Kubo T, Izawa S, Ikeda H, Tsuchiya M, Miki K, Takahashi M. Work e-mail after hours and off-job duration and their association with psychological detachment, actigraphic sleep, and saliva cortisol: A 1-month observational study for information technology employees. J Occup Health. 2021 Jan;63(1):e12300. doi: 10.1002/1348-9585.12300. PMID: 34837278; PMCID: PMC8626826.

​

Tedone AM. Keeping Up With Work Email After Hours and Employee Wellbeing: Examining Relationships During and Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Occup Health Sci. 2022;6(1):51-72. doi: 10.1007/s41542-021-00107-3. Epub 2022 Jan 22. PMID: 35097187; PMCID: PMC8782676.

​

Kalmbach DA, Buysse DJ, Cheng P, Roth T, Yang A, Drake CL. Nocturnal cognitive arousal is associated with objective sleep disturbance and indicators of physiologic hyperarousal in good sleepers and individuals with insomnia disorder. Sleep Med. 2020 Jul;71:151-160. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1184. Epub 2019 Nov 14. PMID: 32247571; PMCID: PMC8212183.

​

Goldberg ZL, Thomas KGF, Lipinska G. Bedtime Stress Increases Sleep Latency and Impairs Next-Day Prospective Memory Performance. Front Neurosci. 2020 Jul 28;14:756. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00756. PMID: 32848547; PMCID: PMC7399217.

​

Ari Shechter, Elijah Wookhyun Kim, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, and Andrew J. Westwood, “Blocking Nocturnal Blue Light for Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Journal of Psychiatric Research 96 (January 2018): 196–202, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.10.015

​

Pham HT, Chuang HL, Kuo CP, Yeh TP, Liao WC. Electronic Device Use before Bedtime and Sleep Quality among University Students. Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Aug 24;9(9):1091. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9091091. PMID: 34574865; PMCID: PMC8466496.

​

Kubo T, Izawa S, Ikeda H, Tsuchiya M, Miki K, Takahashi M. Work e-mail after hours and off-job duration and their association with psychological detachment, actigraphic sleep, and saliva cortisol: A 1-month observational study for information technology employees. J Occup Health. 2021 Jan;63(1):e12300. doi: 10.1002/1348-9585.12300. PMID: 34837278; PMCID: PMC8626826.

​

AlShareef SM. The impact of bedtime technology use on sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in adults. Sleep Sci. 2022 Apr-Jun;15(Spec 2):318-327. doi: 10.5935/1984-0063.20200128. PMID: 35371396; PMCID: PMC8906383.

​

de Menezes-Júnior, L.A.A., Sabião, T.d.S., Carraro, J.C.C. et al. The role of sunlight in sleep regulation: analysis of morning, evening and late exposure. BMC Public Health 25, 3362 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24618-8

​

He M, Ru T, Li S, Li Y, Zhou G. Shine light on sleep: Morning bright light improves nocturnal sleep and next morning alertness among college students. J Sleep Res. 2023 Apr;32(2):e13724. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13724. Epub 2022 Sep 4. PMID: 36058557.

​

Phillips, A.J.K., Clerx, W.M., O’Brien, C.S. et al. Irregular sleep/wake patterns are associated with poorer academic performance and delayed circadian and sleep/wake timing. Sci Rep 7, 3216 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03171-4

​

Joshua J. Gooley, Kyle Chamberlain, Kurt A. Smith, Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam, Eliza Van Reen, Jamie M. Zeitzer, Charles A. Czeisler, Steven W. Lockley, Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 96, Issue 3, 1 March 2011, Pages E463–E472, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2010-2098

​

Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH. The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep Med Rev. 2015 Aug;22:23-36. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001. Epub 2014 Oct 16. PMID: 25454674; PMCID: PMC4400203.

​

Ronzhina, M., V. Jamalov, and A. Kononenko. “Sleep Scoring Using Artificial Neural Networks.” Sleep Health 2011 (2012): Article S1087079211000700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2011.10.0S

​

Sleep Vault Science

The following is a section but not an exhaustive list of all the sources supporting the resources in the Sleep Vault.

