GUEST SERIES | Dr. Matt Walker: How to Structure Your Sleep, Use Naps & Time Caffeine

Summary

Highlights

• 00:21

  During today's episode, we discuss how to structure your sleep for optimal mental health, physical health, and performance.

• 00:45

  We also discuss naps, including how to nap, how long your nap should be, whether or not naps are good or bad, in particular whether or not they're good or bad for you.

• 01:01

  And we discuss body position during sleep, which might seem excessively detailed, but it turns out that body position during sleep is critical for ensuring that the sleep you get is optimally restorative.

• 06:05

  What are the different types of sleep and what do they do for us?

• 08:43

  First, an infant needs to feed every two hours.

• 09:35

  They're just awake or asleep, awake or asleep.

• 16:44

  When you are first born, you are still going through a huge amount of brain maturation.

• 19:51

  So about 20% of the time that you're asleep will be REM sleep and the remaining time will be, 80% of that time will be non-REM sleep.

• 20:55

  In the first episode, we spoke about this strange afternoon dip in our alertness that happens called the postprandial dip.

• 42:10

  Naps can be a double-edged sword in other words.

• 45:57

  So at that point, everyone may be thinking, of course, this sounds good.

• 46:41

  When you nap, you release some of that sleep pressure that's been building up.

• 1:00:53

  Yes, so to your three questions, firstly, if you're not a natural napper, don't necessarily force yourself to be.

• 1:29:30

  The Nappuccino, also known as the caffeine nap.

• 1:56:35

  I certainly needed to make a modification to my stance on caffeine.

Keywords

• Sleep Architecture

  The organization of sleep stages, including light, deep, and REM sleep, which evolves as individuals age.

• Monophasic Sleep

  A sleep pattern where an individual sleeps in one continuous block, typically at night.

• Biphasic Sleep

  A sleep pattern involving two periods of sleep, often one long period at night and a shorter nap during the day.

• Polyphasic Sleep

  A sleep pattern involving multiple short sleep periods throughout the 24-hour day.

• Nappuccino

  A strategy involving drinking caffeine before taking a short nap to enhance alertness upon waking.

• Adenosine

  A neurotransmitter that builds up in the brain during wakefulness and promotes sleepiness.

• Chronotype

  An individual's natural preference for sleeping and waking times, often categorized as morning or evening types.

• Sleep Inertia

  The grogginess and disorientation that can occur immediately after waking from sleep.

• Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)

  A state of rest that involves deep relaxation without falling asleep, similar to yoga nidra.

• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

  A region of the brain that serves as the master circadian clock, regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the Huberman Lab Guest Series

