Dr. Matt Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Matt Walker, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology and the Founder & Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of the international best-selling book Why We Sleep and the host of "The Matt Walker Podcast." We discuss the biology of sleep, including its various stages and what specifically happens to those stages when we don't get enough sleep. We also discuss the effects of sunlight, caffeine, alcohol, naps, hormones, exercise, marijuana, sexual activity, and various supplements on sleep. The episode consists of both basic science information and many science-supported actionable tools.

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Dr. Matthew Walker

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Matt Walker
00:02:00 Sponsors: Roka, InsideTracker
00:06:00 What Is Sleep?
00:10:20 REM (Rapid Eye Movement) aka 'Paradoxical Sleep'
00:16:15 Slow Wave Sleep aka 'Deep Sleep'
00:24:00 Compensating For Lost Sleep
00:32:20 Waking in the Middle Of The Night
00:39:48 Uberman (Not Huberman!) Sleep Schedule
00:42:48 Viewing Morning SUNLight
00:49:20 Caffeine
01:07:54 Alcohol
01:14:30 Growth Hormone & Testosterone
01:16:14 Emotions, Mental Health & Longevity
01:20:40 Books vs. Podcasts
01:21:20 Lunchtime Alcohol
01:25:00 Marijuana/CBD
01:36:00 Melatonin
01:54:14 Magnesium
01:58:10 Valerian, Kiwi, Tart Cherry, Apigenin
02:15:00 Tryptophan & Serotonin
02:19:24 Naps & Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest (NSDR)
02:28:23 Is It Possible To Get Too Much Sleep?
02:34:35 Sex, Orgasm, Masturbation, Oxytocin, Relationships
02:47:30 Unconventional Yet Powerful Sleep Tips
02:59:10 Connecting to & Learning More from Dr. Walker
03:04:42 The New Dr. Matt Walker Podcast, Reviews & Support

The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[yatinnn]

As someone who did not go to college and has been working since the age of 17, Its unbelievable that I can educate myself through some of the best professors in the world, Thank you for this podcast !

[mikealmiracle]

What a beautiful time we live in. The age of accessable information. Being able open YouTube and passively learn from experts of any given field such as these two here. Man...what a time to be alive.

[kittysklog]

42:22 “When you fight biology…you normally LOSE…the way you have known you have LOST …is DISEASE, SICKNESS, and IMPAIRMENT” Sir Mathew Walker you are BRILLIANT! thank you Sir HUBERMAN for taking brilliance to just an incredible LEVEL ! You are cherished 😻

[christophertrinkus]

Thank you Dr. Huberman and Dr. Walker, my sleep has dramatically changed since watching this. I used to not be able to fall asleep at night, have horrible anxiety before going to bed, wake up during the night, and never feel rested or like I have processed anything from the previous day. Since implementing a wind down routine, largely stopping my alcohol consumption all together, and stop drinking coffee 10 hours prior to sleeping, I have not had a single anxious night. This was fantastic, thank you both so much for your work!

[tywonellington]

These two guys are trying to break the world record for maximizing the intelligence-humility curve. Great episode, as usual.

[arcadiapeek]

I hope Matthew Walker doesn't actually think he's boring to listen to. Out of all of the scientific speakers I've heard, he's probably one of the best at varying his tone and pace of speaking while enunciating clearly. As a student researcher myself, I get an additional gift from these podcasts: I get to see masters of scientific communication keep an audience enthralled with their communication skills -- I hope to model these skills in my own scientific communication.

[nikkibradbury]

This guest is great at recalling, and gently bringing the host back to topic while addressing his question at the same time. Pretty impressive.

[ellleigh]

It’s a beautiful thing that Matthew Walker is a sleep expert. I find him so soothing and relaxing to listen to.

[sonals]

For someone with chronic insomnia, this content is just priceless. I now know how important it is to get better sleep (I felt it before but good to know my forgetfulness and inability to function weren't just tiredness). I'm happy to report that my sleep is getting better. There are exceptions some nights but definitely making progress. 4 hours a night is a positive for me. Thank you.

[screamosux]

This is the episode I've been long hoping for. I'm so happy right now.

[tubbycustard]

matt is probably one of the best communicators i've seen, he is so attentive and speaks so well. The one problem is Huberman seem to keep cutting him off, I appreciate the back and forth but I really want to hear what Matt has to say, he is the guest after all

[amaze-on]

Here are some deep quotes from this video that may resonate with you:

1. "Sleep is the Swiss army knife of health." - Dr. Matthew Walker

2. "When it comes to sleep, it’s not about doing less, it’s about doing more of the right things." - Dr. Matthew Walker

3. "The role of sleep is not to keep us just alive, but to keep us well." - Dr. Matthew Walker

4. "Sleep is an investment in the present, it’s not some silly thing that our grandparents used to do. It is a core component of life, and without it, you know, civilisation and society as we know it would not exist." - Dr. Matthew Walker

5. "Sleep is not optional, it’s inescapable, it’s a non-negotiable biological necessity." - Dr. Matthew Walker

6. "Sleep is the glue that consolidates and cements memory." - Dr. Matthew Walker

7. "There is no single aspect of talking about human health that is not significantly impacted by sleep." - Dr. Matthew Walker

8. "If you’re suffering from a lack of sleep, that suffering is not just in your head, it’s in your brain and in your body as well." - Dr. Matthew Walker

9. "Sleep is one of the most under-appreciated forms of performance enhancement available to us." - Dr. Matthew Walker

10. "The more that I study sleep, the more I become stunned by just the extraordinary depth, and the breadth, and the complexity of the relationship that we have with the state of unconsciousness." - Dr. Matthew Walker.

[meena]

Dr. Walker sounds so humble, and he has a soothing voice. Thank you for this interview, Dr.Huberman.

[joe_q]

“One of the best ways to beat your competition in any endeavour is to outlive them”

Quotes like this make me wish Andrew would write a book already

[yusufvapra]

Please let Prof Walker talk about his ideas rather than interrupting continuously.
Hugely educational

[momijiyamanishi]

Minute 120 man huberman just goes off the charts with interruptions! Just when the other guy was into being extremely interesting and helpful to the audience.

[dommyboysmith]

I have been an insomniac for years (bit better these days)
I can attest to alcohol induced sleep being whack but it was the only thing that put me down after a 5 days of being awake (working 9 hour intense labor shifts each day) after otc, 3x normal prescription doses, melatonin etc all didn't work.
That said you become reliant on it to fall asleep and that's a slippery slope. I was drinking more and more each week to the point that I became an alcoholic drinking a 750ml of jameson PER NIGHT in just a few hours.
So then I was simply an alcoholic with insomnia!
Thankfully I've fixed the alcohol issue and fixing my gut issues has helped alot.
These Huberman sleep videos have recently put me in a somewhat regular sleeping pattern.
Changing lives out here Andrew! Thanks

[leebid]

I've been interested in exactly all of this type of 'self-directable action' since I was a teenager but, having been searching for about 20 years now, this Podcast is by far the most useful, succinct and freely available I have ever come across. So easily digestable and actionable. Thanks for all the work you and your team have put into it.

[ichweissjanochnicht]

Love how you emphasize on the difference between male and female bodies. That is a field in medicine that hardly is ever looked at and is so important. Considering you both are male and embrace the idea that we are not fully the same in biology is amazing! Thank you for that. Both of your mothers must have done an amazing job to grow you into men that truly respect women in that way.

[JFletcherBrown]

Dr. Walker is such a good communicator. Everything down to his cadence, word choice, and crafting of his sentences on the fly is amazing! Great video.