Dr. Matt Walker: Improve Sleep to Boost Mood & Emotional Regulation | Huberman Lab Guest Series

This is episode 5 of our 6-part special series on sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and the host of The Matt Walker Podcast. In this episode, we explain the connection between sleep and mood, emotional regulation and mental well-being.

We explain the role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in processing emotions and emotional memories and why sleep deprivation causes agitation, impulsivity and emotional reactivity.

We also discuss why sleep disruption is a hallmark feature of PTSD, anxiety, depression, suicidality, and other psychiatric conditions.

We explain protocols for improving REM sleep and other sleep phases in order to harness the therapeutic power of quality sleep to feel calmer and emotionally restored.

This episode describes various actionable tools to improve sleep for those struggling with mental health or mood and those wanting to bolster their overall state and well-being.

The next episode in this special series explores dreams, including lucid dreaming, nightmares and dream interpretation.

Thank you to our sponsors

Huberman Lab Social & Website

Dr. Matt Walker

Timestamps
00:00:00 Sleep & Mental Health
00:01:09 Sponsors: Eight Sleep, LMNT & BetterHelp
00:05:14 Emotions & Sleep, Amygdala
00:17:27 Emotional Memory & Sleep
00:25:48 “Overnight Therapy” & REM Sleep, Noradrenaline
00:29:13 Sponsor: AG1
00:30:27 Sleep to “Remember & Forget”, Trauma; REM Sleep
00:38:27 Hinge Analogy; Motivation, Impulsivity & Addiction
00:47:08 Tool: Improve REM Sleep, Social Jet Lag, Alcohol & THC, Addiction
00:56:18 Sponsor: InsideTracker
00:57:23 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & REM Sleep
01:06:53 Noradrenaline & REM Sleep, PTSD & Prazosin
01:09:40 Addiction, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR); Liminal States
01:16:46 Anxiety & Sleep, Mood vs. Emotions
01:23:50 Deep Non-REM Sleep & Anxiety, Sleep Quality
01:28:51 Tool: Improve Deep Non-REM Sleep, Temperature; Alcohol
01:34:56 Suicidality & Sleep, Pattern Recognition; Nightmares
01:46:21 Depression, Anxiety & Time Context
01:51:24 Depression, Too Much Sleep?; REM Changes & Antidepressants
01:57:37 Sleep Deprivation & Depression
02:01:34 Tool: Circadian Misalignment & Mental Health, Chronotype
02:04:05 Tools: Daytime Light & Nighttime Darkness; “Junk Light”
02:13:04 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #Health #Sleep

[Jamie_Wilson]

Im a pharmacist and this information your putting out has not only changed my life but is also helping my patients too. I teach them your protocols all the time, especially the sleep ones. So valuable to be able to pass on to people the tools to manage their sleep and overall health WITHOUT needing to resort to medications in most cases. As a pharmacist this is so important to me, because i actually hate medications for the most part lol, so thankyou for helping me help them 🙏

[Mr_white_fox]

Thank you, Dr Huberman, for creating a clean library of neuroscience knowledge for humanity.

[AtRandomly]

"REM sleep is the difference between sanity and insanity"

Love this.

Thanks for episode 🙏👍

[ingrid]

Danke! What an important episode of this fantastic series. I can’t thank you two enough for such a wagonload of most valuable insights into sleep and its impact on our lives.

[yeetstyle]

Dr. Huberman, please do an episode on skincare! Role of nutrients in skin health, sun protection, do's and don'ts of common active ingredients, etc

[marshmccarthy]

Thank you Dr Huberman and Dr Walker. This has been my favorite guest series so far. You guys have such great chemistry in conversation, and your combined wealth of knowledge makes for some of the most informative and valuable content on the internet.

[agusrusso]

ANOTHER PODCAST IN A WEEK?? I LOVE listening to this podcast when I wake up

[jjuniper]

For those of us who get decent sleep, it may be a kindness to other humans to always consider whether or not the person across from you has had a good sleep.

This may help explain some erratic behavior.

Thank you to you both. This podcast has helped me improve so many aspects of my life.

[firsttrydrumguy]

Phenomenal!!!! Thank you. I’m a Vet with multiple ptsd like issues and I learned more from this pod, than I have from VA doctors the last ten yrs.
It was Like u guys were speaking directly to me and made this episode just for me, it resinated so deep!
Your amazing Hubs, please keep up the great work man. 🙏Blessed🙏

[damfb]

Each time after I listen to your podcast, my vocabulary becomes more extensive. Not just based on what I learned but in general. It's like you remind me to be smart as I actually am.

[artblob]

I love this style of podcast! Where it is more like what I imagine a lecture is, with Dr Huberman occasionally asking questions, especially on "our behalf".

Dr Hubermans work is one of the very few podcasts I am able to listen to from start to finish, despite having ADHD!!

Thank you so much for bringing us your content that takes you time and energy to make. I deeply appreciate it.

[Polkadotpup]

Andrew, I’m sorry some people on the internet are giving you crap. I really appreciate your podcasts.

[drsarapaynembe]

I had a massive trauma 24 yrs ago {my daughter was kidnapped and murdered) I have diagnosed cptsd I taught myself not to sleep in the 17 days she was missing (in case she came home) anyway I have never got a good sleep pattern back so this podcast has been so helpful and I would love some help try and get some normal sleep at the moment I tend to not sleep at all at night but as soon as the sun begins to rise I go to sleep and then I get maybe 4~5 hrs I had a major stroke 14yrs ago and I have left side paralysis please help I’m either highly emotional or no emotions at all I can not do this anymore I’m physically, emotionally and everything in between exhausted

[lk_specter]

I just love how Dr Matt Walker speaks. It sounds so smooth and calm! He truly changed my life with his book and these podcasts.

[lindseythompson]

This series with Dr Matthew Walker is just gold! Thank you! As a perimenopausal woman who is working a highly stressful job, I am struggling with sleep maintenance insomnia. I am trying my hardest for a long time now to observe excellent sleep hygiene but I need to work even harder at this as the sleep deprivation is compounding day after day and making it a real challenge in particular to get through my work day. It's impacting my work performance, my exercise performance, my relationship. Everything. The frustration is real....😢 being sleep deprived is horrible.

[annapousas]

I am completely in love with this series about the sleep, it is absolutely delightful listening to Dr. Matt Walker. He explains complex mechanisms in such an elegantly and humble way. All my appreciation to him and Dr Huberman.

[karmacomacure]

I have read his book. I've struggled with sleep since I was a child. These podcasts are answering all the questions I had in mind as I was reading the book (even though he was great at not leaving much to wonder about in the book!). In other words, this series is amazing-thank you both very much.

[tashastarling]

Much of this knowledge comes intuitively to me. Watching these programs has helped to skyrocket my trust in myself. I never hear conversations like these.

[sourkiwi]

Matt Walker’s book changed my life! It was highly recommended by a coworker, and I rave about it all the time. Fascinating information!

[HeatherMacDonald-wmer]

This series has definitely changed my sleep for the better! I start with episode one and run through them all again as I always pick up something I missed. Thank you, to you both!!