I know from personal example how much sleep deprivation negatively affects the brain. Due to my shift work and my mother's illness, I slept very little for years. My fluent and spontaneous speech and quick thinking disappeared. Very often I can't find the word to express myself. My concentration dropped drastically. Many people and memories from the past, I forgot. I feel like another person, I experience myself as another person. Not to mention the health I lost. About the catabolism that ate my body.
I understand WHY you shouldn't stay in bed when you aren't sleeping, but when you are tired and it is cold to even put your toe outside the bed, it is so difficult to leave it. Bed is like a womb for me, so comforting in these times. In the summer I find all of this advice much easier to take on board.
I suffer from insomnia and also sometimes I wake up and can't go back to sleep. Thank you for clearing up the fact on the broken sleep. I have been doing better since I started eating right or dieting. How can I get back to sleep and not sleep sleep 3 hrs. here and 4hrs there?
I’ve massively improved my sleep and need to continue prioritizing these strategies. Lifelong depression, anxiety, insomnia and worsening health SUCKED and I pray young people learn this info. Soooo much wrong & counter productive advice I was given needs to be countered - it convinced me that my personality was to blame and I should toughen up. Those who never experienced it misunderstand the torture.... heavenly when sleep is good, even just better!
To get good quality sleep you need a sharp brain and sharp brain requires good sleep habits, How to break this vicious cycle is the true nightmare for human race stuck in the techonologcial race. Future does not look bright to me esp with COVID19 messing things up so badly.
I've noticed since quitting caffeine I wake up feeling a lot more refreshed. It feels like I am in a deeper sleep and don't seem to need quite as long.
Matthew is so gentle with his clear and calm voice in explanation. I love how he is reframing the situations with usual associations with insomnia. While offering an option to utilize. Rangan, you're a great host and you always ask questions from a listener's minds. It's called skill for "wearing other people's shoes". Compassion! 💙 Personally, I've never had a problem with falling asleep until the last 1-2 years. Still, I go to bed at 9.30 p.m. and wake up at 5 a.m. Anyone who is struggling with falling asleep, aside from everything genuine said here, I recommend trying ashwagandha or Reishi 1 tsp 1h prior to going to bed.
Love this.. I have no problem getting to sleep, it's staying there is the problem. 3am, wide awake and it has become such a habit. Feeling too exhausted to move and the mind is racing...
Another brilliant interview with Matthew Walker. Never tire of hearing him. I think there are big implications for many workers especially in the caring professions.
I'm actually considering picking up a caring profession right now but i'm also trying to live a healthy, "human conforming" life and this really holds me back from actually going ahead with it.
Yes im a nurse on a later shift getting home my 830-9 pm Impossible to eat wind down and be asleep by 10 or 11. Then my day starys at 6. Dont even know how graveyard people do it but am beginning to understand why its called that.
Working 12 hour shifts for 3 days and off 3 days actually increases fatigue, The first day-off is lost to an extra long recovery. The second day-off is the only real free time you have. The third day-off you must go to bed extra early to sleep enough for another round of breakfast and travel. Only the middle off-day is useful. Workers hate 12 hour shifts.
I did 12 hr shifts and I just used the other 12 to basically just sleep. I have no social life and all I interact with is my dog so...I can afford 12 hr shifts literally without losing sleep.
I work 4 10s sometimes 4 12s depending on the day. Has anyone figured out how to possibly get good sleep when you have to eat shower wind down and fall asleep fast so you can get up at 6 or 7 to do it again. Matthew gives great ideas but doesnt sound like he has a tough schedule like a whole lot of people w long shifts.
I believe human body is the perfect doctor for itself and all we have to do is to let it do its work. Our (especially modern) lifestyle interrupts its self-healing mechanism.
Fantastic show! Loved it! I’m the type of person who can be extremely tired but keep looking for things to do and keep postponing going to bed until last minute. I wish the day had 36 hours!
Working 12/13 hour shifts often doesn't leave enough of a window between shifts to travel home and get eight hours "opportunity time". Do we think shift work like this should be encouraged by large employers? E.g. NHS. Should they make the "healthy option" (e.g. shorter shifts) the easy option?