​

Title: Sleep and Human Aging
Authors: Mander, Winer, & Matthew Walker, 2017 (Neuron) 

Key Findings:

• Changes in sleep quality impact memory, brain function, and daytime performance.

• Consistent sleep routines improve restoration.

• Aging impacts sleep quantity/quality, with functional consequences for cognition, memory, and brain health.

Link

​

Music interventions for sleep quality (adults, non-drug)

Title: Effects of music intervention on sleep quality of older adults: A meta-analysis
Authors: Wang et al., 2021 (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice) 
Key finding: Music interventions improved sleep latency, duration, efficiency, and daytime dysfunction in older adults.

Link

​

Title: Effect of music therapy on sleep quality in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li et al., 2025 
Key finding: Across 10 RCTs (602 participants), music therapy significantly improved sleep quality with a moderate–large effect size.

Title: Music-based intervention for improving sleep quality: systematic review & meta-analysis

Link

​

Music-based Intervention for Improving Sleep Quality of Adults without Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Authors: Tang et al., 2022
Key Findings:

• Benefits were strongest with ≥3 weeks of consistent use.

Link

​

Monsell S. Task switching. Trends Cogn Sci. 2003 Mar;7(3):134-140. doi: 10.1016/s1364-6613(03)00028-7. PMID: 12639695.

​

Rubinstein JS, Meyer DE, Evans JE. Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2001 Aug;27(4):763-97. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.27.4.763. PMID: 11518143.

​

Gloria Mark, Daniela Gudith, and Ulrich Klocke. 2008. The cost of interrupted work: more speed and stress. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '08). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 107–110. https://doi.org/10.1145/1357054.1357072

​

Wilmer, Henry H., Lauren E. Sherman, and Jason M. Chein. “Smartphones and Cognition: A Review of Research Exploring the Links Between Mobile Technology Habits and Cognitive Functioning.” Frontiers in Psychology 8 (2017): 605. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00605

​

Van Dongen HP, Maislin G, Mullington JM, Dinges DF. The cumulative cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation. Sleep. 2003 Mar 15;26(2):117-26. doi: 10.1093/sleep/26.2.117. Erratum in: Sleep. 2004 Jun 15;27(4):600. PMID: 12683469.

​

Yoo, Seung-Schik, et al. “The Human Emotional Brain Without Sleep — A Prefrontal–Amygdala Disconnect.” Current Biology 17, no. 20 (2007): R877–R878.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.08.007

​

Dosenbach, Nico U. F., et al. “Distinct Brain Networks for Adaptive and Stable Task Control in Humans.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104, no. 26 (2007): 11073–11078.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0704320104

​

Gloria Mark, Victor M. Gonzalez, and Justin Harris. 2005. No task left behind. Examining the nature of fragmented work. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '05). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1145/1054972.1055017

​

Tang, YY., Hölzel, B. & Posner, M. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 213–225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916

​

Zeidan, Fadel, Susan K. Johnson, Bruce J. Diamond, Zhanna David, and Paula Goolkasian. “Mindfulness Meditation Improves Cognition: Evidence of Brief Mental Training.” Consciousness and Cognition 19, no. 2 (2010): 597–605.
DOI (ScienceDirect): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2010.03.014

​

Gollwitzer, Peter M. “Implementation Intentions: Strong Effects of Simple Plans.” American Psychologist 54, no. 7 (1999): 493–503.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493

​

Locke, Edwin A., and Gary P. Latham. “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation.” American Psychologist 57, no. 9 (2002): 705–717.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705

​

Schmidt C, Collette F, Cajochen C, Peigneux P. A time to think: circadian rhythms in human cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol. 2007 Oct;24(7):755-89. doi: 10.1080/02643290701754158. PMID: 18066734.

