Commune with Jeff Krasno : Sleep Essentials: How Sleep Cycles Shape Your Mind and Body
SHOW NOTES
In this episode of the Commune Podcast, Jeff explores the architecture of sleep — the repeating nightly cycles that carry us from light sleep into deep restoration and vivid REM dreaming.
He breaks down N1, N2, and N3 sleep, explains why deep sleep is essential for physical repair and immune function, and describes how REM helps us process emotion, creativity, and memory. Along the way, Jeff highlights the science behind hypnagogia — the imaginative threshold between waking and sleep that inspired minds like Einstein and Dalí — and how understanding these stages can help you wake with more clarity and ease.
The episode then turns toward the body’s internal clock: the circadian rhythm. Jeff explains how light and darkness shape our hormones, energy, and sleep timing, why chronotypes differ from person to person, and how habits like late-night screens, irregular sleep schedules, caffeine, and evening meals can pull our rhythms out of sync. You’ll also learn how a few simple practices — such as morning light exposure, consistent wake times, and timing rest in 90-minute increments — can help reset your natural rhythm.
Whether you struggle with groggy mornings, restless nights, or inconsistent energy, this episode offers a clear and grounded roadmap for understanding your sleep patterns — and aligning your life with the rhythms your body already knows.
Commune with Jeff Krasno
Commune is a podcast where we explore the ideas and practices that bring us together and help us live healthy, purpose-filled lives. We believe personal and societal health are two sides of the same coin, and that cultivating personal wellness is the first step toward making the world well. We connect with experts, scientists, and storytellers around food, health, social impact, mindfulness and movement practices, personal growth, and environmental action. In addition to being a podcast, Commune is also an online course platform where thousands of participants take each course together, day-by-day, for free. We then provide social tools that empower participants to form local action groups and implement their new knowledge in their communities.








