How we write our articles

Small Hours articles are research summaries. Here is where the sources come from, how every reference is checked, and what the articles are not.

Who writes them

Small Hours writes them. They are summaries of published research, not personal opinion and not a clinician’s advice, which is why the byline is the name of the product and not of a person.

Where the sources come from

Peer-reviewed studies and clinical practice guidelines, for example those from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We prefer guidelines and systematic reviews over single small studies, and we say so plainly where the evidence is thin or the studies disagree.

How every reference is checked

Every numbered reference is looked up in a scientific index (PubMed, Europe PMC or the publisher) before it goes in, and the abstract is read to make sure it says what the sentence claims. If we cannot confirm that a paper exists, we do not cite it, and we rewrite or drop the claim.

What the articles are not

This article is general education, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose anything or replace a conversation with your doctor. We do not give medicine doses. If something here sounds like you, take it to your doctor.

Last-reviewed dates

Each article shows the date its references were last checked. Research moves, so we revisit them.

Small Hours is a self-guided program for adults. It is not an emergency service. If you are in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada or the US at any hour.