Claim OwnershipThe Matt Walker Podcast
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© 2024 The Matt Walker Podcast
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The Matt Walker Podcast is all about sleep, the brain, and the body. Matt is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of the book, Why We Sleep and has given a few TED talks. Matt is an awkward British nerd who adores science and the communication of science to the public.
101 Episodes
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Embark on a calming journey to the Scottish Highlands in tonight's sleep story. Join Matt as he guides you through a tranquil landscape of rolling hills, sparkling lochs, and fragrant valleys. Let the soothing sounds of nature and the peaceful imagery lull you into a deep, restful sleep. This immersive experience is designed to ease your mind and help you unwind after a long day.Tonight's story offers a sanctuary from the whirlwind of everyday life, allowing you to release your worries and em...
2Dr. Charan Ranganath returns to explore the complexities of human memory with Matt here today. Together, they delve into memory's architecture, examining how sleep, trauma, and AI impact its function. The discussion covers episodic and semantic memory, emphasizing the role of sleep in memory consolidation and challenging the traditional "archive" model with Dr. Ranganath proposing a dynamic web of interconnected associations instead. The conversation then shifts to trauma's effects, focu...
Matt and Eti’s latest AMA episode begins with an exploration of the fascinating relationship between circadian rhythms and medication effectiveness. Discover how this internal 24-hour clock influences drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, impacting treatment outcomes. The episode then delves into chronotherapy, revealing how timing can optimize medication efficacy and minimize side effects for conditions like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Together, our hos...
Join Matt today as he explores the fascinating intersection of sleep, metabolism, and weight management, delving into the science of dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs). This episode dissects a groundbreaking study on suvorexant (Belsomra), an FDA-approved insomnia medication, and its potential to enhance fat burning during sleep. Matt unpacks the role of orexin, a neuropeptide crucial for wakefulness, and explains how DORAs work by targeting orexin receptors to promote natural sleep.&nb...
Escape the everyday and drift off to dreamland with Matt’s guided sleep story. Together, we'll journey through tranquil landscapes, from moonlit valleys to sun-dappled forests, letting the soothing sounds and imagery lull you into a peaceful slumber. This is a sleep story designed to ease your mind and gently guide you into a deep, restful sleep. If you find yourself struggling to unwind after a long day, allow this narrative to transport you to a place of tranquility and calm. Release your w...
Matt dives deep into the science of memory with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold On to What Matters in today’s episode. Together, they explore the complex relationship between memory and the brain, touching on the roles of emotional significance, context, and even neuromodulators like dopamine in helping our brains decide which memories to retain and which to discard. Dr. Ranganath shares his unique journey into mem...
In Matt’s latest installment of his "Ask Me Anything" series, he once again joins forces with Dr. Eti Ben Simon to address a wide spectrum of listener questions. Beginning with a dive into the fascinating connections between sleep and medication effects, they unpack the ways various medications can impact sleep quality and patterns, from increasing alertness to potentially triggering vivid dreams or insomnia. Eti also brings a unique perspective on how different medications influence REM slee...
Matt returns this week to unpack the complexities of narcolepsy, a neurological sleep disorder often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. He starts by defining narcolepsy, explaining its profound impact on brain and body functioning and its chronic nature, which often diminishes patients' quality of life. Narcolepsy affects about 1 in every 2,000 people, yet most go undiagnosed due to limited awareness and medical training on sleep disorders. With a closer look at the causes, Matt explores how the...
Matt revisits the concept of "sleep divorce," or "sleep separation" in this latest episode, examining its effects on relationships and well-being. He cites studies showing that up to one in four couples in the U.S. and U.K. sleep in separate rooms, a statistic often underestimated due to stigma. While many fear that sleeping apart harms intimacy, Matt presents data indicating that it can actually enhance sleep quality and intimacy by promoting better-rested bodies and increasing hormones like...
Matt and Eti return today for another AMA session where they dive into even more fascinating and often quirky sleep questions that have been submitted by listeners. In this installment, our duo explores the evolutionary puzzle of why we sleep, despite the apparent risks it poses for survival. They also share insights into how early organisms, like earthworms, exhibit sleep-like states, which raises the question: did wakefulness evolve from sleep?As the episode continues, the pair tackle pract...
Matt Walker welcomes Dr. Jessica Lunsford-Avery, an Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University to the podcast today. Dr. Lunsford-Avery, a clinical psychologist, delves into the crucial link between sleep and mental health in children with ADHD. Her groundbreaking research explores how sleep impacts daytime impairment in ADHD, focusing on cognitive behavioral therapies to improve both sleep quality and ADHD symptoms. Their discussion highlights the critical n...
