Sleep in midlife can be complicated — shaped by stress, hormone fluctuations, and a lifetime of habits that may not be serving you. Dr. Jade Wu offers a reframe that challenges how many of us approach sleep. It’s not a problem to be solved. Sleep is your friend, one that responds better to patience than control.

Dr. Wu also explains why the real measure of sleep doesn’t come from a tracker or device but from how alert you feel during the day. We outline the difference between sleep deprivation, insomnia and sleep apnea. And we discuss the potential benefits of CBT-I or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Thrive Sleep Clinic FAQs

Hello Sleep: The Science and Art of Overcoming Insomnia Without Medications

Genome-wide association study identifies genetic loci for self-reported habitual sleep duration supported by accelerometer-derived estimates

Sleep Disturbance and Perimenopause: A Narrative Review

Sleep Apnea

Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)

To learn more about at-home sleep studies, speak with your doctor and read this

See a breakdown of the evidence for different treatments for sleep

You can find a list of certified CBT-I therapists here

A 2023 paper in JAMA tested 25 over-the-counter melatonin supplements and found that 22 of them contained very different amounts of melatonin and did not match what was on the label: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2804077

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Figuring out how to take care of your skin shouldn’t be so hard. Leading dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale joins the show to give us all the crucial information we need to take care of our skin all year around. Dr. Hale also walks us through the various regenerative treatments that are in high demand, from exosomes and red light therapy to microneedling, to other mainstays like Botox™ and fillers. Plus, some actionable tips for early skin cancer detection.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Skin Cancer Foundation

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What if you could actually delay the process of aging? Dr. Nir Barzilai hopes to identify interventions that could do just that. He believes a class of drugs known as gerotherapeutics could be real game changers.

Dr. Barzilai walks us through his pioneering research and explains why your biological age may actually be different from your chronological age. And we break down the buzziest trends in the longevity space.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Cellergy Therapeutics

How to measure biological aging in humans

Rapamycin, But Not Resveratrol or Simvastatin, Extends Life Span of Genetically Heterogeneous Mice

An Updated Prioritization of Geroscience- Guided FDA-Approved Drugs Repurposed to Target Aging

Comparative Effectiveness of Metformin Versus Sulfonylureas on Exceptional Longevity in Women With Type 2 Diabetes: Target Trial Emulation

The Super Ager Family Study

Nir Barziliai, MD, on what we can learn about longevity from SuperAgers and Centenarians

Cardiovascular advantages among the offspring of centenarians

Lower all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in centenarians' offspring

Reduced Prevalence and Incidence of Cognitive Impairment Among Centenarian Offspring

What You Should Know About NAD+ Supplements

Abstract 4168: NMN supplementation enhances proliferation and aggressiveness in UV-induced skin cancer

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.