• 00:08 About Andrew Huberman

• 00:14 Series on Sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker

• 00:21 Structuring Sleep for Optimal Health

• 00:27 Monophasic vs. Polyphasic Sleep

• 00:45 Discussion on Naps

• 00:54 Individual Variability in Napping

• 00:57 Sleep Needs Across the Lifespan

• 01:01 Importance of Body Position During Sleep

• 01:13 Science and Practical Tools for Sleep Improvement

• 01:29 Podcast's Purpose and Sponsors

• 01:42 Sponsor: BetterHelp

• 01:48 Benefits of Therapy

• 02:10 Finding the Right Therapist

• 02:33 BetterHelp Offer

• 02:42 Sponsor: Element

• 02:45 Importance of Electrolytes

• 03:07 Hydration and Electrolyte Balance

• 03:23 Element Usage and Benefits

• 03:50 Element Offer

• 04:02 Sponsor: Waking Up

• 04:05 Benefits of Meditation

• 04:25 Challenges in Meditation Practice

• 04:44 Waking Up App Features

• 05:10 Yoga Nidra and Dopamine Levels

• 05:29 Waking Up App Offer

• 05:39 Conversation with Dr. Matthew Walker

• 05:46 Types of Sleep

• 06:08 Phases of Sleep

• 06:42 Sleep Across the Lifespan

• 07:40 Polyphasic Sleep in Infancy

• 07:59 Development of Sleep Patterns

• 09:51 Consolidation of Sleep in Childhood

• 10:08 Biphasic Sleep in Kindergarten

• 10:34 Importance of Nap Time in Children

• 11:19 Monophasic Sleep in Adulthood

• 11:58 Sleep Stages Across the Lifespan

• 12:19 REM Sleep in Infancy

• 13:06 Role of REM Sleep in Brain Development

• 17:43 REM Sleep and Developmental Disorders

• 18:34 Non-REM Sleep and Motor Skill Development

• 19:33 Sleep Ratios in Childhood

• 20:19 Monophasic Sleep in Adulthood

• 20:55 Biphasic Sleep and Modern Society

• 21:27 Hunter-Gatherer Sleep Patterns

• 22:32 Midnight and Modern Sleep Timing

• 23:24 Chronotypes and Sleep Preferences

• 24:06 Biological Variability in Sleep

• 25:26 Evolutionary Benefits of Chronotypes

• 26:07 Chronotype Distribution and Survival

• 26:50 Circadian Rhythm Variability

• 27:20 Adaptation to Light-Dark Cycles

• 27:55 Biological Noise and Adaptation

• 28:28 Chronotype Distribution and Benefits

• 29:06 Genetics and Chronotype Inheritance

• 29:56 Chronotype and Lifestyle Factors

• 31:01 Contextual Influences on Chronotype

• 31:42 Sponsor: AG1

• 32:03 AG1 Benefits and Usage

• 32:26 AG1 as a Supplement Choice

• 32:41 AG1 Offer

• 32:55 Biphasic Sleep and Nap Strategies

• 33:14 Biphasic Sleep in Adults

• 33:41 Nap Timing and Benefits

• 34:09 First Sleep, Second Sleep Concept

• 34:39 Historical Context of Split Sleep

• 35:13 Biological Basis of Split Sleep

• 36:22 Sleep Study and Findings

• 37:18 Critique of Split Sleep Study

• 38:01 Body Position and Sleepiness

• 38:33 Temperature and Sleep Position

• 39:36 Recumbent Position and Sleep

• 40:01 Biphasic Sleep and Napping

• 40:23 Caffeine and Sleep

• 40:43 Caffeine as a Stimulant

• 41:07 Caffeine and Mental Health

• 41:44 Naps and Their Benefits

• 42:02 Napping and Learning Capacity

• 43:20 Napping and Emotional Health

• 43:57 Napping and Decision Making

• 44:25 Napping and Emotional Recalibration

• 45:13 Napping and Physical Health

• 45:57 Napping and Sleep Pressure

• 46:46 Napping and Insomnia

• 48:11 Optimal Nap Protocol

• 48:55 Nap Duration and Grogginess

• 49:58 Post-Nap Expression (PNE)

