Illustration via 99designs

“At the moment when we analyze the data, and I’m sitting there with a student or I’m analyzing data, and we finally run the statistics, at that moment in time, if I’m lucky, I know something that has never been understood in the entirety of human civilization, and I cannot tell you how much of a thrill and a privilege that is. And so is science hard? It’s brutally hard, but just that alone, the hedonic rush that you get from de novo knowledge, gosh, it’s never left me, and I don’t think it ever will.”

— Dr. Matthew Walker

Matthew Walker, PhD (@sleepdiplomat), is professor of neuroscience at the University of California Berkeley and founder and director of the school’s Center for Human Sleep Science. Dr. 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, Dr. Walker was awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Achievements. Dr. Walker’s research examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. He has been featured on numerous television and radio outlets including 60 Minutes, Nat Geo TV, NOVA Science, NPR, and the BBC. Dr. Walker is also scientific advisor to Oura, a sleep-tracking ring.

Dr. Walker hosts the 5-star-rated podcast The Matt Walker Podcast, which is all about sleep, the brain, and the body.

And one last thing. UC Berkeley has given the rare approval for Matt’s newly opened Sleep Center at the University to be named by an individual donor, or a named company, in perpetuity. If you are interested, please reach out to Matt and note that this opportunity is in the 7-figure range.

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,  Magic Spoon  delicious low-carb cereal, and  LinkedIn Marketing Solutions  marketing platform with 800M+ users.

Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.

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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.

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Want to hear the first time Dr. Matthew Walker was on this podcast? Have a listen to our conversation here in which we discussed the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, why our deep sleep declines as we age, ideal exercise for promoting deep sleep, fainting goats, the psychological value of emergency sleep medicine for insomniacs, how sleep affects food intake and weight fluctuation, perilous polypharmacy, and much more.

