Matthew Walker on the Importance of Sleep

Hello everyone. This is perhaps an unusual subject in the Bigger Stronger Leaner category, but I wanted to post this 3-part series on sleep. I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in sleep not only as a means to get bigger and stronger but also as a cornerstone of longevity and quality of life.

“In part 1 of this 3 part series, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and expert on sleep, describes the different stages, and cycles, of sleep, including what he calls the 4 pillars of sleep, and how they contribute to memory consolidation and numerous important pathways to mental health. We also get into the dangers of chronic sleep deprivation, such as the development of dementia, and the more acute dangers of sleep deprivation like fatal car crashes which are most often caused by drowsy driving. We also discuss the different and important roles of REM vs. non-REM sleep, and the impact that bad sleep habits can have specifically on those sleep stages.”

“In part 2 of this 3 part series, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and expert on sleep, describes the preponderance of evidence linking poor sleep to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and sexual function. He also details the impact of cortisol on our nervous system contributing to sleep disturbances and insomnia as well as the efficacy and risks associated with the most common sleeping pills. Matthew also describes the sleep needs of teenagers and urgently lays the case that we should reconsider school start times. We also get into the effect of electronics at night, the efficacy of napping, the general impact of modern society on our sleep habits, and what changes we can make to course correct.”

“In the final part of this 3 part series, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and expert on sleep, discusses the omnipresent effects of insufficient sleep on everything from metabolism, appetite, athletic performance, decision-making, productivity, leadership, mental health, genetics, memory, and more. We also discuss the impact of caffeine and alcohol on sleep quality, the efficacy of sleep aids such as THC and CBD, and much more.”

JRE podcast was already posted some time ago. Problem is:

Wow, interesting. Thanks for posting. I read it, and it seemed pretty convincing. That part about Walker’s book getting citations from other researchers was pretty amazing as well. I guess this sort of points to the difficulty of fact-checking things when very few people have the time / knowledge to put together an informed criticism

https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2019/11/18/is-matthew-walkers-why-we-sleep-riddled-with-scientific-and-factual-errors/

Here is another post from an independent observer. I’d like to see a follow-up from Walker. It would be interesting to see whether he could address Guzey’s criticisms