it also mirrors the repair processes of early sleep stages, supporting cellular repair, waste removal, and reducing inflammation.

A bad night’s sleep is still a bad night’s sleep, and 30 minutes of guided relaxation won’t have the same benefits as going through the five sleep stages.

But daily NSDR could be an underappreciated resource for improving sleep and aging well. It can:

NSDR activates the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system. This helps to lower the stress hormone cortisol and reduce inflammation. With consistent practice, NSDR may reduce chronic stress to improve sleep quality and long-term health. 

A short NSDR session after a nap may fight post-nap grogginess (sleep inertia). It may increase dopamine, the ‘happy hormone,’ and leave people feeling more focused, alert, and motivated, which can make you feel more well-rested.

There’s evidence that NSDR may offer some of the same short-term benefits as a brief nap (under 25 minutes), including improved thinking, energy, and mental performance, even after a poor night’s sleep.

If focusing on your own thoughts creates anxiety (my hand is raised 🙋‍♀), guided practices can be an effective way to reap the longevity benefits associated with traditional meditation, without the silence and discomfort.

Consistent meditation has been shown to ⬇ lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and may support neuroplasticity that can protect against cognitive decline.

By shifting your focus away from trying to fall asleep — or fall back asleep — NSDR can reduce sleep-related anxiety, a major driver of insomnia, which is believed to affect 30 million US adults.

And for women navigating menopause, practices like yoga nidra have shown particular benefits for improving sleep quality — perhaps helping you fall back to sleep after those 3 am wake-ups.

What does it actually take to stay strong, mobile, and independent as you age? Find out THIS FRIDAY with Dr. Vonda Wright, double board-certified orthopedic surgeon and author of the NYT bestseller Unbreakable.

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During NSDR, alpha and theta wave states increase, linked to creativity, focus, and restoration. 〰 Theta waves also appear during REM and deep meditation.

Over time, this may:

Through this practice, you may be helping your brain to recover more efficiently. ✅

There’s no shortcut for sleep.  It’s a non‑negotiable for longevity, the time when your brain clears waste proteins linked to dementia, consolidates memories, regulates hormones, and repairs your body at the cellular level. It’s why consistent, quality sleep is still one of the strongest predictors of longevity and disease prevention.

NSDR won’t replace sleep, but it can make you feel more alive when you feel tired or not well-rested. And for anyone dealing with anxiety, insomnia, hormonal shifts, or life, NSDR offers an actionable, low-effort way to support energy, sleep, and healing.

Bonus notes: Do 20 minutes for an afternoon reset, and 60 minutes for sleep; it’s OK to fall asleep!

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On the Livelong Podcast^TM: Is Ozempic Actually a Longevity Drug? An Endocrinologist Weighs In.

Last Tuesday’s issue discussed dog aging and human longevity. We asked: What’s the relationship between you and your dog?

Top answers:

Thank you for the great responses! I 100% get what this pet parent said about their dog: “She is more like a calm monkey.”

Until next week!