Revisiting Matthew Walker's Surprisingly Controversial Science of Sleep
Matthew Walker's book, Why We Sleep, was published in 2017. And as much as I enjoyed it, I didn't review it on my Audiobook Reviews in Five Minutes podcast because I felt he sensationalized some problems that people tend to have, and it might make people worry about them. So, the idea of insomnia as being a dangerous thing, or even something that would increase our mortality is something that I didn't want more people to focus on.
However, since that book came out, Matthew Walker has evolved his ideas, evolved his framing around research, and he's made some strides towards giving people practical, non-scary advice for getting better sleep. And recently, when I listened to his conversation with Sam Harris in November of 2021, on the Making Sense podcast, I was struck by how practical Matthew Walker's ideas could be perceived if they were just applied a little bit less sensationally.
This episode highlights the problematic science AND the useful ideas from Matthew Walker's book, Why We Sleep, so you can simplify your approach to improving your sleep.
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Music: Kid Kodi by Skittle and These Times by The Pine Barrens from sessions.blue
Matthew Walker on the Making Sense with Sam Harris podcast #267 - THE KINGDOM OF SLEEP
Matthew Walker earned his PhD in neuroscience from the Medical Research Council in the UK, and subsequently became a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science. Matt’s research focuses on the effect of sleep on human health and disease, brain, and body. Walker has published more than 100 scientific research studies and has received numerous funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. He was recently awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. Matt has given a main-stage TED Talk that has been viewed over 13 million times, has also created several TED Miniseries on sleep, a MasterClass series on sleep, and is author of the New York Times bestseller, Why We Sleep. Matt is also host of the 5-star-rated, The Matt Walker Podcast.
Twitter: @sleepdiplomat