Podcast 315: How to Sleep Better with Dr. Shelby Harris

On this episode of our How To Series, WHOOP SVP of Research, Algorithms, and Data Emily Capodilupo sits down with Dr. Shelby Harris to discuss how you can improve your sleep.

Dr. Shelby Harris joins Emily to share expert insights on how to achieve the best sleep of your life. Together, they explore Dr. Harris’ background and break down why quality sleep is essential for overall health. They tackle common misconceptions about sleep hygiene, the surprising ways sleep is an active process, and the habits that could be sabotaging your rest. Dr. Harris also sheds light on the effects of sleep apnea and perimenopause, and offers practical strategies to improve sleep—beyond just blocking blue light. She presents a valuable mental model for distinguishing between normal sleep and when it’s time to seek professional help. From understanding and treating insomnia to optimizing sleep for marathon training, Emily and Dr. Harris cover it all—including how WHOOP can be a powerful tool for tracking and improving sleep performance.

Episode Chapters

00:29 - Introduction to Dr. Shelby Harris

01:18 - The importance of quality sleep

02:05 - Misconceptions about sleep hygiene

03:20 - What makes sleep active

05:58 - Habits that negatively impact sleep

08:20 - Sleep apnea

10:05 - Perimenopause

12:29 - Habits that can improve sleep

15:25 - Blue light

21:53 - Overthinking sleep

24:59 - When to seek professional help

26:26 - Insomnia and how it can be treated

30:00 - The importance of sleep during marathon training

35:40 - Where to begin

40:16 - Sleep Performance on WHOOP