GUEST SERIES | Dr. Matt Walker: Protocols to Improve Your Sleep

This is episode 2 of a 6-part special series on sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and psychology and founder of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

We discuss basic and advanced tools for improving sleep and explain how sleep quality is affected by temperature, light and dark, caffeine, alcohol, cannabis, nutrition, meal timing, and different medications. 

Dr. Walker also provides strategies for coping with a poor night of sleep, wind-down routines, technology in the bedroom, insomnia, visualizations, and building sleep “confidence.” 

We also discuss the current status of sleep research for developing advanced techniques to optimize sleep. 

This episode provides numerous zero-cost behavioral protocols for improving sleep quality and restorative power, which can benefit daytime mood, energy, performance, and overall health. 

The next episode in this special series explores napping, caffeine, and additional protocols to improve sleep.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Improving Sleep

(00:01:16) Sponsors: Helix Sleep, WHOOP & Waking Up

(00:05:30) Basics of Sleep Hygiene, Regularity, Dark & Light

(00:12:05) Light, Day & Night; Cortisol, Insomnia

(00:18:45) Temperature; “Walk It Out”; Alcohol & Caffeine

(00:26:05) Sleep Association, Bed vs. Sofa

(00:29:43) Tool: Falling Asleep; Meditation, Breathing

(00:35:23) Sponsor: AG1

(00:36:37) Alcohol & Sleep Disruption

(00:40:01) Food & Sleep, Carbs, Melatonin

(00:49:25) Caffeine; Afternoon Coffee, Nighttime Waking

(00:55:52) Caffeine Metabolism & Sleep, Individual Variation

(01:01:19) Sponsor: InsideTracker

(01:02:04) Cannabis: THC vs. CBD, REM Sleep, Withdrawal

(01:12:03) Sleep Hygiene Basics

(01:16:08) Tool: Poor Sleep Compensation, “Do Nothing”

(01:20:23) Tool: Sleep Deprivation & Exercise

(01:24:11) Insomnia Intervention & Bedtime Rescheduling, Sleep Confidence

(01:32:58) Wind-Down Routine; Mental Walk; Clocks & Phones

(01:41:29) Advanced Sleep Optimization, Electric Manipulation

(01:50:07) Temperature Manipulation, Elderly, Insomnia

(01:58:57) Tool: Warm Bath Effect & Sleep, Sauna

(02:04:36) Acoustic Stimulation, White Noise, Pink Noise

(02:13:30) Rocking & Sleep, Body Position

(02:24:17) Enhance REM Sleep & Temperature; Sleep Medications

(02:28:35) Pharmacology, DORAs & REM Sleep; Narcolepsy & Insomnia

(02:34:12) Acetylcholine, Serotonin, Peptides; Balance

(02:40:45) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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