I need a 10-minute guided meditation for sleep narrated by Dr. Walker

For those of you who can fall and stay asleep easily, just realize how blessed you are 😴

Dr Walker saved my life. I had a nervous breakdown in 2019 and thought I was losing my mind, considered ending it but I came across his book, Why we sleep. Started sleeping 7-9 hours a night and all symptoms gradually disappeared. Thank you, Drs. Walker and Huberman. 🙏 ❤

It would be great if in the next installments Dr. Walker talked about sleep disruptions in women during pregnancy, lactation, perimenopause and menopause, and how they affect women's health and cognitive function. Thank you for bringing this crucial knowledge to your audiences.

00:00 🎶 The episode focuses on optimizing sleep, discussing factors like light, temperature, and substances such as alcohol and caffeine. 08:08 💡 Dimming lights an hour before bed can enhance the release of melatonin, aiding in sleep onset. 12:12 🌞 Exposure to morning sunlight or bright light can boost cortisol levels, enhancing mood, focus, and alertness. 18:57 ❄ Keeping the bedroom cool, around 67°F (18.5°C), can facilitate sleep by lowering core body and brain temperatures. 20:05 🚶‍♂ Avoid staying in bed awake for extended periods; if unable to sleep within 20-25 minutes, get up, engage in calming activities, and return to bed only when sleepy. 22:53 ☕ Caffeine intake should be limited to about two or three cups of coffee, and timing matters in cutting off caffeine consumption. 23:21 🍷 Alcohol is often misunderstood as a sleep aid but can actually disrupt sleep by mistaking sedation for natural sleep, fragmenting sleep, and blocking REM sleep. 30:08 🧘‍♂ Engaging in activities like meditation, breathing exercises, or body scans before bed can help shift focus away from anxious thoughts, improving sleep quality. 39:16 🍸 Timing matters when consuming alcohol; even a single glass of wine in the afternoon can impact sleep quality later in the evening. 40:53 🍽 The relationship between food intake and sleep quality is personal, but avoiding high sugar, low protein diets can improve sleep. Experimenting with meal timing can help find what works best for individual sleep patterns. 46:09 🥖 Eating carbohydrates in the evening, especially those containing tryptophan, may support the production of melatonin, potentially aiding sleep quality. 47:04 🛌 Carbohydrate intake can affect sleep quality, with some benefits observed, particularly when consumed earlier in the day. 49:33 ☕ Caffeine is the most widely used drug globally, with Switzerland having one of the highest consumptions per capita. Morning caffeine intake is generally more advisable than afternoon consumption, as it can interfere with sleep quality. 52:04 🌜 Timing of caffeine intake can significantly impact sleep, with afternoon consumption potentially disrupting sleep, especially for early sleepers. 57:50 🧬 Caffeine metabolism varies among individuals due to genetic factors, with some people being more sensitive to its effects than others. 01:04:10 🌿 THC (from cannabis) can help with falling asleep but may lead to tolerance, reduced REM sleep, and withdrawal-related insomnia when discontinued. 01:08:05 💊 CBD shows potential benefits for sleep, but optimal dosage and regulation of CBD products are crucial due to potential wake-promoting effects at low doses. 01:16:05 🌙 After a bad night's sleep, it's best to do nothing: don't sleep in later, go to bed earlier, increase caffeine intake, or nap during the day. Maintaining your regular sleep schedule is crucial for resetting your sleep cycle. 01:24:24 🛌 Limiting time spent in bed can improve sleep efficiency. Bedtime rescheduling, a component of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), involves reducing time spent in bed to increase sleep drive and improve sleep quality. 01:30:45 🕒 Sleep restriction therapy, also known as bedtime rescheduling, aims to reset the brain's association with sleep by gradually reducing time spent in bed, thereby improving sleep confidence and quality over time. This approach requires motivation and close monitoring to maintain consistency. 01:31:39 🕰 Setting hard deadlines can help eliminate distractions and increase focus, improving productivity. 01:33:13 🌌 A winding down routine before bed is essential for preparing the body for sleep, similar to gradually decelerating a car before stopping. 01:34:20 🐑 Instead of counting sheep, engaging in a mental walk through a familiar route can help distract the mind and facilitate faster sleep onset. 01:37:33 🚫 Removing clocks from the bedroom can alleviate anxiety about time passing during sleep disruptions, promoting better sleep quality. 01:39:26 📱 Excessive phone use, especially before bedtime, can lead to anticipatory anxiety, disrupting sleep patterns and quality. 01:42:12 💡 Advanced tools for sleep enhancement include electrical brain stimulation, acoustic stimulation, thermal manipulation, and kinesthetic manipulation. 01:43:35 ⚡ Electrical brain stimulation, particularly transcranial direct current stimulation, can enhance deep sleep quality and memory consolidation when applied during specific brain wave phases. 01:50:29 ❄ Thermal manipulation involves warming up to cool down before sleep, staying cool to stay asleep, and warming up to wake up, which can significantly impact sleep onset and quality. 01:55:50 🌡 Thermal manipulation increased deep sleep by up to 40 minutes and improved the quality of slow brain waves. 01:56:32 🧓 Thermal manipulation significantly reduced the likelihood of waking up during the second half of the night in older adults. 01:57:39 🛌 Thermo regulatory ability decreases with age, affecting sleep quality, particularly in older adults. 01:59:31 🛁 Taking a warm bath or shower before bed can help induce sleep by causing vasodilation and lowering core body temperature. 02:01:20 💧 Sauna use before bed can disrupt sleep due to dehydration, but using it earlier in the evening can be beneficial for relaxation. 02:04:30 🧦 Developing portable socks with warming technology could aid in improving sleep by warming the feet before bedtime. 02:07:25 🔊 Acoustic stimulation during sleep can enhance deep sleep and sleep spindles, potentially improving memory. 02:10:54 🎶 Pink noise may increase total sleep time, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep, offering potential benefits for sleep quality and memory. 02:14:02 🛏 Rocking motion, such as in a swinging bed, can accelerate falling asleep, increase deep sleep, and enhance sleep spindles, potentially improving memory.

