Sleep Junkies Podcast

 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 designed to ‘induce’ images of beer into the participant’s dreams. Concerned about the possibilities of dreams becoming the playground for unscrupulous marketers, or even as a means of societal manipulation, a group of sleep and dream researchers recently published an open letter, describing the ethical issues at stake, if we longer have sovereign control of our own dreams. This episode’s guest: Dr Sara C. Mednick is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, Irvine and author of the book, Take a Nap! Change your life. . She is passionate about understanding how the brain works through her research into sleep and cognition. Dr. Mednick’s seven-bedroom sleep lab at UCI works literally around-the-clock to discover methods for boosting cognition through a range of different interventions including napping, brain stimulation with electricity, sound and light, as well as pharmacological interventions. Her research findings have been published in such leading scientific journals as Nature Neuroscience and The Proceedings from the National Academy of Science, and covered by all major media outlets. She received a PhD in Psychology from Harvard University, and then completed a postdoc at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and UC San Diego. Links Website: http://www.saramednick.com/ Sleep and Cognition Lab:  http://sleepandcognitionlab.org/ University California Irvine: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=6491 Research Gate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara-Mednick Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sara_Mednick Other resources: MIT Dream Engineering group: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/theme-engineering-dreams/overview/ Coors beer promotion: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/05/advertisers-targeted-dream-incubation Open letter: https://dxe.pubpub.org/pub/dreamadvertising/release/1 Google Nest 2: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56416578 Amazon sleep tracker: https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/amazon-gets-waiver-from-fcc-to-monitor-sleep-with-a-radar-sensor/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/dreams-and-advertising/

Despite our millennia-old fascination with dreams, their meaning, and their roles in our lives, it wasn’t up until the late 20th century that scientists really began to make big leaps into investigating the possible biological functions of dreams. But despite a now vibrant and eclectic body of research and evidence of scientific theories of dreaming, their relationship to memory, cognition and our emotional lives, up until now we’ve failed to come up with an overarching framework, a ‘big idea’ to describe the biological function of our dream lives. In a new book, When Brains Dream, two world authorities in the science of sleep and dreams make a bold leap into proposing a new theory – NEXTUP,  Network Exploration to Understand Possibilities – which elegantly encompasses a vast swathe of previously gathered evidence in dream research, but also emphasises the vital importance of narratives, the subjective experience of dreaming, and the offline processing of weak memory associations.   This episode’s guests: Robert Stickgold is a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition.  Harvard: http://brain.harvard.edu/?people=robert-stickgold Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stickgold   Antonio Zadra is a professor at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Website: https://antoniozadra.com/ University of Montreal: http://www.ceams-carsm.ca/chercheurs/zadra Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrZdreams History of dreaming: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-science-of-dreams-and-dreaming-a-brief-history/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/a-unified-theory-of-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 Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the active Sleep Research Society Trainee Member At-Large. Jesse completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, where he established an initial passion and skillset for Sleep Research through his time as a research assistant in Dr. Richard Bootzin’s Sleep Research Laboratory. Jesse’s research primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of persons with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness. Additionally, he has published multiple papers evaluating the utility and ability of wearable consumer technologies as a sleep assessor, relative to PSG. You can reach Jesse by email at jdcook4@wisc.edu Resources: Jesse Cook Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3 Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSports Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-2 Dietary Sources of Melatonin: https://res.mdpi.com/nutrients/nutrients-09-00367/article_deploy/nutrients-09-00367-v2.pdf

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 problems stem from the fact that whilst there exists a modest body of scientific literature showing potential efficacy for solving some sleep issues,  the sleep supplement industry – devoid of regulatory restrictions –  is forging ahead to satisfy the enormous demand for novel, non-pharmaceutical based sleep solutions. We take a deep dive into these murky waters, exploring many of the lesser-discussed issues including the marketing of products, the distinctions between medical, anxiety and lifestyle-based sleep problems, the dichotomy of ‘pill’s vs ‘behaviour change’, the overlap of diet and nutrition, and also examining the exciting future potential of a new era of ‘nutritional sleep medicine’. This episode’s guest: Jesse Cook is a 4th year Clinical Psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the active Sleep Research Society Trainee Member At-Large. Jesse completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, where he established an initial passion and skillset for Sleep Research through his time as a research assistant in Dr. Richard Bootzin’s Sleep Research Laboratory. Jesse’s research primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of persons with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness. Additionally, he has published multiple papers evaluating the utility and ability of wearable consumer technologies as a sleep assessor, relative to PSG. You can reach Jesse by email at jdcook4@wisc.edu Resources: Jesse Cook Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesse_Cook3 Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SleepAndSportsv Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-supplements-part-1/

