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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

23:52

#121 - A Practical Guide To Insomnia

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2026/01/19

Matt delves into insomnia, defining it as a persistent struggle to sleep despite having the opportunity. He presents "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia" (CBTI) as the scientifically validated gold standard, and details the five pillars: stimulus control to rebuild the bed-sleep association, time-in-bed restriction to boost efficiency, sleep hygiene, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation. These strategies retrain the brain to treat the bed as a sanctuary, deactivating the psychologic...

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49:38

Ask Me Anything Part 24: Tinnitus, SAD, Sleep...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2026/01/12

Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon return with another AMA episode where they answer such listener questions as how sleep loss amplifies tinnitus and how Seasonal Affective Disorder impacts circadian rhythm. They also reveal that sleep restriction slashes vaccine-induced antibody production by 50%, and highlight deep NREM sleep as the vital soil for immunological memory. The hosts go on to analyze somniloquy, address long COVID’s inflammatory sleep fragmentation, and critique the fading efficacy of C...

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20:09

#120 - How Sleep Deprivation Hijacks Your Genetic Code

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2026/01/05

Putting sleep deprivation under the microscope yet again, Matt explores our "genetic workforce" of 20,000 genes operating on a precise 24-hour cycle. He details 2013 research showing that just one week of six-hour nights alters 711 genes - three percent of the human genome. This shift disrupts the circadian clock’s coordination, moving the body away from essential repair toward cellular stress and inflammatory markers. Matt also examines the tissue-specific damage of sleep loss, explaining ho...

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24:50

The Midnight Bookshop: A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/12/29

Join Matt to leave the day’s rush behind. After a brief breathing exercise to settle the mind and body, you will find yourself on a quiet street in a British village. Matt leads you across a small stone bridge to a cozy bookshop nestled between two old brick buildings. This sanctuary is filled with the faint scent of aged paper and polished wood, providing a peaceful haven where time slows down and the stresses of the day are left behind. Once you are inside the shop, you can wander through t...

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20:17

#119 - Your Brain On GLP-1s

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/12/22

Exploring GLP-1 agonists in a new light, Matt examines a review that positions these metabolic hormones as potential brain defenders. He details their surprising presence in memory centers and their capacity to combat the "biological rust" of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Matt critically evaluates the gap between robust animal models and the unwritten chapter of human trials, while highlighting the vital link between metabolic health and sleep. He argues that biology is not siloed; ...

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19:29

#118 - A Sleep Medication to Lower the Risk of...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/12/15

Matt examines the critical link between sleep quality and Alzheimer’s pathology. He details the brain's "night shift" - the glymphatic system - which actively flushes out toxins like amyloid beta during deep sleep. Listeners learn how even a single night of deprivation can spike harmful tau levels by 50%, effectively accelerating brain aging. The discussion pivots to dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs), a drug class that quiets wakefulness rather than forcing sedation. Matt highlights re...

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57:15

Ask Me Anything Part 23: The Gut, Grief, Creativity,...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/12/08

In this latest AMA episode, Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon explore the complex web connecting sleep to our health and daily lives. They investigate the gut-brain axis, discussing how sleep deprivation alters the microbiome and whether probiotics can restore balance. The conversation also addresses the heavy toll of bereavement, examining the bidirectional link between acute grief and insomnia while offering evidence-based strategies to manage sleep during times of loss. The discussion shifts to c...

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18:23

#117 - Can Creatine & Exercise Overcome Sleep...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/12/01

Matt confronts the systemic failure of sleep deprivation, examining its impact on our biological machinery. When sleep is short, the body's "fuel gauge" dips, impairing mitochondrial function and glucose tolerance. However, he highlights compelling research on two interventions - creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training. These act as backup generators, offering a physiological buffer to preserve metabolic and executive functions when rest is unavoidably restricted. The ep...

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25:53

#116 - 40 Hz Brain Stimulation

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/11/24

Matt ventures into the realm of 40 Hz "gamma" rhythms - the conductor of the biological orchestra during high-order cognition - to explore how non-invasive light and sound stimulation can entrain brain activity, nudging neurons into synchrony. Crucially, Matt examines ground-breaking Alzheimer’s research where this rhythm rallies the brain's immune cells to clear toxic plaques, potentially stabilizing memory and preventing atrophy in early-stage patients. Beyond cognition, Matt uncovers a neu...

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17:22

#115 - Sleep Deprivation for Depression

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/11/17

The counterintuitive use of sleep deprivation as a rapid treatment for major depression finds itself squarely in Matt’s spotlight today. He begins by discussing its origins in the 1970s, where one night of wakefulness induced temporary remission in 40-60% of patients, and goes on to note that this effect is fragile, with an 83% relapse rate after recovery sleep, pointing to a paradox where sleep itself may be depressogenic for some. Matt reviews the neuroscientific explanations, including the...

