#94 - Grounding and Sleep: I Felt The Earth Beneath My Feet

Though widely regarded as pseudoscience for many years, there has been a recent resurgence in the practice of earthing/grounding. This practice aims to dissipate excess electrical charge and reestablish electrical homeostasis. While the act of grounding is common practice in high voltage appliances, is it really necessary of beneficial in the human body when currents are miniscule in comparison. In this episode, we will:Explain the concept of grounding in modern electrical wiringDiscuss the electrical nature of the human bodyReview studies claiming physiological changes in grounded individuals such as increased ferritin and lower blood glucose levelsEvaluate studies showing grounding effects on blood pressureUse stress as a sleep surrogate and review available literature of the effects of grounding on stress in both animal and human modelsSwitch to pain as a potential sleep disruptor and discuss the studies showing reduced pain and faster recover via groundingTouch on the large limitations of this small body of research and the ways in which bias and poor study construction can influence resultsDispel concerns about the "dangers" of groundingProduced by: Maeve WinterMusic by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reservedMoreTwitter: @drchriswinterIG: @drchriwinterThreads: @drchriswinterBluesky: @drchriswinterThe Sleep Solution and The Rested ChildThanks for listening and sleep well!