And what you can learn from their strategies to improve your sleep — Scientists who study sleep and its challenges are no different from you and me when it comes to successful slumber. Some sleep well, some not so great, and they all have bad nights now and then. …

We humans all think we know more than we really do. That’s why we argue about everything. — When I have an argument with someone, I’m almost always right. You probably are, too. I know these things because when researchers asked people to reflect on disagreements they’ve had, 82% of them were confident they were usually right. I’m no math whiz, but something doesn’t add up there. “Most…

We tend to underestimate serious risks and let minor threats loom ridiculously large — If you fear dying in a plane crash, a shark attack, a bombing or a violent home invasion — or some other statistically unlikely event — join the crowd. …

Depression is highly treatable. So why are rates soaring, particularly among young people? We need to acknowledge the scope of the problem, shake the stigma, and embrace solutions known to work, experts say. — This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression. After suffering a stroke last year, US Senator John Fetterman, a man who’d long seemed sad to those around him, plunged into deep depression. In the pit of his despair, he lost the motivation…

Like it or not, language changes. Are you keeping up with the vocabulary shifts on sensitive topics? — When I wrote recently about the unknown risks of soaring melatonin use in children, I touched on its potential application for some mental health conditions. In the process, I offended a reader with this passage: While there can be benefits to physician-supervised melatonin use — such as treating specific, diagnosed…

Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today — Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness. This week, several Wise & Well writers with clinical expertise — including a physician, a dermatologist and a psychologist — offer sound and actionable advice for surviving the one-two punch of winter’s spike in diseases coupled with holiday stress. …

We misunderstand introversion and extroversion. But now I finally get it. Which means I get myself. Do you? — My wife and I recently went to dinner with family members I hadn’t seen in months. Most of them are, from my point of view, people people. As I often feel compelled to do when people people wonder where the hell I’ve been, I reminded them that I’m quite the…

Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today — Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, with science-backed insights you can use to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. This week we’ve got an unusually large bounty of helpful and compelling stories to share, so be sure to scroll down. …

Seriously, it’s so often not clear. Here’s a guide to making your point. — It shouldn’t surprise any writer to hear that a story has to have a point. But so often we go off the rails during the course of writing and end up with a menagerie of ideas that can leave an editor scratching her head, trying to figure out what the…