In this episode of the Let's Talk Health Podcast, we sat down for a chat about sleep with Nuffield Health's Regional Lead for Physiology Luke Cousins.

Luke gives us the science behind what sleep does for us, how we can all get more of it, and why caffeine, alcohol, napping, and technology can all affect our circadian rhythm and sleep schedule.

00:11: intro

08:58: what is sleep and why do we need it?

01:46: what happens when we don't get enough?

03:00: how sleep stages work

06:52: how much sleep do we really need?

07:28: can we 'bank' sleep?

08:52: improving sleep quality

10:11: body clock, night owls, and our circadian rhythm

13:05: advice for shift workers

15:40: the most common problems sleep experts see

16:40: why caffeine affects our sleep

17:58: the impact of alcohol

19:08: food, diet, and sugar

20:47: napping

24:34: sleep hygiene

28:40: key takeaways and expert advice

30:49: stress and our mental health

32:25: how exercise can impact sleep

35:41: outro

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