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 grounded in both science and compassion. Website: https://www.jadewuphd.com/ Savvy Psychologist Podcast: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/savvy-psychologist Twitter: https://twitter.com/jadewuphd Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/pregnancy-baby-sleep/ More Episodes:

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 – https://savestandardtime.com/ Dr Michael Grandner – https://www.michaelgrandner.com/about.html Emily Manoogian, PhD – https://panda.salk.edu/people/ Christine Blume, PhD – https://www.christine-blume.com/ Archive Material The Reasoning Behind Changing Daylight-Saving – NPR interview with Melissa Block and Michael Downing Daylight Saving Time – How Is This Still A Thing? – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) – Youtube Screen time and sleep – it’s not just about the blue light – Sleep Junkies Podcast Daylight Saving Time, Grandpa Jones; Louis M. Jones – Internet Archive  Additional Credits Consultancy and good vibrations – Jim Carey, Inventive Audio Original music and sound design – Dark Trash Episode url: https://sleepjunkies.com/standard-time-documentary/

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 about this important distinction between sleep technology that measures, and tech that intervenes in our sleep. Plus we explore some of the latest science-backed sleep devices that utilise light, sound, temperature and other esoteric techniques with strange acronyms like PEMF, TDCS, all in the mission to improve our sleep. Dr Grandner helps us to understand where the science is at with all of the latest sleep-tech trends, including digital sleep coaching, Sp02 monitoring, light therapy wearables, bed cooling tech,  and more. This episode’s guest: Dr. Michael Grandner is the Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Website: http://www.michaelgrandner.com/ University of Arizona: https://www.sleephealthresearch.com/team.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grandner/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Grandner Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgrandner Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/measurement-intervention-sleep-tech/ More Resources: Guide to light therapy wearables – https://sleepgadgets.io/best-light-therapy-glasses-wearables/ PEMF and sleep – https://sleepgadgets.io/interview-welltiss-mind-pemf-device/ Matthew Walker on tDCS More Episodes:

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, and media in the United States, and draws on history, contemporary experiences, and popular representations of health and illness.work focuses on how medicine, science and media in the U.S. make sense of major modern-era shifts in the expert practices of science, medicine and popular representations of health. His first book, “The Slumbering Masses,” offers insights into the complex lived realities of disorderly sleepers, the long history of sleep science and the global impacts of the exportation of American sleep. Website: https://matthewwolfmeyer.com/ Binghamton University: https://www.binghamton.edu/anthropology/faculty/profile.html?id=mwolfmey Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_wolf_meyer Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/slumbering-masses/ More Episodes:

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 evidence to firmly substantiate many of the health claims made by the new wave of cannabis products hitting the market. So in this episode, we go behind the marketing claims, and look at the real, solid, scientific evidence behind medical cannabis and its efficacy in treating insomnia and a whole host of other sleep disorders including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and even narcolepsy. This episode’s guest:   Anastasia Suraev is a clinical research officer at the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, a philanthropically-funded centre for cannabinoid research at the University of Sydney. She is also a PhD candidate at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research where she is leading a clinical trial assessing the effects of a cannabis-based therapy on sleep in people with chronic insomnia. University of Sydney: https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/about/our-people/academic-staff/anastasia-suraev.html Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics: https://www.sydney.edu.au/lambert/: Systematic Review: Cannabinoid therapies in the management of sleep disorders: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/cannabis-sleep-medicine/ More Episodes:

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 Jagtenberg, co-founder of Somnox, a company at the vanguard of the vibrant, innovative 21st century consumer sleep technology industry. We talk to Julian about the world’s first sleep robot, and how the new ‘sleep economy’ may offer exciting new pathways and opportunities to help people overcome sleep issues, without resorting to pills, or potions. This episode’s guest: Julian Jagtenberg is Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of Somnox, the world’s first sleep robot. Created to fight insomnia, help the sleep deprived and start a global sleep revolution, Somnox was borne from Julian’s desire to help his mother manage and overcome insomnia without the need for prescription medication. He graduated with honors from the Delft University of Technology with a degree in Industrial Design, and also holds a minor in Robotics from the Delft Biorobotics Lab As an industrial design engineer, Julian is on a mission to develop soft robotics to contribute to health and well-being. With multiple design and engineering awards, including the James Dyson Award, Philips Innovation Award, Robotdalen Innovation Award and Sprout’s 25 under 25, Julian passionately believes in the ability of robotics to help humans live happier and healthier lives. Julian’s website: https://julianjagtenberg.com/ Somnox website: https://somnox.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianjagtenberg/ More Resources: Paro Therapeutic Robots: http://www.parorobots.com/ Our in-depth review of the Somnox Sleep Robot: https://sleepgadgets.io/somnox-sleep-robot-review/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/somnox-robot-sleep-economy/ More Episodes:

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 needing human intervention. Sleep medicine will not be an exception to this march of progress. So much so, that earlier this year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) issued a position statement, outlining a roadmap for sleep professionals to start engaging now with the multifaceted ways that AI will inevitably impact on patient care, diagnostics, staff allocation, treatment protocols and much more. We talk to Dr Cathy Goldstein, neurologist, and chair of the AASM’s committee on AI about how artificial intelligence will shape the field of sleep medicine in coming years, and also how Dr Goldstein’s own research into longitudinal sleep tracking with consumer wearables may also play a role in expanding our vision for how we manage sleep health outside of the clinic. This episode’s guest: Cathy Goldstein, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and faculty in the Sleep Disorders Center. Her current research focus, through work with mathematics, is the improvement of sleep tracking via algorithm development and validation using consumer sensors. The ultimate goal of this work is more accurate longitudinal sleep estimation for performance and precision health applications. Dr. Goldstein has a passion for teaching and her educational roles have included University of Michigan athletes, trainers, and coaches and medical school faculty and trainees. She has helped disseminate sleep health and wellness to the general public through pieces in numerous media outlets. Dr. Goldstein works to promote the adoption of cutting edge technology in sleep medicine as the chair of the national committee on AI in sleep medicine. Dr.Goldstein has a passion for education that spans colleagues, trainees, patients and the public. In addition to her clinical work, she holds various leadership roles including Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorders Section Editor of UpToDate, and committee work through the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. University of Michigan: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/neurology/cathy-goldstein-md-ms Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathygo_sleep More Resources: AI in sleep medicine: an AASM position statement: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.8288 A Consumer Sleep Tracker Researchers Can Actually Use Artificial intelligence in sleep medicine: background and implications for clinicians Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/ai-sleep-medicine More Episodes:

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 metaphors, an overview of contemporary theories of dreams’ functions, and explore new theories of how the act of sharing dreams may strengthen social bonds by increasing feelings of empathy. This episode’s guests: Mark Blagrove is a Professor of Psychology at Swansea Univeristy. He studies the relationship between sleep and cognition, including effects of sleep loss, memory consolidation functions of sleep, causes and possible functions of dreaming, nightmares, and lucid dreams. Swansea University: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/human-and-health-sciences/psychology/m.t.blagrove/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mark_Blagrove ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Blagrove   Julia Lockheart BA MA PhD FRSA SFHEA is a British artist, academic and researcher. She currently works as a metadesign researcher and Associate Lecturer in Design Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London; as a Senior Lecturer, Head of Contextual Practices, and Director of the Metadesign Research Centre at Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and also as a design and language consultant to several educational institutions internationally. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Lockheart Goldsmiths: https://www.gold.ac.uk/design/people/lockheart-julia/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrLockheart ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia_Lockheart More Resources: DreamsID: http://dreamsid.com/ Study – Empathy & Dream Sharing: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01351/full Article from Sublime Magazine: https://sublimemagazine.com/dream-sharing Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-dreams-sleep Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/covid-dreams-empathy/ More Episodes:

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 contribute to a lack of sleep – discussing not just the role of blue light, but also the addictive nature of social media algorithms, how different types of digital media affect sleep, and offering some practical tips to help you manage your smartphone addiction. This episode’s guest: Dr. Michael Grandner is the Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Website: http://www.michaelgrandner.com/ University of Arizona: https://www.sleephealthresearch.com/team.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grandner/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Grandner Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgrandner Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/screens-and-sleep/ More Episodes:

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: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-789 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Cedernaes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cedernaes-176b3159 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCedernaes Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-immunity-and-coronavirus/ More Episodes:

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, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism.  Christian holds a Master’s degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book “Sömn, Sömn, Sömn”.  Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480 The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/ Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-2/ Studies mentioned in this episode: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662 One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001 One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15% Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91 Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19% J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615 More Episodes:

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 a two-part episode we speak to associate professor Christian Benedict, a  sleep research who has spent almost two decades in the field and now heads up his own team of researchers and doctors and Uppsala University.  We discuss the many associations that we currently know about sleep, diet and obesity, including how sleep loss impairs our cognitive ability to make good food choices, how sleep plays a role in our body’s energy expenditure equation, the role of food in our circadian system, how ‘hunger hormones’ are impacted by sleep loss, which diets are more/less impactful on our sleep patterns and a whole bunch of other stuff.   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, with a particular focus on the relationship between sleep loss and metabolism.  Christian holds a Master’s degree in nutritional science,  a Ph.D. in human biology, is a teacher in the medical and biomedicine program at UU and is also the author of the book “Sömn, Sömn, Sömn”.  Benedict Lab: https://www.benedictlab.org/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christian_Benedict Uppsala University: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N9-480 The book: https://www.bonnierfakta.se/bocker/223532/somn-somn-somn/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleep_advocate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleep_advocate/ Sleep Science Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495466987134152/ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-diet-obesity-part-1/ Studies mentioned in this episode: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662 One night of sleep loss increases ’ideal’ portion size, Sleep loss may enhance snack intake, despite satiety Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Sep;38(9):1668-74 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30870662 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49053.001 One night of sleep loss increases blood concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin by about 15% Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Aug;22(8):1786-91 Recurrent partial sleep loss decreases mean blood concentration of the appetite hormone leptin by about 19% J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5762-71 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31098615 More Episodes:

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 this episode we try to cut through the marketing hype, dispel some myths, and find out what the real facts are about melatonin and its role in sleep, as we speak to Professor Helen Burgess, one of the leading melatonin researcher in the United States. As well as discussing the basic biology concerning the role of melatonin we talk about the practical ins and outs, dosages, timing, use cases, side effects and also some of the latest findings in scientific research about how melatonin may play an important role outside of sleep issues, having implications for health conditions such as inflammation, some cancers and diabetes. This Episode’s Guest Helen Burgess, Ph.D. is aProfessor in the Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. Her scientific research examines basic sleep and circadian rhythm mechanisms and also sleep and circadian rhythms in the context of various clinical disorders including alcohol use disorders, autism, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, HIV, jet lag, migraine, shift work, sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Professor Burgess is also a member of the scientific advisory board for Natrol.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-burgess-45759a19/ ResearhGate: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/39697916_Helen_J_Burgess Rush University: https://www.rushu.rush.edu/faculty/helen-burgess-phd Lab webpage: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/programs/sleep-circadian-research-laboratory Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/the-truth-about-melatonin/ More Episodes:

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 licensed psychologist and author with interests in unusual psychological disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and the history and philosophy of clinical psychology. He received a PhD in clinical psychology and MA in philosophy from Pennsylvania State University and completed post-doctoral clinical and research fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his three books with Oxford University Press, he has published over 40 journal articles and chapters. He also maintains a clinical practice in the greater Washington, DC area (i.e., Maryland and northern Virginia) and is a frequent lecturer. Dr Brian Sharpless website: http://briansharpless.com/ Published research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hGAbs68AAAAJ&hl Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brian-A-Sharpless/e/B01E606M42 UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/exploding-head-syndrome/ More Episodes:

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, masking, enjoyment and expectation.  In a wide-ranging conversation we discuss how music differs to other audio formats like podcasts and white noise, how binaural beats work, why ACDC might be better to fall asleep to than Beethoven and lots more. This Episode’s Guest ?homas Dickson is a PhD student at the University of New South Wales, Australia, specialising in the use of music as a sleep aid. Thomas has combined music psychology research, and app development skills to build a world-first sleep app that composes relaxing music. How Does Music Aid Sleep? Literature Review: http://bit.ly/2DA8g40 Can’t Sleep App: https://cantsleepapp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-dickson-77012262/ UNSW Empirical Musicology Lab: http://bit.ly/2OFtOSZ Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/science-of-music-sleep/ More Episodes:

For a long time, teenagers have been stereotyped as lazy, prone to mood swings, and generally difficult to get on with. Although here’s a hint of truth in these types of portrayals, we now know that the adolescent age period is marked by many developmental changes, including the circadian system. These changes to sleep timing are no doubt at the root of the lazy teenager myths, so 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 challenges, and also offer some practical advice for parents who want to ensure the best possible sleep for their teens. This Episode’s Guest Valerie Crabtree Ph.D is an Associate Member, Department of Psychology and Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. When she arrived at St. Jude, she focused her research on sleep disturbances in pediatric oncology patients, and her clinical work on sleep complaints, as well as psychological adaptation to cancer and treatment. In 2015, Dr. Crabtree and her co-author, Dr. Lisa Meltzer, published a book, “Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions.” St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/directory/c/valerie-crabtree.html ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valerie_Crabtree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-crabtree-b656157/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drvcrabtree Episode Homepage: https://sleepjunkies.com/sleep-and-the-teenage-brain/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng1i8KuOqVc More Episodes: