What is NSDR?

If you’ve ever tried to fall asleep but your brain just won’t stop, you’ve already bumped into the problem NSDR is designed to solve.

NSDR stands for Non-Sleep Deep Rest. The term was popularized by Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, but the practice itself is rooted in an older tradition called yoga nidra, a guided meditation that helps the body relax, allows the mind to quiet down, and shifts the nervous system from “fight-or-flight” into “rest-and-digest.”

How it works

An NSDR session usually takes you through a few simple steps: slowing your breathing, noticing different parts of your body, and letting your thoughts soften. The result is a state that feels a lot like the early stages of sleep—your heart rate slows, muscles loosen, and your mind finally gets a break from racing thoughts.

People use NSDR to recharge in the middle of the day, recover faster from stress, set themselves up for better sleep, and even as an aid to falling back asleep after waking in the middle of the night.

So what’s the deal with Dozeo’s stories?

Dozeo’s audio stories borrow some of the best parts of NSDR—gentle breath cues, body awareness, and calming visualization—but they don’t follow the full, traditional head-to-toe scan. That’s intentional.

Instead, we weave these techniques into short, first-person stories. The goal isn’t to do a “perfect” practice. The goal is to relax into a story that naturally carries you toward rest. It’s more playful, less clinical, and often more effective because you’re not stuck worrying about whether you’re doing it right.

The bottom line

NSDR is a science-backed way to reset your body and mind without needing to fall asleep. With Dozeo, you get the benefits of NSDR blended with the ease and enjoyment of storytelling—so drifting off feels natural, not forced. Listen to our first story for free tonight!