Episode

#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
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2:35:41
Published: Wed Feb 08 2023
Description

Brought to you by Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, Magic Spoon delicious low-carb cereal, and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions marketing platform with 800M+ users.Matthew Walker, PhD (@sleepdiplomat), is professor of neuroscience at the University of California Berkeley and founder and director of the school’s Center for Human Sleep Science. Dr. Walker is the author of the New York Times and international bestseller Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, which was recently listed by Bill Gates as one of his top five books of the year. His TED Talk, “Sleep is Your Superpower,” has garnered more than 17 million views.He 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. In 2020, Dr. Walker was awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Achievements. Dr. Walker’s research examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. He has been featured on numerous television and radio outlets including 60 Minutes, Nat Geo TV, NOVA Science, NPR, and the BBC. Dr. Walker is also scientific advisor to Oura, a sleep-tracking ring.Dr. Walker hosts the 5-star-rated podcast The Matt Walker Podcast, which is all about sleep, the brain, and the body.And one last thing. UC Berkeley has given the rare approval for Matt’s newly opened Sleep Center at the University to be named by an individual donor, or a named company, in perpetuity. If you are interested, please reach out to Matt and note that this opportunity is in the 7-figure range.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.With a community of more than 800 million professionals, LinkedIn is gigantic, but it can be hyper-specific. You have access to a diverse group of people all searching for things they need to grow professionally. LinkedIn has the marketing tools to help you target your customers with precision, right down to job title, company name, industry, etc. To redeem your free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com/TFS!*This episode is also brought to you by Magic Spoon cereal! Magic Spoon is a low-carb, high-protein, and zero sugar cereal that tastes just like your favorite sugary cereal. Each serving has 13–14g of protein, 4g of net carbs, and 0g of sugar. It’s also gluten free, grain free, soy free, and keto friendly. And it’s delicious! It comes in your favorite, traditional cereal flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, Peanut Butter, and Blueberry.Magic Spoon cereal has received a lot of attention since their launch. Time magazine included it in their list of Best Inventions of 2019, and Forbes called it “the future of cereal.” My listeners—that’s you—get $5 off and a 100% happiness guarantee when you visit MagicSpoon.com/Tim and use code TIM. And some great news for Canadian listeners: Magic Spoon now also ships to Canada!*This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.Go to EightSleep.com/Tim and save $250 on the Eight Sleep Pod Cover. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia.*[05:43] Sleep and sex.[23:45] Melatonin misgivings.[32:47] The suprachiasmatic nucleus.[36:08] Shrinking balls phenomenon.[41:47] Minimizing the time it takes you to sleep.[49:40] The bizarre basics of dreaming.[55:56] Taking a leap into lucid dreaming.[1:19:57] Optimizing sleep for learning.[1:43:14] Can sleep during an illness boost memory retention?[1:49:08] Massed versus spaced practice.[1:53:00] Using brain stimulation technology to enhance learning.[1:56:50] Optimizing memory replay.[2:02:47] Sleep and time dilation.[2:11:25] Today's "charlatan" science that may someday be vindicated.[2:17:44] Exercise and memory.[2:25:37] Staying hydrated without having to urinate all night.[2:29:13] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
8 Sleep PodCover is a device that helps you adjust the temperature of your sleeping environment, providing the optimal temperature that gets you the best night's sleep.
00:00 - 01:16 (01:16)
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sleep, temperature control, sleep tracking, biometrics
Summary

8 Sleep PodCover is a device that helps you adjust the temperature of your sleeping environment, providing the optimal temperature that gets you the best night's sleep. With its temperature regulation, sleep tracking sensors, and dual-zone temperature control, you can customize your sleep temperature based on your biometrics, environment, and sleep stages.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Neuroscientist Matthew Walker discusses the impact of sleep on sex, including whether couples should consider a "sleep divorce" to prevent real separation.
01:16 - 06:10 (04:53)
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Sleep
One out of four couples surveyed admit to having a "sleep divorce" where they sleep in separate beds, despite some individuals feeling more satisfied with their sleep when sleeping with their partner.
06:10 - 11:50 (05:39)
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Sleep Divorce
Summary

