Starving Artists, Pace Killers, Rock Bottom
Links and recommendations + the best sleep upgrade I've ever had
Here’s my conversation with journalist Meghan Daum and clinical psychologist Andrew Hartz, Ph.D. on episode 12 of the Open Therapy podcast.
Links for Spotify and Apple Podcast.
London meetup:
I’ll be in London later this week. Figured while I’m in town it would be a good idea to have a meetup. August 20. 7pm. Please register here.
The Best Sleep Upgrade I’ve Ever Had:
I’ve been using Eight Sleep for more than a year, and it has meaningfully improved my sleep.
Most people who care about sleep focus on the obvious things. Don’t drink caffeine too late. Keep your phone away from your bed. Make your room dark. Go to sleep at roughly the same time every night.
But there was one thing I overlooked: the temperature of the bed itself.
For me, this turned out to be hugely important.
Before I bought an Eight Sleep Pod, I’d often wake up in the middle of the night because I was too warm. I would kick off the covers, get cold, pull them back on, and then repeat the whole process.
The Eight Sleep Pod solves this by controlling the temperature of the bed throughout the night. It can heat or cool each side separately, from 55°F to 110°F, while its Autopilot feature makes adjustments as you sleep.
This is important because body temperature is closely connected to sleep. Your core body temperature falls as you move into deeper sleep. Eight Sleep gives you control over a part of your sleep environment that most people overlook.
Eight Sleep recently introduced updates to make Autopilot even more powerful. Instead of merely reacting to what happens while you sleep, it can use information about your climate, activity and recovery during the day to predict how you are likely to sleep that night and adjust the bed accordingly.
I am usually skeptical of sleep gadgets. So I was shocked to discover how good this is.
Members see up to 34 percent more deep sleep on average. Individual results may vary, but mine have not. I travel a lot for work, and, sleeping in hotels, I find myself thinking “Damn I miss my Eight Sleep.”
Exclusive Offer for My Readers
Use my code ROBHENDERSON at eightsleep.com/robhenderson for up to $350 off the Pod.
Your future well-rested self will thank you.
From the archives:
Pointless Pace Killers
Links and recommendations:
These Cameras Save Lives. But Some Want Them Banned by Rafael A. Mangual
Trust, Respect, Leadership, and Belonging by Roy Baumeister
That’s Not What Cognitive Dissonance Means by Shane Littrell, PhD
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Three interesting findings:
1. Never‑married women place a much higher premium on finding a spouse with a steady job than never‑married men do, even as the pool of employed young men has been shrinking. There simply aren’t enough economically successful single men for single women to marry up. (source).
2. Polling data from the 1960s showed that young Americans were more supportive of U.S. involvement in Vietnam than older age groups. The image of youth opposition is a myth driven by media focus on campus protests. (source).
3. Despite being just 4% of the global population, Americans made up nearly 50% of the world’s new millionaires in 2025. (source).
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Audible (I narrated the audiobook myself)
