ANCSLEEP BLOG

Sleep depends on a delicate balance of neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and dopamine, which play opposing but complementary roles.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps the body produce serotonin and melatonin, key chemicals for mood and sleep regulation. While often associated with turkey, many everyday foods can support better sleep naturally.

Your dreams often reflect the health of your sleep. Sleep disorders can profoundly alter both how you dream and how often you recall dreams.

Certain prescription medications can influence your sleep architecture and neurotransmitters, sometimes leading to intense dreams or nightmares. While these effects aren’t dangerous for most people, they can be disruptive or disturbing.

Sleep disturbances are among the most common—and frustrating—symptoms of drug withdrawal. Whether it’s caffeine, nicotine, opioids, or prescription medications, your body’s internal balance of chemicals and rhythms shifts dramatically when you stop using a substance to which it’s grown accustomed.

You’ve probably heard that alcohol can make you sleepy—but what many don’t realize is that it can also lead to unsettling dreams and nightmares. While that evening drink might help you doze off faster, it can drastically disrupt your sleep architecture and alter your dream patterns in ways that leave you groggy and anxious the next morning.

You’ve finally settled into bed after a long day, ready to rest—but as soon as you get comfortable, your legs start to tingle, twitch, or ache. The urge to move them is impossible to ignore, and sleep slips farther away. If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a surprisingly common sleep disruption during pregnancy.

If you’ve ever felt yourself relax instantly under a heavy blanket, enjoyed the grounding comfort of a tight hug, or noticed how infants settle when swaddled, you’ve experienced the calming benefits of deep pressure therapy (DPT). This gentle but firm touch-based technique has grown in popularity because of its powerful effect on the nervous system—and its ability to improve sleep.

From weighted blankets and compression garments to massage and firm hugging sensations, deep pressure therapy helps the brain shift into a calmer state that makes falling asleep and staying asleep easier. Here’s how it works, why it helps, and simple ways to incorporate it into your nightly routine.

Waking up multiple times a night to use the bathroom—known as nocturia—can seriously disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling tired, irritable, and foggy the next day. While nighttime urination can sometimes be caused by medical conditions that require evaluation, in many cases, behavioral and lifestyle adjustments can make a significant difference.

It’s 2 p.m. Your morning coffee has worn off, your concentration is fading, and that wave of fatigue hits hard. The midday energy crash is one of the most common dips in productivity people experience—especially in the modern workday, where screens, stress, and sedentary habits dominate. But that afternoon slump isn’t inevitable. With a few lifestyle tweaks and science-backed strategies, you can keep your energy stable and your focus sharp from morning to night.