One out of four couples surveyed admit to having a "sleep divorce" where they sleep in separate beds, despite some individuals feeling more satisfied with their sleep when sleeping with their partner. The Scandinavian method, a diluted version of the sleep divorce, involves placing two separate beds side by side.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Having sex that leads to orgasm is associated with a 70% increase in reported sleep quality that following night and can help people fall asleep faster, making sex a potential alternative to traditional sleep aids.
11:50 - 23:02 (11:12)
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Sleep Quality
Summary

Having sex that leads to orgasm is associated with a 70% increase in reported sleep quality that following night and can help people fall asleep faster, making sex a potential alternative to traditional sleep aids. It's possible that combinations of oxytocin and vasopressin could be used as novel sleep-inducing medications.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The effects of melatonin on blind individuals has been studied and it has been found that it can help regulate sleep and reduce core body temperature, but there is not enough scientific data to determine the long-term effects of melatonin use in the general public.
23:02 - 33:21 (10:19)
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Melatonin
Summary

The effects of melatonin on blind individuals has been studied and it has been found that it can help regulate sleep and reduce core body temperature, but there is not enough scientific data to determine the long-term effects of melatonin use in the general public.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the potential effects of high doses of melatonin and androgens on the human body, including impaired testosterone production and recovery issues.
33:21 - 40:21 (06:59)
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Health
Summary

This episode discusses the potential effects of high doses of melatonin and androgens on the human body, including impaired testosterone production and recovery issues. Additionally, the unique processing of these substances for blind individuals is explored.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology, explains the error of staying in bed for a long time despite not being able to sleep, the impact of it in the long run, and the conventional tips to improve sleep hygiene.
40:21 - 46:51 (06:29)
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Sleep
The podcast discusses a sleep expert's advice on gradually adjusting sleep habits and improving sleep efficiency, as well as tips for maximizing gym routines.
46:51 - 49:39 (02:48)
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Sleep, Exercise
In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about the benefits of lucid dreaming and how it differs from standard dreaming.
49:41 - 56:12 (06:30)
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Lucid Dreaming
Summary

In this podcast episode, the speaker talks about the benefits of lucid dreaming and how it differs from standard dreaming. They explore the psychological and neurological aspects of dreaming, as well as the experience of being locked in during REM sleep.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
There are several differences in brain activity when a person moves from non-lucid dreaming to lucid dreaming, where they become aware of themselves in the dream.
56:12 - 1:03:52 (07:40)
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Lucid Dreaming
Summary

There are several differences in brain activity when a person moves from non-lucid dreaming to lucid dreaming, where they become aware of themselves in the dream. However, controlling the dream is a more advanced stage of lucid dreaming, and the ability to do so is far from universal.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Improving dream recall by journaling immediately upon waking, identifying patterns in dreams such as walking through doorways or checking a watch and performing reality testing in those situations can help achieve lucid dreaming and generate new insights.
1:09:46 - 1:17:46 (08:00)
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Lucid dreaming
Summary

Improving dream recall by journaling immediately upon waking, identifying patterns in dreams such as walking through doorways or checking a watch and performing reality testing in those situations can help achieve lucid dreaming and generate new insights.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Scientists are discovering evidence that suggests we can match the type of learning with a particular stage of sleep.
1:17:46 - 1:24:25 (06:38)
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Sleep
During deep non-REM sleep, our brain cements new memories.
1:24:25 - 1:32:06 (07:40)
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Sleep
Summary

During deep non-REM sleep, our brain cements new memories. Alcohol disrupts sleep and blocks dream sleep, which affects the memory consolidation process. Napping can help refresh and recuperate learning ability, particularly with increased sleep spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Participants who consumed alcohol on the first night of a study experienced a 50% decrease in memory recall on day seven.
1:32:06 - 1:36:27 (04:20)
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Alcohol
Summary

Participants who consumed alcohol on the first night of a study experienced a 50% decrease in memory recall on day seven. In comparison, participants who had a full night of good sleep each night consistently maintained their memory.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Sleep is crucial for optimizing learning and performance outcomes, according to studies.
1:36:27 - 1:41:26 (04:59)
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Sleep
The study on the correlation between sleep spindles and cognitive performance may be flawed due to selection bias in the experiment.
1:41:26 - 1:46:19 (04:52)
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Sleep Spindles
Summary

