You are in the middle of a difficult moment. An emotion is rising — fast, intense, and starting to feel like it is taking over. Your chest is tight. Your thoughts are racing. The feeling is enormous, and it is getting bigger. What if one word could begin to change that? Not a technique. Not a breathing exercise. Not a long process of reflection. Just a word. The right word, applied at the right moment, in the right way. This is not wishful thinking. It is neuroscience. And it is one of the most immediately accessible tools available for managing difficult emotions.

When it comes to depression and sleep, the relationship tends to mimic a chicken-and-egg situation. It can be difficult to tell which one came first and which one followed.