It's only going to get worse, there was an article in the FT today, stating the tories are working to dismantle EU working directives. Like the 48hr max per week, etc. Welcome to brexit Britain...
Your experience makes me wonder whether it was necessary or appropriate to think pressmen at Current who were working 12 hour shifts because they made themselves prone to problems with their rest while they did that.
Buy a nice little sprinter van and take naps in there if possible:) also just putting your feet up for 10 min with eyes closed is very helpful for me . Darn i wish your job would provide more realistic shifts for u :)
Imo they could do this only if they provide employee housing nearby, to eliminate commuting time. Also they should do it in bulk. 7 days straight of 12 hrs shifts, and 5 days off afterwards. Two weeks 12 hrs shift, 12 days off or something like that. My uncle works an 8 weeks work, 7 weeks off kinda deal and whenever he works he moves to a hotel/apartment provided by the company. Which is why he has both the time to work his job and his business.
I almost never goto bed early because I don't consider work time and family time my time. My time starts when I have no distractions and I can do whatever I want which is playing video games... So when it's time to sleep that is when my personal time starts... It so unhealthy.
I endevour to eat nutrient dense foods daily within my 2000 calorie limit. This seems to contribute to balanced hormones (I also work out) and my sleep patterns have improved from ultra sensitive sleeper to a relatively sound sleeper! If I get disturbed, I actually now go back to a restful sleep. The body is soooo intelligent! Its the mind that can be our enemy though!
I have been practising the Mindfulness of Breathing technique ru-vid.comUgkxIIDVgnLN8pF_fPOyoZ1nTjbLvvZcib6r as taught in this CD for about 2 years having read about it in Paramananda's Change Your Mind book and taken a real liking to it. However at times I struggle to remain focused on the breathing and thought that at such times this guided version might suit me. So after two years I finally decided to buy it! The first 7'24 of Track 1 of the CD is a body relaxtion which I do not use: I don't like body relaxation techniques and I find 27' just a little too long for meditation. The remaining 20' of gentle, guided meditation helps me tremendously to relax and stay focused. I find him's voice very soothing and whilst he is present to guide you through the 4 stages of the meditation, his presence is not intrusive or distracting. For the past two years I have tried to follow this technique as best I can with gentle meditation music despite music not being recommended. Having used this CD a couple of times I think I will try from now on to adopt a new routine of no music and just this CD as I find it so helpful. I realise now that the music really is distracting and I have enjoyed listening to the ambient sounds around me which I am normally unaware of. I can not comment on the other 2 tracks of Metta or Walking Meditation as I bought the CD solely to help me with the Mindfulness of Breathing and it does just that - very effectively. In my opinion this CD is money very well spent as it will guide you through a thoroughly useful and beneficial meditation technique and I don't think you can put a price on that. Ultimate Apparels - RU-vid www.youtube.com
Soooo happy to see Matthew Walker on your podcast again!! Only sad that it was audio only...I'm in Canada and definitely feeling the lack of seeing people's faces. :(
Second that. I saw an ad for his course a few days ago and this incredible joy and calmness took over me instantly. Now I'm going through his interviews and lectures on RU-vid and thanking the universe for giving us such a wholesome person. And to think that it just so happens that his specialty is sleep! It's perfect.
Sleeping in nature for a couple of weeks can do wonders for sleep. Zero artificial light will reset the clock to your natural "mode". It's also dead silent at times. I can easily sleep around frogs, crickets and water noise.
Please address how much sleep an elderly (70 -80 yr. old) person needs. I,m female, 81, have incontinence, get up 3 times a night, and am an evening type. I am perfectly happy doing projects after 10:00 p.m.. I also have R.A., an auto immune disease where I’m stiff as a board in the a.m. until I have a warm shower..
I've experience raging chronic insomnia for 25+ years, and I've never been offered more than drugs and sleep studies for apnea only. Is there help out there?
Great talk but wish there had been a focus on sleep disruption due to peri menopause and menopause- 10 years of poor sleep have played havoc with my life.
