In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, my guest is Matthew Walker, Ph.D., aka “The Sleep Diplomat.” When it comes to matters of sleep, he does not mince words: “We’re in the midst of a “catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic,” he says. 

As a professor of Neuroscience and Psychologyat the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science, his research examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. He’s also the lead sleep scientist at Google. 

His international best-selling book, “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams,” has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and been translated into 34 languages. But be warned—the startling science he presents about sleep may keep you up at night.

Matthew has been featured on television and radio outlets, including CBS’s 60 Minutes, the National Geographic Channel, NOVA Science, NPR, and the BBC, as well as in national and international publications, and on numerous podcasts. His main-stage TED Talk—Sleep is Your Superpower—was one of the fastest to reach 1 million views within hours of release. It’s been viewed well over 5.2 million times as of this episode air date and continues to climb.

I was eager to have Matthew on the show to talk about our lack of sleep and examine sleep’s connection to health and brain function. Our conversation covers all that and much more. “There is no single system of the body or the brain that isn't optimally enhanced by sleep when you get it, or detrimentally impaired when you don't get enough,” he says.

Enjoy the show! 

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