The study on the correlation between sleep spindles and cognitive performance may be flawed due to selection bias in the experiment. However, research suggests that sleep spindles play a critical role in enhancing memory consolidation and overall cognitive performance.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Deep non-REM sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation as it transfers memories from a vulnerable short-term storage to a more permanent long-term storage site within the brain through a combination of sleep spindles and slow waves.
1:46:19 - 1:53:49 (07:30)
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Memory Consolidation
Summary

Deep non-REM sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation as it transfers memories from a vulnerable short-term storage to a more permanent long-term storage site within the brain through a combination of sleep spindles and slow waves. This process occurs during increased sleep drive, such as when a person is sick or during exam periods, and can enhance memory retention.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Our brain adapts to intensive learning sessions by increasing the amount of spindles during sleep, thus strengthening the memory trace.
1:53:49 - 2:03:53 (10:04)
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Neuroscience
Summary

Our brain adapts to intensive learning sessions by increasing the amount of spindles during sleep, thus strengthening the memory trace. During non-REM sleep, the brain seems to etch the memory into the glass surface, scoring the memory trace even more powerfully.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Humans have the ability to experience more than five minutes in just five minutes of waking Earth time while dreaming.
2:03:53 - 2:10:03 (06:09)
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Time perception
Summary

Humans have the ability to experience more than five minutes in just five minutes of waking Earth time while dreaming. Researchers predict that the perception of time in dream sleep can be mapped through changes in the insular cortex, which maps the affective visceral state of experience.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Studies have shown that the accuracy of an individual's subjective sense of time is predicted by insular activity, which could imply that vast amounts of our dreaming life are influencing our everyday choices and behaviors without us being consciously aware of it.
2:10:03 - 2:17:10 (07:06)
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Insular Cortex
Summary

Studies have shown that the accuracy of an individual's subjective sense of time is predicted by insular activity, which could imply that vast amounts of our dreaming life are influencing our everyday choices and behaviors without us being consciously aware of it. This idea poses a testable hypothesis that could have significant implications for our understanding of the role of dreams in shaping human behavior and society.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Exercise has been shown to enhance sleep quality, particularly in the amount and consistency of deep, non-REM sleep.
2:17:10 - 2:25:35 (08:25)
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Exercise
Summary

Exercise has been shown to enhance sleep quality, particularly in the amount and consistency of deep, non-REM sleep. However, intensive exercise may come at the cost of a decrease in the amount of REM sleep, and some studies suggest that aerobic exercise may have a slight advantage over resistance training in promoting sleep.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this conversation, the speaker discusses tips to improve sleep quality, including the timing and size of alcohol consumption and the use of medication to increase urine expulsion before bed.
2:25:35 - 2:29:44 (04:09)
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Health
Summary

In this conversation, the speaker discusses tips to improve sleep quality, including the timing and size of alcohol consumption and the use of medication to increase urine expulsion before bed. The conversation then shifts to gym habits, focusing on the importance of proper form and control during exercises.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss describes his Five Bullet Friday Newsletter, which includes various recommendations on books, gadgets, podcasts, and more, and is subscribed to by between 1.5 to 2 million people.
2:29:44 - 2:34:29 (04:45)
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Newsletter
The PodCover is a mattress cover that adjusts the temperature of your sleeping environment, promoting better sleep by limiting wakeups and increasing deep sleep.
2:34:29 - 2:36:06 (01:36)
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Sleep
Summary

The PodCover is a mattress cover that adjusts the temperature of your sleeping environment, promoting better sleep by limiting wakeups and increasing deep sleep. With its dual zone temperature control, the PodCover fits any mattress and is perfect for couples with different temperature preferences.

Episode
#654: Dr. Matthew Walker, All Things Sleep Continued — The Hidden Dangers of Melatonin, Tools for Insomnia, Enhancing Learning and Sleep Spindles, The Upsides of Sleep Divorce, How Sleep Impacts Sex (and Vice Versa), Adventures in Lucid Dreaming, The One Clock to Rule Them All, The IP Addresses of Your Memories, and More
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show