For decades, the study of sleep focused primarily on what the brain does during rest: how memories consolidate, how hormones regulate, how the body repairs muscle tissue, how emotional processing occurs overnight. What scientists did not fully understand was what the brain does to maintain itself, to quite literally clean up after the demands of a full day of activity. That understanding arrived in 2013, when a team of researchers led by neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard at the University of Rochester made a discovery that would change the way science thinks about sleep and brain health.

We tend to chase better sleep and smoother digestion with big solutions: new mattresses, strict diets, supplements, and apps. But sometimes, the most powerful shifts start in a much simpler place, the soles of your feet.

Do you ever go to bed saying to yourself, “Tomorrow is the day that I’ll wake up when the alarm goes off”? And then, the clock strikes six, the alarm buzzes, and you fumble around looking for the snooze button. It could be that your body clock is out of sync, making sticking to a regular schedule more challenging than it needs to be. Whether you’re staying up too late, struggling to get out of bed in the morning, or you’re burning the candle at both ends, this article will give you plenty of helpful tips to fix your sleep schedule.

Americans don’t get enough sleep when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic. But as the spread of coronavirus continues to impact our jobs, our finances and our well-being, it’s more important than ever to establish or maintain good sleep habits, which help the body fight off viruses and stay healthy.