#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

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 ScienceDr. 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 | The Tim Ferriss Show #650Insights from Dr. Matthew Walker, Adam Grant/Atul Gawande, Diana Chapman, and Rich Roll/David Goggins | The Tim Ferriss Show #630Sleep and Sex: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep and Sex: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastWhat Is a Sleep Divorce? | Matthew WalkerI Tried the Scandinavian Sleep Method — And Now My Partner and I Refuse To Sleep Any Other Way | Well+GoodThe Impact of Sleep and Circadian Disturbance on Hormones and Metabolism | International Journal of EndocrinologyFDA Approves New Treatment for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Premenopausal Women | FDAPoor Sleep May Impair the Ability to Feel Empathy | Psychology TodayThe Best Temperature for Sleep | Cleveland ClinicSleep Fitness Technology: Smart Bed Cooling & Heating System For Better Sleep | Eight SleepSex and Sleep: Perceptions of Sex as a Sleep Promoting Behavior in the General Adult Population | Frontiers in Public HealthOxytocin and Vasopressin in the Human Brain: Social Neuropeptides for Translational Medicine | Nature Reviews NeuroscienceHow to Fall Asleep When You’re Exhausted But Wired | ShapeFight or Flight: The Sympathetic Nervous System | Live ScienceSleep Pressure | The Matt Walker PodcastWireless Hitachi Magic Wands | AmazonMelatonin | Mayo ClinicMelatonin | The Matt Walker PodcastTwo Hormones for One Receptor: Evolution, Biochemistry, Actions, and Pathophysiology of LH and hCG | Endocrine ReviewsTook Too Much Melatonin? | NCPCThousands of Kids Are Getting Sick from Downing Melatonin Pills | NPR2-Minute Neuroscience: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus | Neuroscientifically ChallengedProlonged Release Melatonin for Improving Sleep in Totally Blind Subjects: A Pilot Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Trial | Nature and Science of SleepLord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien | AmazonLack of Sleep Shrinks Men’s Testicles? | University of CaliforniaScientists Pinpoint Dosage of Melatonin for Insomnia | MIT NewsBeta-Carotene | University of Rochester Medical CenterOptimising Your Sleep | The Matt Walker PodcastMatthew Walker’s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality | MasterClassInsomnia Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Instead of Sleeping Pills | Mayo ClinicWhat Is Sleep Restriction Therapy? Who Should Use It? | HealthlineDreams: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastDreams: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastDreams: Part 3 | The Matt Walker PodcastDreams: Part 4 | The Matt Walker PodcastDreams: Part 5 | The Matt Walker PodcastDreams: Part 6 | The Matt Walker PodcastWhat is REM Sleep? | National Sleep FoundationSleep Paralysis | Stanford Health CareLucid Dream | WikipediaLucid Dreaming: A Beginner’s Guide | Tim Ferriss5 Lucid Dreaming Techniques to Try | HealthlineSteel Man Argument Explained | Philosophy VibeFrequent Lucid Dreaming Associated with Increased Functional Connectivity between Frontopolar Cortex and Temporoparietal Association Areas | Scientific ReportsLucid Dreaming in the Tibetan Tradition: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche | Science and NondualityMnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams (The MILD Technique) | World of Lucid DreamingWaking Life | Prime VideoHow to Use Reality Checks to Have Lucid Dreams | World of Lucid DreamingExploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold | AmazonHuperzine A | RxListGalantamine | HealthlineLucid Dreamers Are Using Unproven Tech to Hack Their Sleep | Wired UKSleep and Memory: Part 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep and Memory: Part 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep and Memory: Part 3 | The Matt Walker PodcastSchools Start Too Early | CDCThe State Finally Letting Teens Sleep In | The AtlanticHow Sleep Loss Sabotages New Memory Storage in the Hippocampus | University of Michigan NewsWhat are Sleep Spindles? | Sleep FoundationSleep Spindles and Memory | AASTUltradian Rhythm: For Real Productivity, Less is Truly More | HBRNaps | The Matt Walker PodcastWaking up Is the Hardest Thing I Do All Day: Sleep Inertia and Sleep Drunkenness | Sleep Medicine ReviewsJurassic Park | Prime VideoTrapped in Amber | Natural History MuseumSleep On It: How Snoozing Strengthens Memories | NIH News in HealthMemory Processing in Relation to Sleep | Principles and Practice of Sleep MedicineEven Small Amounts of Alcohol Impair Memory | The AtlanticFunding Cutting-Edge Scientific Research | Saisei FoundationSleeping Brain, Learning Mind: Opinion by Matthew Walker | The Harvard CrimsonHow Sleep Affects Immunity | Sleep FoundationSpaced Learning Vs Massed Practice | ITACMake New Memories But Keep the Old, With a Little Help From Electrodes | Innovation| Smithsonian MagazineFast-Forward Playback of Recent Memory Sequences in Prefrontal Cortex During Sleep | ScienceHuman Hippocampal Replay during Rest Prioritizes Weakly Learned Information and Predicts Memory Performance | Nature CommunicationsMemory and Sleep: How Sleep Cognition Can Change the Waking Mind for the Better | Annual Review of PsychologyMemory Game | AmazonMatt Wilson: Reading the Minds of Rats | TEDxCoconutGroveTurning 40 Winks Into Decades: The Pace Of Time In Dreams | Psychology TodayInception | Prime VideoThe Role of the Human Anterior Insular Cortex in Time Processing | Brain Structure and FunctionWhy Accidents and Emergencies Seem to Dramatically Slow Down Time | The ConversationSleep and Exercise: Pt. 1 | The Matt Walker PodcastSleep and Exercise: Pt. 2 | The Matt Walker PodcastHow to Fight Sarcopenia (Muscle Loss Due to Aging) | Healthline7 Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) | HealthlineTraining Zones Explained | ACTIVEDesmopressin | Mayo ClinicSHOW NOTES[05:43] Sleep and sex.[23:45] Melatonin misgivings.[32:47] The suprachiasmatic nucleus.[36:08] Shrinking balls phenomenon.[41:47] Minimizing the time it takes you to sleep.[49:40] The bizarre basics of dreaming.[55:56] Taking a leap into lucid dreaming.[1:19:57] Optimizing sleep for learning.[1:43:14] Can sleep during an illness boost memory retention?[1:49:08] Massed versus spaced practice.[1:53:00] Using brain stimulation technology to enhance learning.[1:56:50] Optimizing memory replay.[2:02:47] Sleep and time dilation.[2:11:25] Today’s “charlatan” science that may someday be vindicated.[2:17:44] Exercise and memory.[2:25:37] Staying hydrated without having to urinate all night.[2:29:13] Parting thoughts.MORE DR. MATTHEW WALKER QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“At the moment when we analyze the data, and I’m sitting there with a student or I’m analyzing data, and we finally run the statistics, at that moment in time, if I’m lucky, I know something that has never been understood in the entirety of human civilization, and I cannot tell you how much of a thrill and a privilege that is. And so is science hard? It’s brutally hard, but just that alone, the hedonic rush that you get from de novo knowledge, gosh, it’s never left me, and I don’t think it ever will.”
— Dr. Matthew Walker

“The goal of education, in my mind, is twofold. The first is to brainwash you into thinking for yourself. The second is for you to gain long-term information.”
— Dr. Matthew Walker

“Life is to be lived. Have a drink, of course, I’m not being puritanical, but if you are, let’s say, a student or you’ve been learning new information for a new job or you’ve been learning a new skill for a new particular sport and you know when you’ve been learning and you know when you probably want to have a night out, restructure those things to implement them in the smartest way possible for optimizing outcomes.”
— Dr. Matthew Walker

PEOPLE MENTIONEDHugh GrantStephen LaBergeRichard LinklaterJohn SmithDeadmau5Carlyle SmithBruce McNaughtonKen PallerMatthew A. WilsonChristopher NolanPeter Attia

The post Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More (#654) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss.