The Matt Walker Podcast
1) #126 - The Coffee Paradox
Matt Walker investigates the "coffee paradox," revealing how your morning ritual acts as both a health ally and a silent sleep disruptor. While coffee provides life-extending antioxidants linked to lo...Show More
2) #125 - Melatonin Explained
Matt redefines melatonin as the brain’s "clock whisperer" rather than a sedative, and explains that the hormone signals biological night rather than forcing sleep. Drawing on a meta-analysis, Matt rev...Show More
3) #124 - Acting Out Dreams
Matt delves into the world of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), a condition at the frontiers of sleep science. Normally, the brain dreams while atonia paralyzes the body in a neural magic act that is...Show More
4) Ask Me Anything Part 25: Sleep Talking, Long Covid, CBD/CBN, and Bedroom Environment
Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon begin their latest AMA by exploring somniloquy as fragmented noise within Stage 2 NREM sleep. They distinguish these vocalizations from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, where th...Show More
5) #123 - Sleep & the Microbiome
Challenging the long-held assumption that sleep is a dialogue the brain has exclusively with itself, Matt investigates the "gut-brain axis"—a sophisticated communication network linking our digestive ...Show More
6) #122 - Exercise vs. Insomnia
Examining the $107B burden of insomnia and its link to a 45% increase in cardiovascular risk, Matt dissects a landmark study of 1,348 participants proving that movement is a potent clinical tool. He a...Show More
7) #121 - A Practical Guide To Insomnia
Matt delves into insomnia, defining it as a persistent struggle to sleep despite having the opportunity. He presents "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia" (CBTI) as the scientifically validated ...Show More
8) Ask Me Anything Part 24:Tinnitus, SAD, Sleep Divorce, and Vaccines
Matt and Dr. Eti Ben Simon return with another AMA episode where they answer such listener questions as how sleep loss amplifies tinnitus and how Seasonal Affective Disorder impacts circadian rhythm. ...Show More
9) #120 - How Sleep Deprivation Hijacks Your Genetic Code
Putting sleep deprivation under the microscope yet again, Matt explores our "genetic workforce" of 20,000 genes operating on a precise 24-hour cycle. He details 2013 research showing that just one wee...Show More
10) The Midnight Bookshop: A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker
Join Matt to leave the day’s rush behind. After a brief breathing exercise to settle the mind and body, you will find yourself on a quiet street in a British village. Matt leads you across a small sto...Show More