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Dr. Michael Breus

@drmichaelbreus

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Board Certified Sleep Specialist, author and expert. Providing information, guidance, & real solutions for a better night's sleep

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Tired all day but wide awake at 3 AM?

Comment 658 (no emojis) and I’ll DM you the episode link. 🎧

I know how brutal poor sleep can be. After 700 hours of chemotherapy, I spent months sleeping only 2 to 4 hours a night, and it affected nearly every part of my life.

In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend @drmichaelbreus, The Sleep Doctor, to break down what helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and improve your sleep quality.

We talk about:

• Why anxiety fuels insomnia
• What to do when you wake up in the middle of the night
• The 3-2-1 rule for better sleep
• Why your wake-up time matters
• Alcohol, supplements, mouth taping, and common sleep mistakes

Better sleep can change your energy, mood, focus, and quality of life.

Comment 658 and I’ll DM you the episode link.

#AchieveYourGoalsPodcast #SleepBetter #Insomnia #SleepHealth #Wellness

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Riverwood Class of 1986 looking good! Great to reconnect and reminisce with everyone. Let’s do it again soon, Raiders! #40threunion #riverwoodhighschool

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3 days. 25 VO2max tests. A group of people committed to proactive health and longevity.

It was a privilege to be part of the YPO Health & Wellness Summit in Vancouver, and a pleasure to talk with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Dr. David Perlmutter, Leize De Mara Perlmutter, Dr. Michael Breus and Dr. Eric Verdin along the way.

Thank you to everyone who stepped on the bike. A special shout-out to @whitarobinson for putting up a VO2max of 56 ml/kg/min, and for letting us share her footage.

Thank you to @gyeganegi for organizing such an amazing summit, and to @shawellness for having us run the VO2max testing.

Know your capacity. Expand your possibilities.

Book a VO2max test through the link in our bio, or DM us for more info. HSA eligible.

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Light at Night Reduces Lifespan, But More Sunlight Makes You Live Longer (89,000-Person Study).

In ~89,000 adults followed for about 8 years, those with the highest levels of night-time light had about 20–35% higher risk of dying, especially from cardiometabolic causes, while those with the brightest daytime light had about 15–35% lower risk of dying.

These associations remained after extensive adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle, cardiometabolic, and sleep factors, and after excluding shift workers, supporting the interpretation that personal light–dark patterns and the circadian disruption they induce or prevent are independent predictors of mortality risk.

Watch the full paper breakdown on YouTube @ TheSignalWithJonathanJarecki

(@thesignal.podcast)

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Limitless Live 2026 has come to a close, and I’m still replaying the highlights in my head.

Getting to emcee this event was one of the greatest honors of my career. Standing on that stage surrounded by people chasing bigger lives and bolder goals, reminded me exactly why I do this work.

To everyone who trusted me with this role, thank you. To every single person who showed up ready to grow, thank you. This is one I’ll carry with me for a long time.

Makes sense?

#limitlesslive #limitless #jimkwik #event #motivation

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Follow @brainwavevault for more of what’s actually happening inside the brain.

Melatonin is often marketed alongside vitamins and supplements, but there’s an important distinction: melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the brain that helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

Unlike in the United States, where melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, access is more restricted in several other countries, and in some places it requires a prescription.

That doesn’t mean melatonin is inherently dangerous. Research suggests it can be useful in certain situations, including jet lag and some circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

But more isn’t necessarily better, and taking it routinely without understanding why you’re struggling to sleep may not address the underlying problem.

Sleep is influenced by light exposure, circadian timing, stress, medications, and lifestyle.

Melatonin may be available over the counter—but that doesn’t mean it should be treated like a nightly vitamin.

Credits:
Speaker: @drmichaelbreus
Video: @diaryofaceoclips

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Can’t sleep?

Try this simple breathing technique to calm your body and help your mind switch off.

Lie comfortably, close your eyes, and inhale gently through your nose for 4 seconds, then slowly exhale for 6 seconds. Repeat this for 20 times , keeping your shoulders relaxed and your breathing effortless.

The longer, slower exhale activates your body’s relaxation response, helping reduce stress, slow your heart rate, relax your muscles, and prepare your brain for sleep.

#SleepHack #BetterSleep #BreathingExercise #SleepTips Relaxation

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We don’t always have the time, space, or words to process everything we experience during the day. Sometimes, our minds need a little more room to work through what we’re carrying — especially when emotions are still unresolved.

That’s one reason paying attention to your sleep can offer a different window into your emotional well-being. You don’t have to decode every dream or search for a hidden meaning.

Instead, notice the patterns: what keeps coming up? What leaves you unsettled?

What’s something that’s been on your mind lately that you haven’t had much space to process?

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Anxiety at night, when you’re supposed to be asleep can feel like: check the clock, do the calculation of how much time you have left before morning, feel worse.

@thesleepdoctor’s fix for 3am wake-ups is 4-7-8 breathing, but the real insight goes beyond sleep: your nervous system calms down because you give your body a physical signal of safety. Checking the time is your brain trying to think its way out of what's actually a body problem.

Where else do you do this — reach for more information when what you actually need is just to calm your body down?

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@thesleepdoctor missed his own sleep apnea for over a decade. 👀

Dr. Michael Breus, PhD chased the more obvious places before anyone thought to check the thing he actually specializes in!

If you've been exhausted and can't pin down why, sleep apnea is worth ruling out before anything else — even if you feel "fine" during the day.

Have you gotten your sleep checked before?

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Sleep is decades behind fitness and nutrition and it shows in how little most people actually know about their own sleep.

@thesleepdoctor points out that we've spent years building real fluency around how we eat and move, but sleep has mostly remained a mystery.

But there’s so much we can do to improve our sleep.

Comment SLEEP and we'll send you the full episode so you can get a good night’s sleep 🌙

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Most people sabotage their own return to sleep without realizing it…one flip of a bathroom light is enough to tell your brain it's morning, which shuts off melatonin production on the spot.

The interruption was never the issue.

It's what you do in the 60 seconds after that decides whether you're back asleep in minutes or wide awake for an hour.

Small unconscious habits like this are usually the real gap between people who sleep well and people who don't.

Comment SLEEP and we'll send you the full episode 🌙

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