Sleep can be super confusing. I get lots of questions about it and have my own too...for example: Are there healthy substitutes for sunlight? What does it exactly mean to be a fast vs. a slow caffeine metabolizer? What's the ideal nap length? How can you limit the damage from a night shift? What's the ideal sleeping position? Should you use an alarm?

My guest on today's podcast is Shawn Stevenson just wrote the new book "Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success", and today we dig into plenty of detail on the topics he covers in this book, which I highly recommend as a comprehensive sleep resource.

Shawn is a graduate of The University of Missouri - St. Louis, where he studied business, biology and kinesiology, and went on to be the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide.

Shawn has been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, Men's Health magazine, ESPN, FOX News, and many other media outlets. He is also a frequent keynote speaker for numerous organizations, universities, and conferences - all with outstanding reviews.

To learn more about Shawn visit TheModelHealthShow.com.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -How using natural medicine to rebuild his spine bones made Shawn want to write a book about sleep... -How Shawn and I differ in the ways we quantify and track sleep... -Whether there are sunlight substitutes you can use instead of sunlight... -How to measure your UVA vs. UVB exposure... -The difference between blue-light boxes, in-ear photo therapy and intranasal therapy... -How many sleep cycles you should get each night... -What Shawn thinks about the effect of caffeine on sleep if one is genetically tested and found to be a fast caffeine metabolizer... -Shawn's top tips for people who have to work graveyard or night shifts to avoid the metabolic issues that can arise with circadian rhythm disruptions... -The surprising link between gut bacteria and sleep... -Whether morning vs. evening exercise is best for sleep... -Shawn's thoughts on optimal nap time, and if you really need to limit your naps to less than 60 minutes... -What the ideal sleeping position is... -Why you should use black-out curtains and sleep masks even though your ancestors or "caveman" didn't... -The best type of alarm to use to optimize your sleep cycles... -And much more!

Resources from this episode: -What You Need To Know About Stem Cells previous podcast episode with Shawn -The OURA ring and HRV Ben uses for sleep tracking (and other sleep cycle tips) -How to use light to "hack" your sleep cycles -Intranasal light therapy -Apps to measure your UVA/UVB index -My podcast with sleep coach Nick Littlehales -The Sleep Cocktail supplement -Dr J. Sleep Solution pillow

Do you have questions, comments, or feedback for Shawn or I about what we discuss in this episode? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply, and be sure to check out Shawn's book Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success.

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