• 50:53 Optimal Nap Duration

• 53:10 Benefits of a 20-Minute Nap

• 54:25 Longer Naps and Sleep Inertia

• 56:38 Nap Timing and Sleep Quality

• 58:06 Teaching Yourself to Nap

• 59:53 Exploring Liminal States

• 1:00:53 How to Start Napping

• 1:02:21 Creating a Nap Environment

• 1:03:21 Alternative Rest States

• 1:04:19 Local Sleep and Brain Activity

• 1:05:20 Liminal States and Brain Waves

• 1:07:29 NASA Nap Culture

• 1:08:36 Power Naps and Their Origin

• 1:09:13 Prophylactic Napping and Power Naps

• 1:11:03 Origin of Power Naps

• 1:11:50 Sponsor: 8Sleep

• 1:12:05 8Sleep Benefits and Usage

• 1:12:34 8Sleep Offer

• 1:12:54 Yoga Nidra and Non-Sleep Deep Rest

• 1:14:49 Exploring Biphasic Sleep

• 1:15:11 Nap Timing and Sleep Quality

• 1:17:15 On-Off-On Protocol for Napping

• 1:18:44 Who Should Avoid Napping

• 1:19:18 Napping and Insomnia

• 1:20:30 Napping in Older Adults

• 1:21:53 Sleep Quality Decline with Age

• 1:22:35 Synaptic Pruning in Adolescence

• 1:23:26 Deep Sleep Decline with Age

• 1:24:41 Impact of Aging on Sleep

• 1:26:45 Napping and Health in Older Adults

• 1:27:49 Napping and Mortality Risk

• 1:28:20 Caffeine and Sleep

• 1:29:06 Caffeine's Effect on Alertness

• 1:29:23 Caffeine and Adenosine Receptors

• 1:29:52 Caffeine's Mechanism of Action

• 1:31:45 Caffeine Crash and Sleepiness

• 1:32:35 Caffeine Nap and Timing

• 1:34:00 Temperature and Caffeine Effects

• 1:34:27 Caffeine and Body Temperature

• 1:35:29 Caffeine and Sleep Inertia

• 1:36:14 Nappuccino Strategy

• 1:37:18 Benefits of Nappuccino

• 1:38:04 Adenosine Clearance and Sleep

• 1:38:35 Exercise and Adenosine

• 1:38:54 Drugs and Sleep Effects

• 1:39:25 Adenosine and Sleep Pressure

• 1:39:54 Physical Activity and Alertness

• 1:40:26 Sleep and Adenosine Clearance

• 1:41:47 Metabolic Activity and Sleep

• 1:42:47 Liminal States and Adenosine

• 1:43:10 Delaying Caffeine Intake

• 1:44:07 Caffeine and Afternoon Crash

• 1:44:34 Adenosine Clearance After Waking

• 1:45:15 Caffeine Timing and Sleepiness

• 1:45:44 Caffeine and Cortisol

• 1:45:59 Testing Sleep Quality Without Caffeine

• 1:47:09 Caffeine and Sleep Assessment

• 1:47:55 Caffeine and Sleep Restoration

• 1:48:40 Caffeine and Health Benefits

• 1:49:24 Caffeine and Antioxidants

• 1:50:26 Caffeine and Sleep Timing

• 1:51:11 Caffeine and Health Outcomes

• 1:52:04 Coffee and Antioxidants

• 1:52:31 Caffeine Sensitivity and Genetics

• 1:53:16 Caffeine and Sleep Sensitivity

• 1:53:51 Caffeine and Deep Sleep

• 1:54:50 Caffeine and Alcohol Use

• 1:55:39 Caffeine and Sleep Recommendations

• 1:56:19 Caffeine and Sleep Stance

• 1:56:46 Caffeine Nap and Power Nap

• 1:57:03 Nap Enhancements and Strategies

• 1:57:30 Nap Stacking Study

• 1:58:29 Cold Water and Bright Light Effects

• 1:59:53 Nap Plus Plus Strategy

• 2:01:53 Full Stack Nap Protocol

• 2:02:37 Morning Routine and Sleep Tools

• 2:03:27 Manipulating Nap Systems

• 2:03:50 Cold Water and Sleep Onset

• 2:04:33 Polyphasic Sleep Strategies

• 2:04:55 Polyphasic Sleep in Adults

• 2:05:24 Polyphasic Sleep and Biohacking

• 2:06:01 Polyphasic Sleep Patterns

• 2:06:27 Polyphasic Society and Claims

• 2:06:51 Uberman and Everyman Schedules

• 2:07:40 History of Polyphasic Sleep

• 2:08:15 Dymaxion Principle and Sleep

• 2:08:56 Polyphasic Sleep and Efficiency

• 2:09:55 Harvard Study on Polyphasic Sleep

• 2:10:38 Polyphasic Sleep and Health Risks

• 2:11:30 Polyphasic Sleep and Adult Health

• 2:11:50 Personal Choice and Sleep Patterns

• 2:12:17 Sleep Deprivation and Safety Risks

• 2:13:12 Sleep and Road Traffic Accidents

• 2:14:08 Sleep and Public Safety

• 2:15:01 Conclusion and Sleep Insights

• 2:15:25 Summary of Sleep Series

• 2:16:15 Acknowledgments and Future Episodes

• 2:16:49 Podcast Support and Feedback

• 2:17:31 Supplements and Health

• 2:17:50 Social Media and Content

• 2:18:09 Neural Network Newsletter

Transcript

• S
  SPEAKER_00 00:00

  Welcome to the Huberman Lab guest series, where I and an expert guest discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.

• S
  SPEAKER_00 00:08

  I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine.

• S
  SPEAKER_00 00:14

  Today marks the third episode in our six-episode series all about sleep with expert guest, Dr. Matthew Walker.

Shownotes