#107 Why You Can't Sleep (and How to Fix It) | Dr. Michael Grandner

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Oct 2, 2025

Dr. Michael Grandner, a sleep scientist and director at the University of Arizona, shares his expertise on overcoming insomnia without medication. He discusses the importance of distinguishing between poor sleep and insomnia, and how condition arousal can turn your bed into a wakefulness zone. Listeners learn practical strategies like stimulus control and sleep restriction therapy. Grandner also highlights the role of morning light and caffeine timing in enhancing sleep quality, while debunking myths around sleep trackers and supplements.

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ADVICE

Lower Melatonin If You Feel Groggy

If melatonin makes you groggy next morning, cut the dose in half.
Prefer reputable brands (larger manufacturers) since they overfill to meet expiration specs.

ADVICE

Beware THC For Sleep

Avoid relying on THC for chronic sleep: tolerance, REM suppression, and withdrawal insomnia occur.
Prefer less harmful options for athletes because THC can impair coordination and motivation.

INSIGHT

Alcohol Trades Onset For Fragmentation

Alcohol speeds sleep onset but fragments sleep later as it metabolizes, causing awakenings.
Wearables often show the heart-rate disturbance and reduced recovery after alcohol nights.

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Chronic insomnia and untreated sleep apnea profoundly accelerate cognitive decline, impair performance, and diminish resilience. In this episode, Dr. Michael Grandner outlines practical, scientifically validated interventions, including CBT-I and stimulus control strategies, to retrain your body for consistently restorative sleep. He provides critical insights into detecting hidden sleep apnea and explains how precise timing of morning light, caffeine, and supplements like melatonin can dramatically enhance sleep quality and daytime performance. Dr. Grandner also shares actionable tips for falling asleep faster, managing nighttime awakenings, and provides an honest look at the accuracy and pitfalls of sleep trackers.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(04:45) Poor sleep vs. insomnia—how can you tell?
(07:11) Does stressing about sleep make insomnia worse?
(13:41) CBT-I's real target—wakefulness, not sleepiness
(16:11) Why your bed should be reserved strictly for sleep
(20:23) Can trying too hard to sleep backfire?
(21:38) Scrolling yourself awake? Try standing instead
(24:59) What should you do if you can't fall back asleep?
(27:51) Why effort keeps you awake
(29:30) Sleep restriction therapy—worst name, best solution?
(32:10) Can you train yourself to fall asleep faster?
(34:52) Why bedtime cliffhangers sabotage sleep
(36:32) Sedatives vs. CBT-I—which beats insomnia better?
(40:45) Insomnia by the numbers—is it affecting you?
(42:06) Why sleep apnea is shockingly common (and often unnoticed)
(45:44) Is nighttime waking a hidden sign of sleep apnea?
(51:50) Are at-home sleep apnea tests reliable?
(53:22) Allergies vs. sleeping position—what causes sleep apnea?
(56:05) What actually happens during REM and deep sleep?
(1:04:33) Are dreams your brain's way of decoding life?
(1:08:50) How apnea destroys sleep architecture
(1:10:20) Does untreated sleep apnea raise Alzheimer's risk?
(1:13:19) How poor sleep disrupts attention and memory
(1:16:36) Effective CPAP alternatives
(1:20:39) Mouth taping—sleep hack or hype?
(1:22:42) Measuring sleep apnea treatment success
(1:24:45) Advanced sleep hygiene for chaotic schedules
(1:28:13) Do blue-blocking glasses actually enhance sleep?
(1:28:58) Why morning light is key
(1:33:45) Should you delay your morning cup of coffee?
(1:37:43) Why consistent mornings are crucial—even if bedtime isn't
(1:41:14) Are you losing sleep to "revenge bedtime procrastination"?
(1:46:01) Why 5 mg of melatonin might be too much
(1:53:38) Do melatonin supplements contain more than advertised?
(1:56:31) Can melatonin boost your immune system?
(1:57:26) Debunking melatonin supplement safety myths
(2:01:48) Do magnesium, glycine, and L-theanine actually help sleep?
(2:04:49) Why glutamine and B12 might keep you awake
(2:06:21) THC and REM suppression—the hidden costs
(2:12:48) Does CBD genuinely improve sleep quality?
(2:15:21) Alcohol as a sleep aid—more harm than good?
(2:18:18) How late is too late for caffeine?
(2:22:31) Why staying up late leads to unhealthy eating
(2:27:21) Is shift work more harmful than smoking?
(2:31:04) What's the ideal power nap length?
(2:32:50) Strategic napping advice for shift workers
(2:34:58) Optimal caffeine timing for shift workers
(2:35:31) The fastest way to adjust to a new time zone
(2:41:02) How exercise and light help beat jet lag
(2:43:34) Can sleep trackers accurately detect wakefulness?
(2:47:09) Sleep stage tracking—useful data or misleading?
(2:51:36) Should you trust your wearable's sleep score?
(2:55:54) How to use sleep tracker data effectively
(3:01:08) Evening habits elevating your heart rate
(3:03:11) Troubleshooting insufficient REM and deep sleep
(3:06:07) Is your sleep tracker doing more harm than good?
(3:10:25) Does better sleep boost cognitive resilience?
(3:12:54) Why school start times clash with teen biology
(3:15:32) Shifting your circadian rhythm with light and exercise
(3:17:38) Can 15 minutes extra sleep boost athletic performance?
(3:19:48) Is "sleep banking" a competitive game-changer?
(3:22:15) Does poor sleep predict injury risk?
(3:27:12) Why caffeine isn't enough to overcome poor sleep
(3:28:50) Do eye masks and earplugs significantly improve sleep?
(3:30:27) Proven techniques to fall asleep faster
(3:32:24) Does reading before bed shorten sleep onset?
(3:33:14) Can't fall back asleep? Try this
(3:34:16) One proven strategy for deeper sleep
(3:35:40) Reducing nighttime urination awakenings
(3:37:23) Is sharing a bed disrupting your sleep?
(3:39:02) How to tell if you're truly sleeping enough
(3:40:40) Do you really need 8 hours of sleep?
(3:41:55) Adjusting your routine to your chronotype

Show notes, transcript, and summary are available by clicking here

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