Despite the fact that nearly half the world’s population go through menopause, there’s much we don’t know about the many effects it can have — including on the brain. This is something a team of researchers from Cambridge set out to change. Their latest study, which looked at nearly 125,000 women, has now revealed the key impacts that menopause has on mental health, sleep and cognition.

Perhaps the most significant of these findings was that the menopause was associated with significant changes in the brain — including in key areas critical for learning, memory and emotional regulation. The authors speculate that these menopause-related brain changes could explain why dementia is more prevalent in women.

If you spend any time consuming wellness content on social media, and perhaps even if you don’t, then you’ll have likely come across posts about vagus nerve stimulation and how this practice can supposedly unlock hidden calm and reduce inflammation. But how legit are these claims, really? This week’s Strange Health podcast dives into the mystery of the vagus nerve and explores whether there’s any evidence backing up these questionable internet assertions.

Plus, we learn about the “pink noise” that some people use to try to help them fall asleep, and whether it might actually be keeping them up at night.