Yes, it's a nightmare. I found the only solution for me was to go on HRT (I was getting four hours a night and brain-fogged and constantly anxious during the day) and to take a combination supplement of Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium and Calcium. Also taking Epsom Salt baths (more Magnesium) really helps. I love the comment from Nancy - will check out Dr Pelz too. I am now getting around 6 hours, which still isn't enough, but need more exercise too! Xxx
@@nancylourose Thanks for taking the time to respond, I have had a look and am interested in fasting (although I currently practise intermittent fasting).
@@NothingByHalves Sadly, I have tried to get on HRT but a combination of different GPs and 2 endocrinologists having an inability to see beyond my hypothyroidism and then the pandemic has left me still floundering. But thanks for the advice, I feel in a better place now and will try getting HRT via a private practitioner.
@@samwilson8316 I wish you all the best. I referred to Dr Louise Newson - menopausedoctor.co.uk - for the best information on body identical hormones. After being refused micronised progesterone and trying both types of tablet form progesterone, I finally managed to get a Mirena coil fitted, which works well with oestrodial gel. Much more sane than I was before... 💕
Nobody addresses the fact that no matter how many books you read on sleep, what you eat or drink BEFORE going to sleep, if you have an “unsolved” issue in your family life, something that is being “there” for years is really bad and sad. The minute you put your head to the pillow…. The thoughts come back….. what to do?
Stay away from alcohol if you like sleep Everytime I abstain from alcohol I sleep way deeper way longer, if I drank too much sometimes I wouldn’t sleep
I'm inspired by your talk! How can one treat chronic insomnia? My relative who began treatment with a neurologist then a psychiatrist has only experienced sleeping while on drugs. What advice would you give him?
Get the impression that Big Coffee has 'a little talk' with this author. Just a gut feel. Caffeine also reduces the synthesis of collagen - EVEN in the presence of Hyaluronic acid that normally stimulates it. Down to only decaf now and notice far less eczema issues. Slow but sure, will reduce further.
I'm retired with several chronic autoimmune health problems ; RA and I've lost my colon and have an ileostomy which likely makes me malnourished. I can sleep 12 hours. I just go with it because seem to recognize I need it . I'm sure it's bad for my hydration etc. Iam not depressed I just sleep very hard at times and hydrate and eat the rest of the day. This doesn't happen all the time but very often .
you have to fall in love with your bed..talk yourself into a good sleep..like hypnosis...talk to your self about the good night sleep yu want ..and thank god always
Great content, but it’s difficult to enjoy the content when ads interrupt literally every 60-90 seconds. Does anyone know how to stop so many ads from appearing?
Take out the You Tube subscription. They offer a month's free trial. Our options are: pay for ad free uninterrupted viewing or put up with ads for free viewing.
Creators oughta consider the Tim Ferriss approach: frontload a few minutes of ads, then have zero ads for the rest of the podcast. It's a far better experience for the listener.
I have some dilly neighbours who insist on doing their washing at night and the tumble dryer goes on at 3am in the morning. This is when one is at ones lowest ebb. I live in a retirement village (South Africa). Have written letters to the powers that be but to no avail. No interest shown at all so they do as they like. There are no rules anymore, as it used to be no noise after 10pm and no noise before 8am. I must point out that this is a semi detached cottage so all the noise is generated towards my bedroom. Have tried white noise to alleviate the noise but it is always there like a nagging toothache. What to do?
Thank you Rangan, you couldn't have chosen a better time to release this podcast. I've had a challenging few weeks (and still have) and due ro responsibilities I've fallen off my good habits of not using my phone 1h before bed. Now, I feel motivated to prioritize it more :D I also have a *question* : have you seen any studies on personality types relating to...eating before bed. Since I was a kid, I could NEVER fall asleep hungry. It would take me 4 times ad much time and I'd wake up tiered. Now, I'm eating only 1-1,5h before bed and I am sleeping much better so I was wondering if there is an explanation for that ;P . Anyways, sending you lots of love! Stay safe and have a wonderful week ahead!