​

Muto V, Jaspar M, Meyer C, Kussé C, Chellappa SL, Degueldre C, Balteau E, Shaffii-Le Bourdiec A, Luxen A, Middleton B, Archer SN, Phillips C, Collette F, Vandewalle G, Dijk DJ, Maquet P. Local modulation of human brain responses by circadian rhythmicity and sleep debt. Science. 2016 Aug 12;353(6300):687-90. doi: 10.1126/science.aad2993. Erratum in: Science. 2016 Dec 23;354(6319):aam5837. doi: 10.1126/science.aam5837. PMID: 27516598.

​

Michael L. Waskom, Michael C. Frank, Anthony D. Wagner, Adaptive Engagement of Cognitive Control in Context-Dependent Decision Making, Cerebral Cortex, Volume 27, Issue 2, February 2017, Pages 1270–1284, https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhv333

​

McMains, Stephanie A., and Sabine Kastner. “Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex.” Journal of Neuroscience 31, no. 2 (2011): 587–597.

​

Focus Vault Science

The following is a section but not an exhaustive list of all the sources supporting the resources in the Focus Vault.

​

Deliberate Practice and the Acquisition of Expert Performance
Author: K. Anders Ericsson (2008; foundational work from 1993 onward)
Research by psychologist Anders Ericsson shows that top performers reach expertise through deliberate, focused practice, not talent. Nurovibe helps you get into that focused state more consistently.
Key Findings:

• Expert performance is built through focused, structured practice, not talent.

• ​High performers train their attention deliberately to reach top levels.

Daily protocols help users get into the focused state expert performers use.
Link

​

Flow & optimal experience (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
Title: Beyond Boredom and Anxiety / Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (original flow research & model)
Authors: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1975; 1990)
Link
 
Investigating the “Flow” Experience: Key Conceptual and Methodological Issues
Authors: Abuhamdeh, 2020
Key Findings:

• Flow is a deep-focus state where people perform at their best.

• ​Flow requires clarity, reduced switching, and the right mental state.

​Link

​

Continuous Partial Attention
Title: Beyond Simple Multi-Tasking: Continuous Partial Attention
Author: Linda Stone (2009 blog/essay)
Tech writer Linda Stone coined “continuous partial attention” to describe our always-on, half-focused state.
Key Findings:

• Modern professionals live in a state of “continuous partial attention.”

• This state increases stress and reduces real focus.

Link

​

Background music & attention (sound/music for focus)
Title: The effect of preferred background music on task-focus in sustained attention
Authors: Kiss et al., 2020 (Frontiers in Psychology)
Key Findings:

• Preferred background music improved sustained attention in adults.

• Music modulated mental state and task performance.

Link

Title: Cognitive effects of listening to background music on older adults
Authors: Bottiroli et al., 2014 (Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience) 
Key Findings:

• Music supported processing speed and attention.

• Sound can help regulate cognitive state.

• Certain music conditions supported cognitive performance.

Link

​

Title: Cognitive performance, creativity and stress levels of young adults as a function of white noise level
Authors: Awada et al., 2022 (Scientific Reports) 
Key finding: Low-level white noise (~45 dB) improved sustained attention, accuracy, speed, creativity, and reduced stress in neurotypical adults.
Link

Binaural beats & attention (emerging evidence)
Title: More attentional focusing through binaural beats
Authors: Colzato et al., 2015 (Frontiers in Psychology) 
Key finding: High-frequency binaural beats biased attention toward a narrower “spotlight” of focus.
Evidence is mixed overall, but supports including binaural options with honest caveats.
Link

​

​

McEwen BS, Gianaros PJ. Central role of the brain in stress and adaptation: links to socioeconomic status, health, and disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 Feb;1186:190-222. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05331.x. PMID: 20201874; PMCID: PMC2864527.

​

Kosfeld, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P. et al. Oxytocin increases trust in humans. Nature 435, 673–676 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03701

​

Kool W, McGuire JT, Rosen ZB, Botvinick MM. Decision making and the avoidance of cognitive demand. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2010 Nov;139(4):665-82. doi: 10.1037/a0020198. PMID: 20853993; PMCID: PMC2970648.

