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 sponsorsAG1: https://drinkag1.com/hubermanHelix Sleep: https://helixsleep.com/hubermanWHOOP: https://join.whoop.com/hubermanWaking Up: https://wakingup.com/hubermanInsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/hubermanMomentous: https://livemomentous.com/hubermanTimestamps(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 NewsletterDisclaimerLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Huberman Lab
The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.
Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017.
Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.
- No. of episodes: 318
- Latest episode: 2025-07-14
- Health & Fitness Science Life Sciences
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