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25:52

#114 - How to Boost your HRV

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/11/10

Matt delves into Heart Rate Variability (HRV), the subtle variation in timing between each heartbeat. He explains that a healthy heart is like a "jazz drummer," not a rigid metronome, and a higher HRV reflects a resilient body that can adeptly balance its stress and rest systems. This episode unpacks the science behind HRV and explores the actionable strategies you can employ to improve this critical marker of your overall health. Matt then explores the key lifestyle factors that significantl...

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32:04

#113 - Modafinil: An All-Nighter In A Pill?

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/11/03

Diving into the controversial world of Modafinil, the "all-nighter in a pill", Matt begins with the story of Olympic sprinters using the narcolepsy drug as a loophole for a competitive edge. He then unpacks the science of how Modafinil affects brain chemistry to boost wakefulness and cognition, tracing its evolution from a medical treatment to a performance enhancer for the military, Wall Street, and students, all attempting to push human limits by cheating sleep. Despite its potent effects, ...

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22:46

#112 - How Synesthesia Secretly Shapes Your Reality

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/10/27

Matt explores the fascinating world of synesthesia today, challenging the notion that it's a rare quirk by proposing a bold claim: in subtle ways, we are all synesthetes. This idea is powerfully demonstrated by the famous "Bouba/Kiki" test, which reveals our brain's innate tendency to connect abstract shapes and sounds. The episode argues that this fundamental cross-wiring is not a mere curiosity but the very operating system for human thought, shaping everything from our metaphors to the dev...

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19:46

#111 - The Price of Sleep

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/10/20

Framing sleep not as a biological necessity, but as a critical economic asset, Matt reveals that sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy up to $411 billion annually, with billions more lost globally. These costs stem from lost workplace productivity, severe cognitive impairment equivalent to intoxication, and massive strains on healthcare and public safety systems due to chronic disease and accidents like drowsy driving. Matt provides the solution: investing in sleep as a powerful economic s...

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62:10

#110 - The Science Behind Wearable Sleep Monitoring

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/10/13

In this user's guide to sleep trackers, learn the science behind how they work using motion and optical sensors as Matt explains the key metrics of Sensitivity, Specificity, and Accuracy. Revealing why most trackers overestimate sleep by failing to detect wakefulness, he reveals the crucial difference between a device's flawed "absolute accuracy" and its more valuable "relative accuracy," which highlights the importance of tracking long-term trends over single-night scores. Matt goes on to ex...

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51:42

#109 - How to Get More REM Sleep

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/10/06

Matt takes a deep dive into REM sleep this week, highlighting methods to enhance this vital stage for emotional regulation and creativity. Detailing pharmacological approaches, he focuses on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and how medications like donepezil and modern DORAs can boost REM sleep, while also identifying common suppressors like alcohol and THC. Throughout the episode, he also emphasizes that the goal is not to maximize one stage but to achieve a balanced sleep architecture. Th...

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29:58

Cozy Cabin Retreat: A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/09/29

In this soothing episode, Matt guides you on your personal sleep story towards deep, restorative rest. He invites you to find comfort and release the day's worries through intentional breathing, transporting you to a cozy, imagined haven bathed in soft lights and calming aromas. As twilight descends, experience the tranquil silence and the moon's gentle glow, replacing any turmoil with profound inner peace. A powerful visualization encourages you to shed thoughts and concerns, picturing them ...

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24:57

#108 Implanting False Memories Into Your Brain

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/09/22

In this week’s episode, Matt Walker explores memory's astonishing malleability, challenging the belief that recollections are fixed. He highlights Loftus's car crash study, showing how subtle language altered speed memories and implanted false details, and reviews the "Lost in the Mall" experiment which proved fabricated autobiographical memories can be instilled. Matt also notes that neuroimaging reveals false and true memory patterns in the hippocampus are remarkably similar, underscoring m...

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89:04

#107 - Medicine 3.0 with Dr. Avinish Reddy

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/09/15

Founder & CEO of Elevated Medical, Dr. Avinish Reddy, joins Matt today on this very special episode to discuss a comprehensive approach to longevity. One core theme presented is the profound interconnectedness of physical, mental, and cognitive well-being, essential for true health optimization. Dr. Reddy emphasizes the striking impact of social connection: isolation can increase early death risk by 50%, comparable to smoking. He believes fostering strong social bonds is a fundamental pil...

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45:04

Ask Me Anything Part 22: Latitude, Pain Gating,...

The Matt Walker Podcast ·

2025/09/08

In this latest AMA instalment, Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon begin by discussing environmental influences on sleep. The conversation covers how high latitude and prolonged daylight disrupt circadian rhythms, with Eti sharing her own personal experience. Together, our duo shares strategies for managing light exposure and regulating core body temperature with methods like warm baths. The episode also offers evidence-based approaches for shift workers, including strategic napping and forward-rotati...

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155 results

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