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What is sleep, really? That quiet third of our lives we so often sacrifice at the altar of ambition. In a culture that glorifies hustle and hyperconnection, rest has become not just undervalued, but optional. A dispensable luxury.
But sleep didn’t evolve from wakefulness. It’s the other way around. Wakefulness is the interruption. Sleep is the foundation—the original state from which conscious life emerged.
Today, I’m re-sharing my conversation with Dr. Matthew Walker—a revelation worth revisiting amid the escalating crisis of global sleep deprivation. Longtime listeners know my obsession with sleep and the essential role it plays in every aspect of well-being. That obsession owes much to Matthew’s groundbreaking work.
His international bestseller Why We Sleep—a book that fundamentally reshaped my approach to health—anchors this deep dive into the brain’s nocturnal rhythms.
“Sleep is not a disposable luxury—it’s a non-negotiable biological necessity.”
– MATTHEW WALKER
Today, we discuss:
- Sleep’s Evolutionary Purpose
- The Brain’s Nighttime Detoxification
- How Sleep Deprivation Alters Gene Expression
- The Truth About Caffeine & Alcohol
- Sleep’s Critical Role In Immune Function
- The Solution To The Teenage Sleep Crisis
For those who prefer a visual experience, the conversation is available on YouTube. As always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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- Connect with Matthew: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin
- Berkeley: Matthew Walker, PhD
- Berkeley: Center For Human Sleep Science
- Financial Times: Sleep expert Matthew Walker on the secret to a good night’s rest
- TED: Sleep is your superpower | Matt Walker
- The Guardian: ‘Sleep should be prescribed’: what those late nights out could be costing you
- Masterclass: Matthew Walker Teaches the Science of Better Sleep
- Masterclass: Matthew Walker’s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality
- NPR: Matthew Walker: Why Is It Essential To Make Time For Sleep?
- Independent: 14 of the biggest sleep myths debunked
- The Lancet: A sleep prescription for medicine
- The Guardian: How to boost your business? Let workers sleep
- Tech Insider: 5 Tips For Falling Asleep Quicker, According To A Sleep Expert
- Tech Insider: How To Tell If You’re Sleep Deprived
- Tech Insider: What Happens To Your Brain When You Dream
- Tech Insider: What Happens To Your Body And Brain If You Don’t Get Sleep
- Tech Insider: How Lucid Dreaming Works
- Tech Insider: How To Take The Ideal Nap And Avoid Bad Sleep
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Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; with additional audio engineering by Cale Curtis and additional music by Moby; Dan Drake & Morgan McCrae for video, & editing; graphics by graphics by Alejandro Ribadeneira & Bryan Lawrence; portraits by Davy Greenberg; copywriting by Ben Pryor; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
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