​

Fields RD. A new mechanism of nervous system plasticity: activity-dependent myelination. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Dec;16(12):756-67. doi: 10.1038/nrn4023. PMID: 26585800; PMCID: PMC6310485.

​

Albulescu, Patricia, Irina Macsinga, Andrei Rusu, Coralia Sulea, Alexandra Bodnaru, and Bogdan Tudor Tulbure. “‘Give Me a Break!’ A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy of Micro-Breaks for Increasing Well-Being and Performance.” PLOS ONE 17, no. 8 (2022): e0272460. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272460

​

Diekelmann, S., Born, J. The memory function of sleep. Nat Rev Neurosci 11, 114–126 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2762

​

Tang, YY., Hölzel, B. & Posner, M. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci 16, 213–225 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916

​

Zeidan, Fadel, Susan K. Johnson, Bruce J. Diamond, Zhanna David, and Paula Goolkasian. “Mindfulness Meditation Improves Cognition: Evidence of Brief Mental Training.” Consciousness and Cognition 19, no. 2 (2010): 597–605.
DOI (ScienceDirect): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2010.03.014

​

Lieberman MD, Eisenberger NI, Crockett MJ, Tom SM, Pfeifer JH, Way BM. Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychol Sci. 2007 May;18(5):421-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x. PMID: 17576282.

​

Ochsner KN, Bunge SA, Gross JJ, Gabrieli JD. Rethinking feelings: an FMRI study of the cognitive regulation of emotion. J Cogn Neurosci. 2002 Nov 15;14(8):1215-29. doi: 10.1162/089892902760807212. PMID: 12495527.

​

Ayduk O, Kross E. From a distance: implications of spontaneous self-distancing for adaptive self-reflection. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2010 May;98(5):809-29. doi: 10.1037/a0019205. PMID: 20438226; PMCID: PMC2881638.

​

Heinrichs M, Baumgartner T, Kirschbaum C, Ehlert U. Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biol Psychiatry. 2003 Dec 15;54(12):1389-98. doi: 10.1016/s0006-3223(03)00465-7. PMID: 14675803.

​

Eisenberger NI, Lieberman MD, Williams KD. Does rejection hurt? An FMRI study of social exclusion. Science. 2003 Oct 10;302(5643):290-2. doi: 10.1126/science.1089134. PMID: 14551436.

​

Resilience Vault Science

The following is a section but not an exhaustive list of all the sources supporting the resources in the Resilience Vault.

​

Psychological interventions for resilience in adults
Title: Psychological interventions for resilience enhancement in adults
Authors: Helmreich et al., 2017 (Systematic review)
Key finding: CBT, mindfulness, and related interventions significantly improve resilience in adult samples.
Link

Road to resilience: systematic review & meta-analysis
Title: Road to resilience: a systematic review and meta-analysis of resilience training programs in adults
Authors: Joyce et al., 2018 (BMJ Open) 
Key finding: Resilience training programs yield small to moderate improvements in resilience and mental health outcomes.
Link

​

Psychological interventions to foster resilience (Cochrane-style review)
Title: Psychological interventions to foster resilience in adults
Authors: Kunzler et al., 2020 (Cochrane-style review, Clinical Psychology Review / Cochrane Library) 
Key finding: Multiple types of psychological interventions can enhance resilience, especially CBT and mindfulness-type approaches, with decent evidence quality.
Link

Digital resilience interventions
Title: Digital interventions to promote psychological resilience: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schäfer et al., 2024 (npj Digital Medicine) 
Key finding: Digital interventions (apps, online programs) show significant positive effects on resilience and related mental health measures in adults.
Link

​

Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal
Authors: Balban et al., 2023 (Cell Reports Medicine)
Key Findings:

• Daily 5-minute breathwork and mindfulness meditation improve mood and reduce anxiety

• Breathwork improves mood and physiological arousal more than mindfulness meditation

• Cyclic sighing is most effective at improving mood and reducing respiratory rate

Link