<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ayan Mechant]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ayan Mechant]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:54:36 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ayanmerchant.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[When Is It Time to See a Sleep Specialist?]]></title><description><![CDATA["Is my sleep actually bad enough to need help?" People rarely ask me this after one bad night. It usually comes after weeks of lying awake longer than they used to, waking at 3am again, mornings that start with the feeling that sleep didn't do its job. Even then, most people wait a little longer, telling themselves work will calm down, or the new pillow will finally help. A bad night and a sleep problem aren't the same thing Sometimes they're right. Sleep genuinely fluctuates, and a rough...]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/post/when-is-it-time-to-see-a-sleep-specialist</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaa388272df05405687e275</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:35:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Aman Nagpal</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Athletes Need to Treat Sleep Like Training]]></title><description><![CDATA["I skipped half my training this week, but one long session on Sunday should make up for it." No athlete would ever say that. But ask about sleep, and “I got six hours, I'll catch up later” barely raises an eyebrow. I see this gap constantly, and it's one of the more overlooked pieces of performance work I encounter.  Sleep isn't after training, it's part of athlete recovery Training stresses the body on purpose. Recovery is what lets an athlete adapt to that stress, and sleep drives much of...]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/post/why-athletes-need-to-treat-sleep-like-training</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaa3823ae769833007306f2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:33:31 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Aman Nagpal</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Is CBT-I? A Better Way to Treat Chronic Insomnia Without Relying on Sleeping Pills]]></title><description><![CDATA["I've tried everything. Why am I still not sleeping?" By the time someone says this to me, they've usually collected an impressive amount of advice: no coffee after lunch, no screens before bed, magnesium, a colder room, maybe a sleeping pill that's helped for a while, with a quiet worry underneath about what happens when they stop. What's rarely been asked is the more useful question. Why did sleep become this hard in the first place? That's what Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia,...]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/post/what-is-cbt-i-a-better-way-to-treat-chronic-insomnia-without-relying-on-sleeping-pills</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaa37d072df05405687e0b0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:32:27 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Aman Nagpal</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jet Lag and Athletic Performance: Why Recovery Starts Before You Land]]></title><description><![CDATA["I landed two days before the competition. That should be enough, right?" I hear some version of this from almost every athlete before a big trip, and it's usually the first thing jet lagged athletes ask me about. It sounds reasonable. Fly in, get a couple of good nights of sleep, shake off the travel fatigue, and you're ready to compete. Except the body doesn't adjust to a new time zone just because the plane has landed. Jet lag isn't only about feeling sleepy at the wrong hour. An athlete's...]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/post/jet-lag-and-athletic-performance-why-recovery-starts-before-you-land</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaa379872df05405687e02f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:31:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Aman Nagpal</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Am I Tired All Day but Wide Awake at Night?]]></title><description><![CDATA["I'm tired all day. The moment I get into bed... I'm wide awake." This is one of the most common things people say when they come to me for help with their sleep. Usually it comes out almost apologetically, like they are embarrassed about something so trivial.  But there is nothing embarrassing about it. Tired but can't sleep is one of the most confusing states a person can be in, because it feels like a contradiction the body shouldn't be capable of. You know the day. Yawning through...]]></description><link>https://www.ayanmerchant.com/post/why-am-i-tired-all-day-but-wide-awake-at-night</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaa3748ae769833007304de</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:29:53 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Aman Nagpal</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>