Illustration via 99designs

“Most of us assume that sleep evolved. But why should we make that assumption? Why isn’t it that sleep was the default state when life emerged, and it was wakefulness that evolved?”

— Dr. Matthew Walker

Matthew Walker Ph.D. (@sleepdiplomat) is professor of neuroscience at the University of California Berkeley and founder and director of the school’s Center for Human Sleep Science. Walker is the author of The New York Times and international bestseller Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams which was recently listed by Bill Gates as one of his top five books of the year. His TED Talk, “Sleep is Your Superpower,” has garnered more than 17 million views. 

He has received numerous funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health and is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2020, Walker was awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Achievements. Walker’s research examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. He has been featured on numerous television and radio outlets including CBS’ “60 Minutes,” National Geographic Channel, NOVA Science, NPR, and the BBC. He is also the host of the 5-star-rated podcast The Matt Walker Podcast, which is all about sleep, the brain, and the body.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.

Brought to you by Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement, and LMNT electrolyte supplement.

Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#650: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep — How to Improve Sleep, How Sleep Ties Into Alzheimer’s Disease and Weight Gain, and How Medications (Ambien, Trazodone, etc.), Caffeine, THC/CBD, Psychedelics, Exercise, Smart Drugs, Fasting, and More Affect Sleep

This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.

LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase. This special offer is available here: DrinkLMNT.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.

For a limited time, Eight Sleep is offering my listeners up to $450 off their Sleep Fit Holiday Bundle, which includes my personal favorite, the Pod 3 Cover. Go to EightSleep.com/Tim to get the exclusive holiday savings. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia.

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. 

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

Want to hear another podcast episode with someone who won’t rest until you get a good night’s sleep? Listen to my conversation with neuroscientist and Stanford University professor Dr. Andrew Huberman in which we discussed timing circadian biology to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, the ideal time for morning light exposure, what he recommends over melatonin as a sleep aid, the non-sleep deep rest of yoga nidra, using physiological sighs to reduce stress, the future of beneficial brain change, cage diving with great white sharks, and much more.

#521: Dr. Andrew Huberman — A Neurobiologist on Optimizing Sleep, Enhancing Performance, Reducing Anxiety, Increasing Testosterone, and Using the Body to Control the Mind

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Dr. Matthew Walker:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker | Amazon The Matt Walker Podcast Matt Walker’s TED TalksCenter for Human Sleep ScienceInsights from Dr. Matthew Walker, Adam Grant/Atul Gawande, Diana Chapman, and Rich Roll/David Goggins | The Tim Ferriss Show #630What is Alzheimer’s Disease? | alz.orgInsomnia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments | Sleep FoundationSleep Apnea: Symptoms and Causes | Sleep FoundationThe Connection Between Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease (Clip) | The Drive with Peter Attia #47Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Cleansing System in Brain | URMC NewsroomAquaporin-4-Dependent Glymphatic Solute Transport in the Rodent Brain | NeuroscienceDeep Sleep Gives Your Brain a Deep Clean | Scientific AmericanSleepy Worms Shed Light on Why We Need Our Shut-Eye | FuturityGedankenexperiment Definition & Meaning | Merriam-WebsterAmerica’s Favorite Coffee, Espresso and Donuts | Dunkin’Make New Memories But Keep the Old, With a Little Help From Electrodes | Innovation| Smithsonian MagazinePrefrontal Cortex | The Science of PsychotherapySomnee: First Electronic Sleep Aid Headband | StimScienceHow Sleep Latency Impacts the Quality of Your Sleep | Sleep FoundationDr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the 3 Most Important Levers to Pull | The Tim Ferriss Show #517Close the Blinds During Sleep to Protect Your Health | Northwestern NowAlaska Bear Natural Silk Sleep Mask | AmazonTemperature: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastTemperature: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep Fitness Technology: Smart Bed Cooling & Heating System For Better Sleep | Eight Sleep10 Health Benefits of Taking a Hot Bath | ByrdieThe Best Exercises to Get Better Sleep | Sleep FoundationJames Clear, Atomic Habits — Simple Strategies for Building (and Breaking) Habits, Questions for Personal Mastery and Growth, Tactics for Writing and Launching a Mega-Bestseller, Finding Leverage, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #648Caffeine and Sleep | Sleep FoundationSleep & Caffeine: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep & Caffeine: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastHow to Make the Strongest Coffee | Coffee Gems10 Healthy Reasons to Drink Coffee | One MedicalUsing Cannabis for Sleep | The Sleep DoctorThe Difference Between CBN, THC, & CBD | Pantry Food CoObservations on the Medicinal Properties of the Cannabis Sativa of India | Medico-Chirurgical TransactionsOn the Preparations of the Indian Hemp, or Gunjah | Provincial Medical Journal, and Retrospect of the Medical SciencesDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) | American Psychiatric Association“The Dose Makes the Poison.” | Chemical Safety FactsGeneration 3 | Oura RingThe 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | AmazonWhole-Night Continuous Rocking Entrains Spontaneous Neural Oscillations with Benefits for Sleep and Memory | Current BiologyWhy Hammocks Make Sleep Easier, Deeper | ShotsSkeuomorphism 101: An Intro to the Controversial Style | HubSpotThe Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown | AmazonGeorge Foreman Indoor Grill and Panini Press | AmazonStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Prime VideoDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)Understanding the Glymphatic System | NeuronlinePsychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy and Sleep | Psychology TodayRecreational Drugs and Sleep | Sleep SocietyWe Talked to a Scientist Who Gave LSD to Cats Back in the ’70s | ViceThe Endocannabinoid System: Essential and Mysterious | Harvard HealthSleep & Weight Gain: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep & Weight Gain: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastThe Orexin System: Basic Science and Role in Sleep Pathology | Frontiers of Neurology and NeuroscienceOrthostatic Intolerance | WikipediaMelatonin | The Matt Walker PodcastThe Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Sleep Patterns and Daytime Sleepiness: An Objective Assessment | Journal of Research in Medical SciencesNarcolepsy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments | Sleep FoundationFainting Goats! | National GeographicCataplexy | WikipediaSleep Paralysis | Stanford Health CareModafinil and Sports: Legal Performance Enhancer? | ModafinilGamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) | Cleveland ClinicWhy We Sleep Pt II: Walker on the Dark Side of Sleeping Pills — Plus a CBT That Works? | Health RisingProfessor Marcos Frank: How Sleep Helps You Learn and Remember | humanOS Radio #004Trazodone | Drugs.comConsiderations Before Taking Trazodone for Insomnia | Verywell HealthKetanserin | Drugs.comPsychedelic-Antidepressant Interactions | MIND FoundationHow Gabapentin Differs From Pregabalin | Pharmacy TimesRestless Legs Syndrome: Symptoms and Causes | Sleep FoundationCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) | Sleep FoundationHow to Lucid Dream | Sleep FoundationSHOW NOTES