Been sleeping 7-9 hours a night instead of 5-7 hours a night after following Drs. Huberman’s and Walker’s sleep protocols. I’m very grateful for these videos. Thank you, Andrew and Matthew!

Matt has such a beautiful deep voice- I wish he would do a sleep meditation recording

Both men are absolute treasures. Thank you

I've been listening to the podcast for two years now, and Dr. Huberman is starting to feel like some kind of father or a very good uncle, but with the wisdom of an old wizard. Love you man and keep up the good work!

I was shocked to learn that Dr. Walker is 50 years old... I guess I should start taking sleep seriously 😂

Initially, I hesitated to tune into this podcast since I don't struggle with sleeping. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Matt's ability to explain complex concepts. Despite lacking a scientific background, his explanations are superb. Sometimes, the guests overlook the fact that some of us comprehend scientific jargon, but Matt has a remarkable talent for making even the most intricate topics accessible. In my view, his clarity is such that even a child could grasp the content.

I should have gone to bed three hours ago. But alas! A new video alert on improving sleep! Now I'm watching this 2h43m video, further deteriorating my sleep.... again

I love these podcasts with Dr Matthew Walker, thanks for the upload

Andrew, your dedication to enhancing sleep health is inspiring. Keep enlightening us with invaluable insights!

I love Huberman's Wednesdays even better than Mondays! Thanks for your hard work, Professor! 😊

I am in love with these guys. They talk with each other both as friends and colleagues. They are intelligent and interesting. They confirm what took me years to discover about my sleep so thanks! Can’t wait for the rest of the series. I listened to both on long drives across country-made a huge difference! All the best!

Thanks Dr Huberman...for your amazing Podcasts. YOU ARE AWESOME. and Dr Matthew Walker.... for this podcast and your book....Why We Sleep.❤❤ GOD BLESS YOU BOTH. LOVE FROM INDIA 🇮🇳

Finally, an explanation as to why I've been struggling with insomnia for 29 years. This is as informative as it is enjoyable to listen to, thank you both for another excellent episode in this 6 episode series all about sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker.

I struggle with sleep in general. I can’t remember the last time I woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. I don’t know if this impacts my sleep but, I have the autoimmune disease called Graves’ disease. I take levothyroxine because I no longer have a functioning thyroid gland. I’m also post menopausal. I know many women in my age group who have trouble with waking up around the “magic hours” of 3 - 3:30 am and can’t get back to sleep quickly. I’m hoping this series touches on medical conditions that affect sleep. With respect to falling and staying asleep, when I go to bed I put soft calming music (without words) on my TV and either read a book or work crossword puzzles. This usually works well for me to wind down and fall asleep. Unfortunately I have a horrible time staying asleep. When I wake up in the middle of the night ( around 3:30 am) I’m wide awake. Usually I can go back to sleep within a couple of hours (not necessarily good), but sometimes I’m awake from 2:30 am until after 5 or 6 am. I try meditation, reading, listening to podcasts or music, drinking chamomile tea and nothing helps. I get very frustrated, which also doesn’t help, and struggle with feeling happy and enjoying life the next day. I’m going to try your advice about going to another room and hopefully it helps. I have a couple of questions. Do we inadvertently train ourselves to have these wake times in the middle of the night, or is it biochemical and we can’t control it? When waking in the middle of the night, would sitting in a recliner in the bedroom to read be as effective as leaving the bedroom to read?

