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PODCAST

The Matt Walker Podcast

Dr. Matt Walker

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.

health & fitness medicine

All Episodes

29:28

#106 - Can A Sleeping Pill Help Fight Alzheimer’s?

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/09/01

Matt explores the critical link between sleep and Alzheimer's disease today, explaining how the brain’s "glymphatic system" clears toxic proteins like amyloid and tau during deep sleep. He describes how insufficient sleep impairs this process, creating a vicious cycle where protein accumulation damages sleep-generating brain regions and increases dementia risk. Matt goes on to discuss groundbreaking research on a new class of sleeping pills, Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists (DORAs), that may ...

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61:24

Ask Me Anything Part 21: Sleep Debt, Snooze Button,...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/08/25

Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon join forces once again to answer all of your top sleep questions. This time around, they break down the science behind the snooze button, why you might be falling asleep during passive activities like watching TV, and the truth about sleep fads like consuming salt before bed or using "grounding sheets." The episode also explores the frustrating issue of sleep fragmentation - waking up multiple times a night - and why it undermines sleep quality even if you fall back...

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21:14

#105 - Delta Sleep Inducing Peptides

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/08/18

In this episode, Matt delves into the curious and cautionary tale of Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide (DSIP), once hailed as a potential miracle cure for insomnia. In the 1970s, researchers were on a quest for a single "somnogenic molecule" that could act as the brain's natural sleep switch. A Swiss team believed they had found it, isolating a peptide that appeared to rapidly induce deep, slow-wave sleep when injected into animals. This initial excitement led to bold claims and sparked decades of...

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24:50

#104 - Humans Can Navigate Like Bats

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/08/11

Matt explores the human capacity for echolocation this week, dismantling the myth that this "biological sonar" is exclusive to animals. Revealing how peer-reviewed research shows all human brains possess the neural hardware to "see" with sound, Matt explains the physics of how sound creates detailed acoustic maps of our environment and introduces the brain's remarkable plasticity, setting the stage for this incredible sensory adaptation. The episode features stories of pioneers like Daniel Ki...

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29:31

#103 - 172 Diseases, One Hidden (Sleep) Cause?

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/08/04

While we've long been told to focus on the quantity of our sleep, in today’s episode, Matt suggests a paradigm shift in our understanding of sleep health. He argues that the true cornerstone may not be how many hours we get, but the consistency of our sleep schedule. This concept of regularity - maintaining a stable bedtime and wake-time - is presented as the most impactful of four key sleep components, which also include the more familiar aspects of quantity, quality, and timing. Matt suppor...

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29:18

The Dreamer's Embrace: A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/07/28

Settle in for a deeply comforting experience as Matt returns with a gentle voyage aboard "The Dreamer." This sleep story is crafted to soothe the heart and quiet the mind, creating a perfect sanctuary for rest. Tonight, we journey to a peaceful, seaside village to meet Henry, an elderly widower whose sleepless nights are filled with a profound sense of loss and treasured memories of his late wife, Margaret. As Henry steps onto the boat, feeling the weight of his grief begin to soften wi...

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25:35

#102 - Mouth Taping

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/07/21

This week, Matt examines the viral trend of mouth taping, a practice touted as a remedy for snoring and sleep apnea. He explains the core theory, which centers on promoting the benefits of nasal over mouth breathing, before critically assessing whether this popular ritual is a scientifically sound solution or a risky trend whose dangers are lost amidst the online hype. Matt navigates the scientific evidence, revealing a cautionary tale: while preliminary data suggests a potential benefit for ...

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64:32

Ask Me Anything Part 20: Sleep Under the Influence

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/07/14

In their latest Ask Me Anything episode, Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon delve into the complex relationship between common substances and sleep. They first tackle cannabis, explaining that while THC may initially help with sleep onset, its chronic use is detrimental, leading to tolerance, withdrawal insomnia, and a powerful suppression of restorative REM sleep. The discussion then moves to two other major sleep disruptors: caffeine and alcohol. You'll learn how caffeine's long half-life can reduc...

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54:49

#101 - The Sleep Prescription To Better Immunity with...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/07/07

Matt welcomes UCSF sleep expert Dr. Aric Prather to the podcast this week to discuss the science of psychoneuroimmunology: the link between our behavior and immune health. After a primer on the immune system’s innate and adaptive arms, Dr. Prather details how insufficient sleep dramatically increases your risk of catching a cold, significantly blunts vaccine effectiveness by reducing antibody response, and promotes a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation - a known pathway to numerous age-r...

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29:26

The Dreamer Boat: Sophia's Journey, A Sleep Story,...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/06/23

Prepare for a tranquil journey into sleep as Matt returns with a voyage aboard "The Dreamer." Let go of the day's events and allow your mind to quiet as we travel to a busy coastal town. Tonight, you’ll meet Sophia, a painter whose vibrant and expressive works reflect the world around her, yet finds her own nights restless and her mind unable to settle. Her creativity is blocked and her thoughts race, keeping peaceful sleep just out of reach. Just as she sits by her window, watching the waves...

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36:59

#100 - Sleep As The Fountain Of (Facial) Youth

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/06/16

Matt delves into the science of "beauty sleep" this week, revealing it as somewhat of a scientific reality. He highlights research by Dr. Tina Sundelin, which demonstrates that sleep-deprived individuals are consistently perceived as less healthy, more fatigued, and less attractive. These visible changes are rooted in biological consequences like dilated under-eye blood vessels and elevated cortisol, a hormone that degrades vital skin collagen. Matt then differentiates between expression wrin...

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72:32

Ask Me Anything Part 19: The Sleep Science of Her

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/06/09

Dr. Eti Ben Simon returns for yet another AMA episode, this time specifically focussing on sleep and women. Together, they delve into the nuanced differences in sleep patterns between men and women, exploring aspects like sleep duration, quality, and architecture, including variations in deep sleep and REM sleep. They discuss how females generally sleep slightly longer, experience fewer awakenings, and have more deep sleep early in the night, alongside a quicker onset of REM sleep. The conver...

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61:36

#99 - Insomnia in 7 Days with Dr. Aric Prather

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/06/02

Sleep expert Dr. Aric Prather joins Matt today for a fascinating discussion about insomnia's frustrating reality: trying to force sleep backfires; sleep arrives naturally. Dr. Prather highlights a surprising starting point: forget focusing on bedtime, prioritize a consistent wake-up time, even weekends. Noting that this anchors your internal clock and builds essential sleep pressure (the 'balloon'), he also cautions that sleeping in after a bad night disrupts this cycle. After touching ...

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29:42

The Dreamer Boat - A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/05/26

Drift into tranquility tonight as Matt pilots your voyage to a deeply restful slumber in this calming sleep narrative. Prepare to release the day's hold and find solace on a serene sea, where the rhythm of the waves and the canopy of stars invite peaceful repose. Picture yourself embraced by the gentle motion of the water, the day's warmth slowly giving way to the cool embrace of a twilight sky, speckled with distant, shimmering lights. You will encounter "The Dreamer," a special vessel with ...

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34:27

#98 - Weighted Blankets

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/05/19

Matt delves into the science of weighted blankets for sleep improvement in this week’s episode. These heavy covers (10-40 lbs) utilize Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS), a concept originating from Dr. Temple Grandin's 1960s work. DPS is theorized to shift the nervous system from "fight-or-flight" to a calmer parasympathetic state by potentially increasing serotonin and activating brain regions involved in emotional regulation, like the insular cortex, thereby fostering a state conducive to slee...

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50:01

Ask Me Anything Part 18: From Phone Radiation &...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/05/12

Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simone are back again today to answer even more of your brilliant sleep questions! They begin by discussing smartphones, noting that the direct EMF impact on brainwaves is debatable, but that psychological activation and blue light are known disruptors. Moving onto naps, Matt explains longer ones can cause "sleep inertia," while short naps (20 mins) can be beneficial, unless insomnia is present. They then examine the full moon's debated effect on sleep, and how it is poss...

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25:52

#97 Night Terrors

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/05/05

Matt takes the opportunity this week to explore the perplexing sleep phenomenon of night terrors (sleep terrors). Matt clarifies that these are distinct from nightmares, defining them as parasomnias arising from abrupt arousals out of deep Non-REM sleep, not REM sleep where dreaming occurs. He details the often dramatic symptoms – intense fear, screaming, sweating, rapid breathing, confusion, sometimes thrashing or sleepwalking – emphasizing the typical lack of memory of the event afterward. ...

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17:36

Celestial Slumbers - A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/04/28

Embark on a celestial journey tonight as Matt guides you through the vast expanse of the night sky in this soothing sleep story. Prepare to travel amongst the stars, exploring the constellations that have captivated humanity for millennia. Imagine yourself lying comfortably beneath the heavens on a warm evening, the stars twinkling like distant fireflies. Feel the gentle night air as you connect with the awe and wonder felt by ancient civilizations who gazed upon these same cosmic patterns, w...

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26:23

#96 - Nine Unknown Functions of Dream Sleep

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/04/21

This week, Matt dismantles the myth that REM sleep only benefits the mind by revealing its profound importance for physical health. While deep sleep handles some repair, Matt details how REM is crucial for peak testosterone and growth hormone release, vital for muscle, bone, libido, tissue repair, and metabolism. He explains that REM's characteristic muscle paralysis (atonia) isn't just for safety; it fosters physical recovery by enabling deep muscle relaxation, boosting blood flow, lowering ...

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64:58

Ask Me Anything Part 17: Tracker Accuracy, 3 AM Wake...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/04/14

In this latest AMA episode, Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon tackle even more listener questions regarding any and all aspects of sleep. Today, they discuss sleep tracker accuracy, noting that while nightly data isn't perfect (~75-85% accurate), weekly trends are reliable. Feeling exhausted despite good tracker metrics? Potential causes include fragmented sleep, circadian issues, undiagnosed disorders (like apnea), or tracker-induced anxiety (orthosomnia). Matt and Eti stress consulting a specialis...

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155 results

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