Sleep Junkies

 Imagine if corporations could place adverts for their products inside your dreams. It may sound like far-fetched science fiction, but amazingly, science and technology has reached the point where this possibility may be around the corner. Earlier this year, the beer company Molson-Coors tried an experiment based on cutting edge research known as 'targeted dream activation'. Amazingly participants reported dreaming more of Coors beer after consuming audio and video content specifically...

We talk to legendary sleep researcher Robert Stickgold, and eminent dream scientist Antonio Zadra about their book When Brains Dream, and their new theory, NEXTUP an overarching framework for explaining the biological function of dreams and dreaming.

In the second part of our deep dive into sleep supplements we take a look at the overlapping subjects of nutrition, delivery methods, dosages, a run-down of the different categories of sleep supplements including plant-derived substances, vitamins, amino acids and more. Plus we look into the future towards the prospect of a new era of 'nutritional sleep medicine.' You can listen to Part 1 here: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-1/ This episode’s guest: Jesse Cook is a 4th year...

When we're seeking solutions to health problems we generally look to doctors and scientists for the best advice. But what happens when the experts don't actually have all the answers? This is often the case when we talk about sleep supplements. This rapidly growing market comprises a dizzying array of off-the-shelf products blending plant extracts, micronutrients, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, all of which purport to be able to help alleviate sleep problems in one way or the other. The...

In today's episode we discuss all things pregnancy and baby sleep with physician, host of the award-winning Savvy Psychologist and new mum Dr Jade Wu. This episode's guest: Jade Wu, PhD, DBSM, is a Board-certified sleep psychologist and researcher at Duke University School of Medicine. She earned her PhD from Boston University and completed her clinical training at Duke. Her current research focuses on treating sleep disorders in those with chronic illness. In the clinic, her approach is...

A special documentary to celebrate our 50th episode. Featuring multiple guests, archive material, original music and plenty of intrigue, follow the labyrinthine narrative of Daylight Saving Time, the new science of chronobiology, and the clandestine monied interests pushing to extend daylight hours into the evening. Guests in order of appearance Barry Mitzman - http://www.barrymitzman.com/ Kimberly Honn, PhD - https://medicine.wsu.edu/overview/faculty-and-staff/kimberly-honn-ph-d/ Jay Pea -...

Only a few years ago, the phrase consumer sleep technology was synonymous with sleep trackers, devices that monitor your nocturnal behaviours to give you insights into the mysteries of your non-waking hours. Fast forward to 2021, where we're in the middle of an innovation explosion of all type of gadgets, wearables, apps, smart home technologies which not only track, but also actively attempt to promote better sleep. In today's episode we talk to friend of the podcast, Dr Michael Grandner...

What role do history, culture and economics play on our normative conceptions of sleep? How has modern American life shaped the way we define the norms of 'healthy sleep'? Join us for a wide-ranging, thought-provoking discussion with Matthew Wolf-Meyer about his research and book, The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine and Modern American Life. This episode's guest: Matthew Wolf-Meyer PhD is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University. His work focuses on medicine, science,...

Pretty much every week, we get an email from a new cannabis startup, promoting their latest CBD or THC remedy to treat any number of health conditions, including sleep problems. This boom in new, legal cannabis products is the result of recent legislation to start the process of widespread marijuana decriminalisation, and eventually full legalisation. But whilst the consumer demand is fuelling massive growth in the global cannabis industry, currently, there's little, verging on zero clinical...

Technology and sleep have a troubled relationship. On one hand, doctors and therapists remind their patients to banish every gadget and gizmo from the bedroom, lest they act as addictive, irresistible slumber-stealing distractions. On the other side however, there's a fast growing cohort of innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and sleep practitioners who recognise the unbounded potential of technology to improve, rather than detract from our sleep. In this episode we talk to Julian...

Artificial intelligence is the vanguard of a new technological revolution that will affect all aspects of human society. Our work, our health, the cars we drive, even the media we consume - all will be radically transformed in the coming years and decades by 'intelligent machines'. Essentially, these are computers that have learnt how to do many of the tasks we thought only humans were capable of. But the difference is, AI can do things quicker, more accurately, and of course, without...

This week we explore 'pandemic dreaming' - a phenomenon where people around the world, experiencing lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, have reported an uptick in incidences of dreaming and more vivid dreams. We talk to two academics who, for several years have been undertaking an art/science project, DreamsID in which individuals recall a dream, which is then transformed in real time to a work of art. We talk about some of the reasons behind 'Covid dreams', art, symbolism and...

In recent years we've been bombarded with advice warning of the dangers of sleep-stealing blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets and computer screens. But scientists and health experts are slowly coming to realise that the melatonin-blocking function of short-wavelength light is only part of the story regarding the reasons why technology keeps us awake at night. In this episode we talk to renowned sleep expert Dr Michael Grandner about the complex and nuanced ways that technology can...

A special episode focussed around coronavirus COVID-19, we talk to Dr Jonathan Cedernaes about the roles that sleep plays in our immune system, fighting infections, and how environmental factors such as physical exercise, sunlight and diet impact our circadian clocks. This episode's guest: Jonathan Cedernaes MD, PhD is a senior researcher at Uppsala University where he completed both his medical degree and his PhD in the Department of Neuroscience. Uppsala:...

The second instalment of a wide-ranging conversation with associate professor of neuroscience, Christian Benedict on the fascinating, complex and still as yet fully unravelled associations between sleep, obesity, diet and weight gain. This Episode's Guest Christian Benedict Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in neuroscience at Uppsala University where he heads up a team of scientists at the Benedict lab, which studies the effects of circadian disruption and sleep loss on health and performance,...

Does a lack of sleep lead to a higher risk of obesity? Or does being overweight lead to more likelihood of sleep problems? Around the world, scientists have been trying to unravel this chicken and egg problem for decades. What's clear so far is that to understand the associations between sleep loss, diet, obesity and weight gain, sleep scientists have to confront a dizzying array of knowledge domains including psychology, neuroscience, epidemiology, genetics, endocrinology and more. Today,...

In recent years melatonin has exploded in popularity as a 'wonder drug' - a safe, natural supplement for helping with sleep problems. Whilst there's lots of scientific evidence to back up many of the claims, the fact that melatonin, at least in the United States is classed as a food supplement, rather than a prescription medication, has led to a lack of consistent public health messaging, and a great deal of confusion amongst the millions who take melatonin supplements on a regular basis. In...

Winning the award for the best named sleep disorder ever, exploding head syndrome is an intriguing phenomenon which, although relatively harmless, can nonetheless cause considerable distress for those who suffer the condition. In today's episode we deep dive into the world of exploding head syndrome, with Dr Brian Sharpless, one of the foremost researchers in the field, and explore its symptoms, causes, possible treatments and lots more. This Episode's Guest Dr Brian A. Sharpless is a...

Music has been called the 'purest form of art', but it's also used by many as a means to fall asleep more easily. But at present, science can tell us very little about the mechanisms behind sleep's role as a therapeutic sleep aid. In today's episode we speak to Thomas Dickson, researcher, app creator and co-author of a recent review examining the existing scientific literature about the different ways music might help us with our sleep, including; relaxation, distraction, entrainment,...

For a long time, teenagers have been portayed as lazy, prone to mood swings, and generally difficult to get on with. But sleep science dispels these myths as we now know that the adolescent age period is marked by many developmental changes, including the circadian system. Today we talk to Dr Valerie Crabtree, a sleep researcher, clinical psychologist and mother of two teenagers, about the science of the teenage brain, the risk factors for adolescents who don't get enough sleep, societal...