Dr. William “Bill” Jagust, renowned expert in brain science and Alzheimer’s research - and one of the reasons Matt chose to move to UC Berkeley - joins our host today for an in-depth discussion on aging, cognitive decline, and the critical role of neuroimaging, with some sleep talk woven in as well. Dr. Jagust shares groundbreaking insights into how PET scans can detect amyloid and tau proteins in the brain—two key contributors to Alzheimer’s disease—years before symptoms emerge. Together wit...
In this latest AMA episode, Matt and Eti are back to tackle listener questions about naps and sleepwalking this time around. They begin by delving into the intricacies of power naps and their impact on brain function and sleep health, and go on to discuss the optimal timing and duration for naps, emphasizing that a balance between benefits and drawbacks is crucial. Shorter naps of 10-20 minutes are highlighted for their ability to boost alertness and focus with minimal sleep inertia. Con...
Dr. Wendy Troxel returns to the podcast today to discuss the significant impact of sleep on relationships and mental health with Matt. Offering actionable strategies for couples facing inevitable sleep disruptions, Dr. Troxel emphasizes the importance of communication, suggesting that couples anticipate sleep challenges, share responsibilities, and use tools like the "slangry" label to recognize and manage sleep-deprived behaviors. She also highlights the importance of timing conversations an...
This week, Matt shines his spotlight on the intriguing topic of melatonin use for individuals living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While melatonin has been discussed in previous episodes in relation to sleep enhancement and antioxidant properties, today's focus is on a recent meta-analysis that examines its effectiveness in treating sleep disorders specifically in those with ASD. This deep dive is prompted by new data and the pervasive sleep challenges faced by individuals with autism,...
In yet another informative and entertaining AMA episode, Matt and Doctor Eti Ben-Simon delve into the variety of sleep-related questions uppermost in listeners’ minds . Matt begins by explaining that THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, can help individuals fall asleep initially but disrupts sleep patterns and circadian rhythms with chronic use. This can lead to increased brain temperature, tolerance, dependence, and decreased REM sleep, impacting emotional regulation and overall...
The Science of Shared Sleep: Dr. Wendy Troxel on Bedtime and RelationshipsThis week, Matt is joined by Dr. Wendy Troxel the celebrated sleep and behavioral scientist whose book, Sharing the Covers: Every Couple's Guide to Better Sleep, highlights the significant impact of sleep on relationships. Revealing that 61% of adults sleep with a partner, Dr. Troxel emphasizes the often-overlooked social aspect of sleep and its implications for couple dynamics. As she notes, sleep arrangements have his...
Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon are back today to answer more of your excellent questions with their latest AMA installment - #8!They begin by delving into the intriguing world of lucid dreaming, explaining how it enables dreamers to become aware and even control their dreams, and move on to discussing the scientific methods used to study lucid dreaming, such as using eye movements as a form of Morse code to communicate with researchers. Through studies involving MRI scans, scientists have validat...
Matt continues his series on the impact of cannabis, THC, and CBD upon sleep this week with an examination into the intricacies of cannabidiol (CBD), which, unlike its psychoactive counterpart THC, does not induce a high but is recognized for its potential therapeutic effects. While studies suggest that CBD may aid in alleviating anxiety, movement disorders, pain, and addiction, in this episode, our host focuses on exploring CBD's potential influence on sleep quality while examining its bioch...
In this week’s intriguing episode, Matt delves into the topic of precognitive dreams, exploring the idea that some people can predict future events through their dreams. He explains that while this concept might seem appealing, it is actually a result of statistical chance. With around 8 billion people in the world each having multiple dreams per night, the sheer number of dreams increases the likelihood of coincidental matches between dreams and real-life events. Matt also discusses a g...
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Hi, many thanks to you for this wonderful podcast on sleep. I'm currently doing a master thesis on it and I've learned various stuff from you since I started this journey. I have a question.How does thermal sleep environment effects sleep? I tuned up related episode but since this podcast is a popscience podcast unfortunately I couldn't to take details about it. I would love to hear about it in a more detailed podcast or any possible way to discuss about it.
much love ❤️
So great. The John Delony show sent me here.
Got excited with every episode being released
I'm so glad to reach you through this ap and I'm sure it'll be useful for me to become aware of how to live with pleasure as an adult 😀
I really enjoyed all of the episodes. thank you for tellin these fascinating informations with your calming voice😃
Loved his book and the pod casts are a great refresher. I'd love it if they were longer. The commercials are a bit too long considering the length of the podcast. I hope they're paying him mad cash for all the air time they are getting heh.
Tnxxx🙏🙏🙏
Listened to the audio version of his book, which is really good. These episodes are way too short. And commercials are like 20% of the content 👎
Hi!thank you for informations.I've been suffering from insomnia since 10 years ago and it ended up getting addict to Zolpidem and its ridiculous drug tolerance.I wish one night,just one fucking night I could sleep and have dreams.
thanks Matt. really enjoying learning more about sleep.
Thank you very much. I love the information I learn from the scientists.
I wanted to thank you for just starting this podcast. and I will be following your work. Awesome!