Editor’s note: timestamps will be added shortly.

Sleep and Alzheimer’s disease.What causes the decline of deep sleep as we age?Are there any known species that don’t require sleep?Brain stimulation for more deep sleep, less insomnia.Tips for better sleep without laboratory budget or access.Ideal types of exercise for promoting deep sleep.Matt’s updated thoughts on caffeine and sleep.Cannabis (CBD, THC, CBN) and sleep.A crowdsourcing request from listeners.If the bed’s a-rocking…The Da Vinci Code magic sleep device.DARPA innovation.Ensuring proper function in the glymphatic system.Psychedelics and sleep.How sleep affects food intake and weight fluctuation.Orexin, I reckon.Fainting goats and narcolepsy.Modafinil.How sleep medications affect sleep quality.Trazodone.Serotonin type 2A antagonism.Perilous polypharmacy.Pregabalin and gabapentin.The psychological value of emergency sleep medicine for insomniacs.CBTI and the balancing role of pharmacology.Parting thoughts and what to expect from a future round two.MORE DR. MATTHEW WALKER QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“If sleep is a missing piece in the explanatory puzzle of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, then maybe we can do something about it. Sleep is a modifiable factor.”

— Dr. Matthew Walker

“In biology it’s very rare that you get a free lunch. And when you fight biology, you normally lose.”

— Dr. Matthew Walker

“Night after night, if you’re not cleansing the brain, it becomes like compounding interest on a loan, that it continues to escalate time and time again, night after night. “

— Dr. Matthew Walker

“Most of us assume that sleep evolved. But why should we make that assumption? Why isn’t it that sleep was the default state when life emerged, and it was wakefulness that evolved?”

— Dr. Matthew Walker

PEOPLE MENTIONEDMaiken NedergaardPeter AttiaPhyllis ZeeJohn ClendinningWilliam Brooke O’ShaughnessyParacelsusKevin KellyGeorge ForemanDaniel KahnemanTerence McKennaBarry JacobsMarcos Frank

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet. None of the content in this podcast constitutes medical advice. Please consult your doctor before considering anything we discuss in this episode.

The post Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep — How to Improve Sleep, How Sleep Ties Into Alzheimer’s Disease and Weight Gain, and How Medications (Ambien, Trazodone, etc.), Caffeine, THC/CBD, Psychedelics, Exercise, Smart Drugs, Fasting, and More Affect Sleep (#650) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.