The biggest collab in sleep possible . Thank you both

So delighted about this series! I can't imagine the amount of time it took to achieve all this work. Ty Dr.!

These 2 dudes (and maybe David Sinclair) have had a much bigger positive impact on my health than every doctor I've ever met with, combined. Shoutout to physical therapists, too, I've had a few phenomenal PTs over the years, those folks are underrated.

Matthew Walker is such an interesting listen. Thanks for having him on again.

Is it just me, or does Dr. Walker remind anyone else of Thoronir from The Elder Scrolls Oblivion? That old English accent is worthy of a king, even if he's dispensing advice on sleep schedules instead of swinging a mighty hammer!

I can listen to Dr. Walker talk on and on and on. He is so insightful, informative and articulate

Matt Walker you are a rock star! YOu make your information so understandable for the general population. It's a joy to listen to you and the information is so useful. I have your book and I am enjoying every word. I wish more people would listen to you or read your book, we might have healthier people among us.

Great to see again the amazing Matthew Walker, thanks a lot for these episodes together full of excellent knowledge

Andrew and Matt, thank you for giving me hope! I’ve been doing it all wrong. The thought of bed time has been a great source of dread and anxiety for years and I am so excited to change that. It’s such a pleasure to listen to both of you, and Matt, I love your subtle sense of humor! Thank you for all you do!

You're fabulous, dedicated, and intelligent. God bless Mr.huberman ❤

So relieved to hear that eating closer to bed (and having the bulk of calories later in the day) is not as big of an issue for many as many have said it is. I feel best doing this and also find it best for my schedule. Very happy to hear this is ok and not detrimental 🙏 😊

Recently was in the hospital for having a bilateral pulmonary embolism (10 blood clots in my lungs) as a healthy 24 year old male. Leading up to me getting sick I had more nights with less than 6hours of sleep than more than 6 hours during that month due to focused work much like Huberman described. As I recovered I could not lose weight (I was in the cut process of my 8 month bulk) even with a 500-700 calorie deficit. In one week of over 8 hours of sleep I am down over 5 pounds. Sleep is massively important. Thank you both! P.S. whoop practically saved my life during my sickness, I don’t think I wouldn’t gone to the hospital if it wasn’t for it. However, the nurses and hospital staff do deserve all the credit. Used it for almost 2 years now. Can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you both for your hard work and bringing this important, life-changing information to us!

I’ve been working third shift to go back to school and your sleep advice has been invaluable these past few months. Thank you

We are back at it again, can't wait Dr. Matt Walker is legend.

Dear Dr. Matthew and Dr.Huberman, thank you so much! It's a very astonished podcast.

I have been able to build so much more rhythm and meaning in my life as a result of your work. Thanks a lot, Dr Huberman

This series with Dr Walker is the best episode- collectively - since I have been listening 2+ years. If the shows are not all taped, please request that Dr. Walker incorporate the information in his recent hot flashes podcast. I would greatly appreciate if he would speak to how to combine the sleep restriction protocol n the setting of hot flashes - inability to fall asleep because the body will not cool down. Sleep restriction would increase sleep deprivation it seems. Thanks for considering - and thank you most of all for all you do!!!!

Way back when Dr Walker was on the Rogan show I started to take my sleep hygiene seriously, with immediate benefit. Somehow his message really broke through to me, he is entirely convincing. Thank you both so much for this series.

I really appreciate these series! Thank you both for all your hard work. You are making a huge positive difference in many peoples lives. 😊👏🏻

Thank you for all the amazing knowledge you drop on us all. You're an amazing man Doctor. I've quit drinking and picked up better eating and sleeping habits because of you. Thank you.

After discovering Mathew I’m so hyped to sleep properly every night … sleep torments so many of us and it feels hopeless but with this new sleep science I have confidence in these life changing techniques and I feel in control it’s amazing

Thank you so much for your work and the quality of the content you provide to us

Big thanks to Dr. Walker too, the fascination with which you talk about sleep is contagious! :)

So incredibly helpful. Thank you for sharing this wealth of information. Can’t wait for the other parts of this series.

Dr. Huberman, could you do an episode on the most efficient strategies for learning, like mind mapping, spaced retrieval, etc?

I am thoroughly enjoying this series on sleep. Grateful to you both for taking this deep dive into this subject.

Love you work professor Andrew. 🙏🏼

Thank you for being with us dr.Huberman in 2024!

