Essentials Essentials

June 12, 2025

Essentials: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep

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In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode my guest is Dr. Matt Walker, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley and host of The Matt Walker Podcast, which focuses on the science and impact of sleep.

We explore the importance of sleep and how its nightly structure, including REM and non-REM stages, helps rejuvenate the mind and body. We also discuss how caffeine, alcohol, cannabis and melatonin supplements affect your ability to fall asleep and overall sleep quality. Additionally, Matt highlights the benefits of naps and shares a variety of unconventional tips to promote healthier, more restorative sleep.

Articles

Effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep: a meta-analysis (Sleep Medicine Reviews)
Crew Factors in Flight Operations IX: Effects of Planned Cockpit Rest on Crew Performance and Alertness in Long-Haul Operations (NASA Technical Memorandum)

People Mentioned

Jamie Zeitzer: Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
Charles Czeisler: Professor of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School

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00:00:00 Matt Walker, Sleep
00:00:25 Rapid Eye Movement (REM) & Non-REM Sleep, Paralysis
00:02:05 Sleep Cycles, Nighttime Sleep Structure, Hormones
00:07:08 Nighttime Waking Up, Fragmented Sleep
00:09:20 Sunlight Exposure & Sleep
00:10:43 Caffeine & Sleep Effects, Tool: Timing Caffeine
00:13:42 Alcohol & Sleep Effects
00:16:23 Cannabis; THC, Alcohol, REM Sleep & Dreams
00:18:38 Melatonin, Supplementation?, Dose
00:24:44 Prescription Sleep Aids, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Sleep
00:27:02 Naps, Benefits, Insomnia, Tool: Nap Length
00:30:34 Sleep Tips, Tools: “Do Nothing”; Winddown Routine; Worry Journal; Clocks
00:34:45 Acknowledgments

This transcript is currently under human review and may contain errors. The fully reviewed version will be posted as soon as it is available.

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Huberman Lab Essentials

Dr. Matt Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep

Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes.

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