Circadian health expert and medical scientist Logan Pendergrast, Ph.D., examines how the surfaces we sleep on—mattresses, pillows, and bedding—play a central role in sleep quality. He explains how these physical factors shape spinal alignment, comfort, and the body’s ability to reach restorative stages of sleep. Beyond biology and environment, touch and support create the foundation for how rested we feel when we wake.
In this segment, Dr. Pendergrast outlines what science has revealed about different sleep surfaces and why the right level of support matters for both nightly rest and long-term recovery. He also discusses how wear and age can change the effectiveness of bedding over time, and what sleepers should keep in mind when evaluating the foundation of their sleep environment.
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So before we move into talking about our
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practical tips that we can implement to
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help counteract issues with shift work
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and with desynchronized schedules, we'll
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talk a bit about the long-term
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consequences of desynchronized activity
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between our sleep and our environment on
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our brain health in the long term. And
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one example of this is shown in a study
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that was published which shows that just
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after one night of poor sleep, we see a
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20 to 30% reduction in our reaction time
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and then also a 40% reduction in our
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ability to create and um consolidate our
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memories. So this really indicates a
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powerful interaction between the
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necessity for sleep and our brain's
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ability to function in the long term.
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And there are also studies that indicate
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that the emotional centers of our brain,
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particularly in this area of our brain
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called the amygdala, which is
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responsible for emotional um navigation
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and emotional health, can become
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hyperactive during periods of decreased
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sleep. And this can lead to increased
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stress responses to normally not
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stressful stimuli. And so just in
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summary, it's important to maintain our
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function for sleep and to synchronize
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our environment to our necessity for
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sleep as we move throughout our day so
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that we can function properly as human
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beings.