I am sleeping better since I started reading Why We Sleep and watching these videos. I even fell asleep this afternoon after watching it during lunch! I'll try not to do that again... I find Reiki to be really helpful relaxing and sleeping better at times, even if there are other factors I'm learning about that influence and interfere with sleep as well. I teach my Reiki students that our practice is a great tool and even lifestyle, but we always have more to learn, and I am still learning as well! Thank you for the education, your calm voices, and how you don't talk down to us mere mortals, while still including technical terms and cutting edge science. It's a pleasure!

Re: temperature control during menopause How could the temperature control protocols be more specifically geared toward people in menopause dealing with hot flashes? At times, I will be woken up to 20 times a night by hot flashes. Often, I can go right back to sleep, but I've still woken up and rarely have 90 minutes of un-broken sleep. For those in a chemically induced menopause, we are likely to be in this state for 5 to 10 years. Thank you!

Please do a video on chiropractic!! My dad is a chiropractor and would love to hear your positive and/or negative research. Enjoy your podcasts so very much.

BEST SLEEP IN MONTHS.... warm shower and did the visualization of a walk and got right back to sleep 🙏🏻 Moonlight? Same or similar impact on sleep? I find fuller moon = less sleep. I use eyeshades have a few windows with blinds but a LOT of moonlight comes in... LOVING this series. Bless you both and everyone who helps your work. Colin NS CANADA

Love it Dr Andrew!!! Thanks for all you do!!!

I am blessed in that sleep. My dreams are vivid, fun and very creative. Again, I am blessed. I have a dear friend who isn't so blessed. He is older and I'm aware of the impact age alone can have. I feel pain for him, no sleep? I can't imagine. I have experienced lack of sleep due to stress but chronic, not so much. I'm passing this on to him, hopefully something sticks. Thank you.

Easily one of my favourite Huberman chats!

Finished it on Spotify and it's so informative

Thank you for such great knowledge, free of cost.

Another great episode! I had no idea there was a “thing” against Andrew Huberman, that’s no surprise. I pray you never fall away. Your life work is so much appreciated and necessary. Thank you!

i love these guys they are just amazing to listen to

Wow so informative. I learned so much. Wish I knew this information 30 years ago. Now I’m in my 50’s and understand so much more the importance of sleep for longevity. Looking forward to the additional episodes with Dr. Walker. Thank you!!

I am loving the sleep series as it's definitely something I and probably alot of people take for granted. The one thought I have with yours and many podcasts like this is. I am good. I don't journal, meditation is a rare occurrence and honestly I don't do much by the way of working out. I had an abusive childhood but like I said I am good. I think it would be interesting to hear you speak to someone like me. I am very open minded but trying to step from "I am fine" to putting the work in is definitely something everyone can relate to. Would love to discuss more.

Something I found that helps me sleep is trying to eliminate any guess work. This was briefly touched on when Dr Matthew mentioned taking your self on a walk in your brain that you know with great detail. Something I do is go through a walk of my house prior to sleeping so that I know the status of everything, lock my truck again, check the door locks etc. This makes me stop guessing and focus on what I need to do which is sleep. So I throw on a KZfaq video of someone with a calming voice but interesting topic and put the phone face down. Usually I’m asleep before it’s over. This has taken years for me to master. As a kid I slept a few hours a night and took melatonin, I still take melatonin or idk that I would go to sleep. The oddest things use to keep me up. What’s someone’s phone number, a math problem, etc… and my brain wouldn’t allow me to cheat and use a phone or calculator. I had to do it all through a mental exercise. I got good with math as a kid because of this though.

This has been sooo eye opening! A question that occurs to me because I have suffered from insomnia for a very long time is: how do sleeping pills affect quality of sleep -specifically clonazepam, and your ideas on how to stop using it and develop a good sleep hygiene.

Thank you both for the value ❤

This is such a good listen, thank you to both of you for sharing your years of research and experience in such an actionable and simple way. I have had trouble with adrenal fatigue, sleep and carb consumption in past years and am really curious to learn how to modify the advice given to optimize healing and energy levels without affecting cognitive performance

Can’t express enough gratitude through a comment, but this is very valuable to me.

Amazing episode❤ looking forward for the next, thank you!❤❤

Thank you again for providing science for us!

I'm taking notes off these episodes, extremely valuable information.

Great stuff! I'm really enjoying this series and looking forward to the remaining episodes, thank you both. One question, you've gone over how alcohol, caffeine, THC, and food affect sleep but what about tobacco, specifically nicotine? Obviously, I do know the dangers of smoking but, I must admit I do partake in the occasional cigar at family gatherings and certain events. If I'm smoking late in the evening I always feel as if my sleep has been compromised. I hope you bring this up during this series. Thank you again.

