The Paradox of Sleep with Matthew Walker & Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Published 2023-10-27
Why did our need for sleep survive evolution? We explore the evolution of sleep and why we even need to sleep at all. Do all animals sleep? Learn about Nathaniel Klietman’s cave study, our 24-ish hour sleep cycle, and what the definition sleep even is. Does the early bird really get the worm?
What goes on in the body while we sleep? Discover the syphonic pulsing of brain waves that occurs in non-REM sleep and how REM sleep looks similar to waking. We discuss Alzheimer's relationship to sleep and new technology to manipulate sleep brain waves. Could you use technology to supercharge sleep so you could sleep for shorter periods? Can you really “catch up” on sleep? We explore the relationship between dreams and time and whether time really does move slower in the dream world.
How similar is sleep to a psychotic break? We discuss the hallucinations and premonitions in sleep and do a statistical analysis of Gary’s premonitions. Is there snoring in space? Find out about what makes sleeping in space tricky and whether Neil would be a good subject for a sleep study.
Thanks to our Patrons Micheal Unwin, Vijay Krishnan, Leroy Gutierrez, alycia allen, Hilary Rush, Kira Lesser, and Daryl Sawyer for supporting us this week.
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Matt Walk Sleep Expert
3:38 - Why Do We Need Sleep?
05:26 - Evolving to Sleep & The Animal Kingdom
08:30 - Circadian Rhythms & Mammoth Cave
12:28 - Chronotypes: Early Birds & Night Owls
15:18 - What Happens When We Sleep?
18:42 - Mental Health & Dementia
21:19 - Can You Artificially Supercharge Your Sleep?
23:21 - Can You “Catch Up” On Sleep?
25:49 - Time Dilation in Dream Sleep
29:31 - Premonitions from Dreams
32:45 - Sleep & Psychosis
34:35 - Sleeping in Space
40:24 - Neil’s Sleep
All Comments (21)
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Are YOU getting good sleep?
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How many people watching this after 1 or 2 am ? 😂
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I like how Neil gets sleepy or less interested when he's not the one explaining a concept
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I can honestly say that professor Matt Walker is one of the best guests you ever had on Startalk! His level of knowledge and his way of communicating it is outstanding! I was mesmerized by him and also were Neil and Chuck, because they didn't need to interrupt as often or make funny remarks to keep the conversation going! Ironically, him talking about sleep made me pay more attention than ever! I'm a fan of Matt Walker!
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Fascinating discussion! Please have Dr. Matthew Walker on again! Not only is he an expert in his field, but he's extremely engaging and fun to listen to. Plus there are so many more questions I hope you all ask him next time -- Please check all the comments. I saw several questions from other commenters that I wondered, as well: "What happens to the brain of a chronic insomniac?" and "...sleep paralysis and sleep-walking." -- Thanks so much, Neil, Chuck & Gary!❤❤❤
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18:28 Matt is giving his energetic speech and Neil looks like he's falling asleep 😂
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Because of Matthew Walker and the many podcasts he's been on. I was able to fix my sleep. It took nearly a year to fully gain better sleeping habits. The importance of sleep is extremely underrated in today's society and feeds into the mental health crisis substantially in a negative way.
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He is probably one of the best guests of the show. The questions are answered clearly and direct to the point. What you asked is what you get.
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Dr. Walker has hypnotist qualities.....This is the first Star Talk ever that Neil, Chuck, and Gary look like students in class on Zoom....😂 Wonderful explanation
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This is one of those episodes that when you see the title you're like "Meh, I'll pass and wait for the next physics / astronomy episode" but if you click it you get so hooked and you discover that you would have missed pure gold!
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Matthew Walker's talk is so soothing its putting Neil to sleep.
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I was utterly unprepared for how fascinating this would be.
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Please do a follow-up on this episode. Feels like you could make a whole series on this topic. Would love to hear more about power naps, how sound, temperature and light effect sleep, more about sleep and stress/anxiety/depression, do fitness watches really measure sleep quality well and how to change sleep patterns back to a healthy rhythm.
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Dreaming is the most underrated part of life. It's packed with euphoria and adventure, often feels exactly like real life and can even be useful for everyday life practicality like solving problems, getting rid of fears, improving creativity ect.
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So sad that you didn't ask about sleep paralysis and sleep walking. It would have been so nice to hear from Matthew about this two topics. Anyway, very insightful and good interview overall.
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You can tell the guest truly loves sleep just by the way he talks about it. Great episode
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I always find it fascinating that something like an external sound can appear to so seamlessly integrate into your dream.
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As a retired firefighter. I feel one of the most underestimated downsides of the job is lack of sleep. Interrupted sleep multiple times a night cannot be healthy. I remember having two babies at home and working at a busy firehouse. I did not have a full night sleep for 6 months.
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Neil was obviously in dire need of sleep during this episode! 😂
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My dad could fall asleep any time, anywhere. My mother would either talk or nudge him when he drove. He never wrecked. Once, after dinner he poked his cheek with a toothpick, obviously missing his mouth, because he'd fallen asleep. My wife had never seen such a thing and thought it was the funniest. Dad was always good-natured about the incredible ease of his ability to fall asleep. After I learned about sleep apnea through a company I worked for, I encouraged him to get a sleep study. He never did.
