Mental Health Columnist
Dr. Emily Park is a clinical psychologist specializing in sleep research and stress management. She earned her PhD from Stanford University and has published extensively on the intersection of sleep quality and mental health outcomes.
They're often used interchangeably, but mindfulness and meditation are distinct practices with different neural mechanisms, different evidence bases, and different optimal use cases.
Understanding the architecture of sleep — from light NREM stages to vivid REM periods — reveals why alarm timing matters more than total hours in bed.