Sleep: we all know we need it, but many of us don't realize how badly. Missing just a night or two of quality sleep can increase our susceptibility to the common cold, and chronic sleep loss can lead to much more serious conditions. With 60-70% of the global population failing to get the right amount of sleep, sleep deprivation is now considered an epidemic—one that's affecting people across the age spectrum. However, seeking the right type of treatment is expensive, time-consuming, and often hard to come by.

Dayzz is a mobile app that aims to tackle this problem head-on by providing individuals with personalized sleep training programs while collecting data that will ultimately contribute to a greater understanding of the myriad sleep disorders affecting people.

Mairav Cohen is a clinical psychologist and the chief science officer at Dayzz, and she joins the podcast today to discuss a variety of interesting issues on the topic of sleep, such as how to know what the "right" amount of sleep is for you, how exactly the Dayzz app gathers information from its users, whether or not there are health benefits to being a "night owl" versus a "lark," the impact of cortisol and melatonin on sleep, and what's in store for Dayzz. Press play for more.