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<div> In the first three parts of our series with sleep expert Matthew Walker, Matt revealed the many reasons why we need sleep as well as the many short- and long-term dangers of not sleeping enough. In this special AMA episode, Matt comes back to provide a dissertation on listener's questions about HOW to sleep. He answers questions from subscribers that largely focus on the practical and tactical ways we can improve our sleep in terms of duration, quality, consistency, and avoidance of the common things that are standing in the way the best sleep possible.</div> <div> </div> <div> We discuss:</div> <ul type="disc"> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Matthew's TED Talk, and his favorite public speakers [7:45]; </span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How good are the current sleep trackers like Oura, Fitbit, etc.? [10:45];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is it bad to eat food too close to bedtime? [15:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How does exercise impact sleep? [17:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How is appetite affected by our sleep quality? [21:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anxiety, cortisol, and weight gain: An awful feedback loop of sleep deprivation [23:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How to optimize your wind down routine: lights, temperature, & relaxation [26:10];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How alcohol disrupts sleep (and contributes to Alzheimer's disease) [46:00];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sleep's impact on sex hormones, and romantic relationships [50:00];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Performance, accuracy, and minimizing the damage of shift work [55:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bed partners: How to sleep in separate beds and retain a good relationship [59:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can we use sound machines and electrical stimulation to improve sleep? [1:02:40];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will we ever be able to "supercharge" our sleep stages using technology? [1:08:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why sleep is the best insurance policy for lifespan and healthspan [1:11:45];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Melatonin: How (and how not) to use it for sleep improvement [1:19:00];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The dangers of sleeping pills, useful alternatives, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia [1:28:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can CBD and THC be used for sleep? [1:43:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why haven't we been able to develop a really effective sleeping aid? [1:50:40];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can you get too much sleep? [1:55:50];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">What to do (and not do) immediately following a terrible night of sleep? [2:09:15];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why a consistent wake up time is king [2:14:30];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Does poor sleep speed up the aging process? [2:16:00];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can different people be more (or less) resilient to sleep deprivation? [2:22:50];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finding your optimal sleep schedule and determining your sleep chronotype [2:27:45];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Defining sleep efficiency and how to improve it [2:33:25];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Correcting insomnia: A counterintuitive approach [2:35:45];</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">How can parents improve the sleep of their kids? [2:41:30]; and</span></li> <li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in;"> More.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in;"> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn more at <a href="http://www.peterattiamd.com/">www.PeterAttiaMD.com</a><br /> Connect with Peter on <a href="Facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD">Facebook</a> | <a href="Twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD">Twitter</a> | <a href="Instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD">Instagram</a>.<br /></span></span></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Maintain Cooler Sleep Environment
Ensure your sleep environment is cooler rather than too hot, as you will always find it easier to fall asleep in a room that’s too cold than too hot. You need to drop your core body temperature by about two to three degrees Fahrenheit to initiate and stay asleep.
2. Stop Eating Three Hours Before Bed
Cease eating approximately three hours before bedtime to prevent acid reflux, digestive issues, and an increase in core body temperature from caloric burning, all of which make it harder to fall asleep.
3. Avoid Simple Carbs Before Bed
If you must eat closer to bedtime, avoid simple carbohydrates and lean more towards protein. Simple carbs are quickly translated into energy and heat, raising core body temperature and making it harder to fall asleep.
4. Exercise More Than Two Hours Before Sleep
Engage in exercise more than two hours before sleep, as it is a fantastic tool for sleep promotion. Avoid exercising within two hours of bedtime to prevent elevated core body temperature and the release of stimulating hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol.
Prioritize getting good sleep, as it profoundly helps exercise performance and motivation. Adequate sleep increases motivation for physical activity, improves peak muscle strength, enhances respiration, decreases injury risk, and optimizes perspiration.
6. Remove Electronics Before Bed
Get electronics out of the way before bed because blue light from screens prevents the pineal gland from releasing melatonin, and the content can create emotional arousal, both hindering sleep.
7. Interpret Sleep Tracker Trends
When using sleep tracking devices, focus on weekly trend lines and relative changes from your personal baseline established over a few months, rather than worrying about daily absolute numbers. While daily readings may be inconsistently errorful, deviations from your trend line likely represent real changes in sleep patterns.