Non-Sleep Deep Rest: The Most Accessible Recovery Tool
Everyone knows sleep is important. Everyone also knows they don’t get enough of it. And yet, for most people, fixing sleep feels impossible. Is there a way? Let's find out.
Hi, I’m Shan. I run Xandro Lab, a longevity science brand in Singapore. Every Sunday, I sit down to write here on Out of Singapore. It started in March 2023 as a way to keep a journal, a place to share what I was building, what I was learning, and things I was struggling with. This week I will discuss a topic that’s been on my mind all week: sleep.
Not because I’m a sleep scientist. I’m not. I’m an operator, a builder in the longevity space. My work at Xandro Lab sits at the intersection of longevity, performance, and recovery. And the more I meet people — in workshops, at events, or just over coffee — the more I realize this: almost everyone knows their poor health is tied to bad sleep. But for most, sleep feels impossible to fix.
Last week we hosted a sleep science workshop with about twenty people. Kathy, a therapist, broke down common misconceptions about sleep, and then guided us through forty minutes of Yoga Nidra. Neuroscientists call it non-sleep deep rest, or NSDR. Lying flat on the floor with my eyes closed, drifting between wakefulness and sleep, I realized something simple: Sleep is the foundation. But when it breaks, recovery practices like NSDR are what keep us going.
Today’s reading includes -
Why sleep is both known & unfixable
The half-a-trillion-dollar sleep industry
The science of sleep cycles
The myths of sleep
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
Sleep at work
Why I care as an operator
Closing reflections
Let’s start.
1. Why Sleep Is Both Known & Unfixable
Every conversation I’ve had about health — whether with friends, colleagues, or consumers at Xandro — eventually circles back to sleep. It’s the foundation. You don’t sleep well, your body breaks down. Metabolism slows, weight creeps up, mood dips, and focus disappears.