Another fabulous episode!!! So informative and interesting. Loved the content and the way it was presented. Bravo!!! ❤

Yess sir! Dr H, dr W... A real pleasure!

Been following since 50k subs and the episodes are only getting better ❤

Can’t thank you enough for this series.

May I suggest that Dr. Walker do a sleep story. His voice has very relaxing tones and pronunciation. I also enjoy your voice Dr. Huberman in your NSDR video. Thanks for this series from difficult sleeper.

The mental walk is a discovery for me. I don’t get far in my walk. Great advice.

I love sleep stories when I wake up at night. I’ve been using the ones in my Oura app. The one about the train ride is my favorite. I fall back to sleep more quickly.

I'm finding this series so helpful. Given what you discussed about thermoregulation and its role in sleep onset and maintenance, I am curious what advice Dr. Walker would give to a post-menopausal woman who awakes nightly due to hot flashes (other than the usual advice of dressing lightly and lowering the temp.) Especially for someone who is unable to take HRT due to health history. Thanks for the great info as always!

Great episode. Thank you. Looking forward to the next one on sleep.

Brilliant stuff. Thanks Dr. Andy!

Hey, I love the work you put into this podcast. It's interesting to see things I learned at school, as a 12th grader coming back in this podcast. Furthermore I think an episode on epigenetics would be great. Thank you for all your work.

Ive watched so many times Huberman and also this exact guy Dr. Walker and i kinda know everything just by listening when they talk about sleep and STILL to this day all the suggestions and tips are for regular ppl. Hello Police Officer is a job so is every other job that does night shifts like Doctors , Nurses , Bouncers , Bartenders and so on . Please some day can you give advice what those ppl can do to improve .. its obvious we cant have set in stone times for sleeping and id like to hear something different than black out curtains and cool temperature .

Loving the series 💌

We love you Andrew ❤

Very much looking forward to that future exercise and sleep episode! :)

Quiet environment is essential for good sleep. Most of us can not fall asleep in noisy environment. My purring cats next to my ear are the best for putting me to sleep.

Question- in my experience hospitals seem the absolute worst place for sleep and yet if you are there you need sleep for healing. Are there hospitals that are implementing better sleep protocols? Has this been studied? Thank you for any info on this.

Find these so interesting and informative waiting for the last 4 might affect my sleep

Fantastic episode with Dr. Matthew Walker on the science of sleep! Understanding how environmental factors and substances affect our sleep can revolutionize our approach to achieving better rest and overall well-being. 👍

Thank you both🙏

Thank you, Dr. Huberman and Dr. Walker, for sharing such invaluable insights on sleep. Your ability to simplify complex scientific terminologies into more understandable language is truly appreciated, making the content of your podcasts accessible to non-native English speakers as well. I'm particularly interested in an episode dedicated solely to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), as it's a topic close to my heart. Your dedication to improving people's lives through your podcasts is not only admirable but genuinely life-changing. Keep up the fantastic work!

I have always run cold water over my feet to put myself to sleep; it’s nice to understand the reasons behind why this helps lull me off into the night so nicely

I also wake up in the middle of the night when I have unresolved emotions! I have struggled with sleep most of my life. I have found, that when I wake up in the middle of the night, that practicing emotional attunement, self validation, acknowledgement of what I am feeling, or self compassion helps me fall back to sleep. I am not good at it yet, but its been helpful. Hopefully this comment helps who may read it! I have found that emotional health really is the most important part of our health overall. Thank you for this series. This has been a tremendous help!

Matt is fantastic. So glad you got him on your extended guest series. A lot of meditation and related practices involve visualisation. This makes them inaccessible to people like myself who have aphantasia. I have had some success with meditation practices that focus on the breath but they don't necessarily work as a sleep aid. Are there specific breath patterns that help prepare us for sleep or inhibit sleepiness?

Nobel prize for both of you! And thank you🙏🏻

Another amazing episode. Taking a lot of notes to help optimize my sleep

Episode 2 let's goooo, so keen. Gimme the sleepy advice

Incredibly informative as usual, I do wonder if there’s a protocol that works for those with cannabis dependency to get through the insomnia part of withdrawal… thanks y’all!

So much valuable and well explained information, thank you! What protocol would be recommended when sick in bed with a cold, tonsilitis..?

I’m hoping that menopause is discussed as far as insomnia and the use of HRT to address this issue. Also hope alternatives to cpap will be discussed and maybe snoring addressed( I know, a lot!0 Loving the information thus far discussed!