Local fun, a beach retreat, and a treat for your brain

Tony Cunningham is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition and the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

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Every Thursday evening of the summer and now into the fall, our neighborhood gathers on the lawn of the historic Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain for food trucks, local brews, music, and activities hosted by local groups and organizations. It’s an easy, joyful way to spend time outdoors with friends and family, and — having small children — it’s a great chance for them to work out some energy while we actually get to engage in conversation with fellow adults. We feel incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant community tradition just down the street (and the beer trucks don’t hurt). Don’t let the promise of kids in attendance scare you, either, it’s well worth a Thursday afternoon trip down to JP to experience for yourself!

Few places recharge me and my family quite like Ogunquit, Maine. Only about a 90-minute drive from Boston, the beach is gorgeous, with soft sand and huge waves. At low tide, mini tide pools form that warm up quickly, even in the colder months, and are a ton of fun to splash around in and hunt for sea life. The ocean views along the Marginal Way are spectacular in every season, and the town itself has a welcoming, inclusive energy. My family has celebrated many milestones there over the years, usually over an incredible meal from one of Ogunquit’s many standout restaurants. Between the scenery, the food, and the people, it’s one of our favorite places to be!

As both a sleep researcher and a sleep clinician, sleep is my passion — and also one of my favorite pastimes when I can get enough of it. I spend my days (and some nights) studying how sleep shapes emotion, memory, and mental health, and helping others find the rest they need. Researching the sleeping brain is kind of like studying the ocean or outer space — there is a lot more unknown than known. While I do my best to prioritize sleep whenever I can, with young kids at home I’m often daydreaming about catching up on some much-needed “fieldwork” someday. Until then, I’ll keep making sure everyone else sleeps a little better, and maybe sneak in a nap when I can!

Looking to get a bit more sleep yourself? Here’s a tip: Caffeine has a six-hour half-life, which means that half of the caffeine in that 6 p.m. energy drink or Frappuccino will still be floating around your brain at midnight — not super helpful when you’re hoping to get the sleep needed to retain everything you learned that day!

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— As told to Sy Boles/Harvard Staff Writer