Advice of early to bed and early to rise is applicable only to the pre-light bulb era to allow more time for food gathering etc. Modern society permits sleeping at 2 or 3 am and wake up at 9 or 10 am That is how adolescent natural sleep cycle is set actually. Curiously at 65 my sleep cycle now fits that teen sleep cycle. I am unclear about this significance but it is fun. Furthermore I tend to have strong morning wood like the teens as well. Hilarious!
I am a night shift front line worker. I can not sleep more than 2 hrs in the morning. If I take melatonin 10 msg is it okay? Max how much melatonin can take. Thanks
great questions and info thanks !! yes sure sometimes it is very important to check with yr doctor if available !! where i live in the north of peru i asure you is this is VERY useful !!
Haha this applies to me haha I've been sleeping 10 to 12 hrs per day plus nap especially with this cold. Everyone would tell me why do I sleep soo much. They are all jealous. I love me myself. Thank you for this.❄🌪🌧I love sleeping when it's cold especially in winter.
I can't ever sleep, I get like 4 hours of sleep a night. And I have very horrible nightmares every night. My mood stays horrible. And I always feel like crap and I feel like I'm slowly dieing. I take high blood pressure meds, and was also recently diagnosed with pre diabetes. I also I had to go to ER because I been having symptoms of a stroke. Right when I would dose off finally I like wake up in shock and like black out. And each night it's like that panic kept like getting worse each time. I felt like I was going to die any day. I am still going through all this. All I want in life is one good deep sleep to catch up on years of not ever sleeping good. Then I had a pop in my head and felt really weird, haven't really been right since then and can't sleep at all and I stay in a bad mood and panic and bad depression and anxiety. Also I go to mental health. Always have since a kid. Iv even been inpatient,I couldn't sleep in there neither not even on their psych meds and the anxiety meds. I always feel horrible. But Im trying to be content because I know there's nothing I can do about it 💔😞
Don't overlook adding another blanket to your bed! I realized that even with socks I was just cold enough to keep from falling asleep. Added a quilt and slept like a baby.
Thank you for this informative interview and yes never realised coffee has such a long stimulant affect? But I had hoped he would say somthing about the elderly and sleep. I cannot go to bed before 11pm and then I may still take 20 minutes to fall asleep listening to soothing music.. otherwise I am awake around 4am. If that happens, I switch on the bedlight and watch something on my phone and then fall asleep at around 6am and then sleep until 8am! Is that okay? I take 1/2 zopimed when I retire othwrwise no sleep at all. I seldom sleep during the day...
@@brianbecker1468 Thanks, but I definitely wake up before the room gets bright, by an hour or more. We have black out curtains as well as triple pane windows to help with sound. But no matter if it's winter or summer, I'm still up in the 4am hour.
Having Narcolepsy makes my thoughts on this frustrating. Especially referring to REM sleep, REM sleep is when you are dreaming and your brain is the most active- meaning not deep restful restorative sleep... I get plenty of REM sleep, however I still require medication to stay awake, medication to not have horrible brain fog, and still need at least one nap every day! I am honestly disappointed...
Such useful insights into what is a right for the human body, yet we don't afford it the gravitas required. Thank you for the channel. By the way, bought your book 3 days ago. Brilliant read, am utilising my "toolbox" already
You would be a good candidate for cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Google "CBT-I Runko" which will bring up a pdf called "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)" by Virginia Runko, PhD which gives a nice overview of what's involved and how you might be able to do some of it yourself
Ever since I started breastfeeding my daughter, my sleep has become polyphasic. So even if I don't nurse her anymore, I still wake up 2 or 3 times per night and sometimes am unable to get back to sleep right away, it takes up to 1 hour sometimes to go back to sleep. I am also going through a divorce which I'm sure adds to the problem, causing anxiety and other issues. What can I do to improve my sleep and therefore, my lifestyle?
I too am an extreme morning person (especially here in the UK during winter!) and like to be in bed by 8.30pm asleep by 9.30pm. I feel though, the world seems set up to favour you late risers! No one else in my family or among my neighbours - including their dogs - seem to think it reasonable to keep the noise down before 11pm. That seems more appropriate to most of society, sadly for me. I think I need to find a home in a more isolated area 😂😴
