A member recently asked me something that captures what so many health-conscious adults wonder but don’t always say out loud:
“I sleep 5–6 hours, wak
I work, think, even exercise on 5–6 hours. How big a deal is my sleep? Read Post »
Do I just need less sleep as I get older? Do you ever find yourself thinking: “I’m 52, I wake up around 3–4 a.m., and I function. Maybe I just need le
I’ve been taking Benadryl every night for ~3 years now. It’s the only thing that knocks me out. Is it bad?”
This question appeared in my inbox recently, and variations of it come up often. The person mentioned some lingering grogginess in the morning, but otherwise assumed everything was fine.
If some version of that lives in your head, you are not the only one.
Millions of adults use over-the-counter antihistamines as a nightly sleep aid.
The reasoning makes sense: it’s available without a prescription, it’s affordable, and it does produce sleepiness.
On the surface, it looks like a small trade: a familiar allergy ingredient, a predictable sedative effect, and side effects that look like “a little groggy” or “weird dreams.”
This article is about what sits underneath that trade:
The underappreciated risks that go beyond next-day drowsiness.
Why long-term use matters for brain health and dementia risk.
How these drugs disrupt your sleep architecture—even when they help you stay asleep
How to think about your next step in a way that matches the complexity of your midlife physiology, instead of just asking, “What else can I take?”
Let’s get started.
I’ve been taking Benadryl every night for years. Is it bad? Read Post »
+ 3 categories of supplements I avoid 100% of the time.
Vitamin C, calcium, iron & D3: they can never hurt… right? Read Post »
A lot of Longevity Vault members have asked me over the years: “If I just drink more water and avoid spinach, am I safe from kidney stones?”Or: “Kidney stones run in my family—does that mean I’m stuck with them?” Short answer: those things matter. Longer answer: they only touch a small part of the problem. Most kidney stones—70-80%—are calcium oxalate. So if you’re thinking about prevention, oxalate is the main variable. That sets up the more useful question: Is “water + avoiding high-oxalate…
Kidney Stone Prevention (beyond hydration & avoiding spinach) Read Post »
Personalized longevity roadmap for 2026 labs & sleep Longevity work becomes powerful when last night’s sleep, today’s meals, and your next blood draw are all pulling in the same direction. 2026 is your opportunity to get there. This launchpad brings together the Vault’s most practical resources—across sleep, hormones, LDL cholesterol, inflammation, kidney health, and brain
Slower aging, better sleep, actionable labs: Your 2026 Longevity Launchpad Read Post »
High cholesterol despite healthy diet: how to lower ApoB naturally so you can protect arteries, brain, and colon health before or alongside a statin decision. The Cholesterol-Handling Strategy Many Healthy Individuals Haven’t Utilized Conventional heart health optimization centers around lipid management and saturated fat restriction. While foundational, this approach overlooks how gut bacteria function as
How to Lower LDL Cholesterol Without Statins: A Gut-First Strategy How to turn an already strong lifestyle into lower LDL-C, reduced cardiovascular risk, and better long-term brain health by targeting gut microbes that support healthy aging. If you have LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) or ApoB (apolipoprotein B, the count of atherogenic particles) higher than you
How to lower LDL cholesterol when you already eat healthy & What to check before telling yourself “my LDL-C is just genetic” ➤ A client asked recently “I just received my blood test results and am very surprised at the high LDL-C levels, because I consider myself fit and healthy and have been for years.
“My LDL-C is 186—I eat whole foods & exercise: what else is left to do?” Read Post »
Restful Sleep and Biological Aging: Why It Matters “The first question I ask every client about their sleep isn’t ‘How many hours?’—it’s whether they wake up feeling restored.” The most under-emphasized sleep metric isn’t a sleep score, REM %, or hours in deep sleep. It’s this: restful sleep. Because many of the most meaningful downstream
The first question I ask every client about their sleep Read Post »
