I’m the 11:30pm kinda guy, but I notice when I go camping, I go to sleep more like 9pm, and it’s definitely a light thing, and a lack of screens. So there’s a lot of pseudo night owls due to those factors, in my opinion.
I'm the same when I'm planning my sleep schedule at home imbready for sleep around mid night. But when i don't carefully manage myself i can be up until 2 am. But then when i used to go camping with my dad removed from technology and being active all day i would sleep much earlier and wake much earlier
Though i do agree that the light plays a considerable roll on the timing of sleep onset. In your case, the fact that when you go camping, you have likely also increased the amount of physical activity compared to normal days, which will also drastically increase the amount of the sleep pressure chemical adenosine in your system. So that probably also contributed to your earlier sleep schedule while camping.
This honestly has been one of my favorite episodes. My mind was blown when he said your genes dictate what type of sleeper you are. And here I thought I was the one in control....
I dont know how much genes actually dictate I've come up with a beautiful theory people who are born between the hours 5am to 4pm theyre morning people and from 5pm to 4am they're night owls I bet you any kind of anything ask your friends what time they were born and than ask them if they're a morning person or a night owl
As a regular factory worker with no exeptional skills or intellect. I find these vids fascinating , love hearing academic experts explaning things all peoples experience. Thankfull for RUclips and your channel for getting these convo's put there. Where back in the day these kind of things were restricted to peers among one another.
Learning to articulate intellect is worth trying because I believe if your mind found interest in these types of topics and this manner of nuanced communication, then you definitely have the intellect perhaps even exceptional with the articulation. 😊
The things they discuss about being a night owl actually made me emotional because I’ve felt that way my entire life and never had someone as an advocate for night owls and their struggles ❤
This was incredibly healing to watch. I have struggled with sleep my whole life and experienced a severe and chronic episode. I tried everything I could. It wasn't until I saw a neurologist who told me that I wasn't a bad sleeper, that apart of it could be my circadian rhythm, and when I learned about fight or flight response that I was able to address my insomnia successfully. I agree with everything he said. I don't stress about sleep hygiene and do what it takes to get myself to sleep. I know what triggers my flight or fight response and try to avoid that. I wish that I had learned this much sooner. I am glad to know there are professionals out there who think like this.
I’ve always been a night owl and I’ve also always noticed that if I don’t have an alarm and can sleep however long I like, my natural day cycle is a bit longer than 24 hours. And now there’s been evidence of different genes affecting all of it. And it’s fascinating
This guys voice 😍 i dont know how much of this podcast i can get through his voice is like butter and just makes me want to fall asleep ... high praise to you Sir
I really enjoyed this episode and learned a lot. I’ve always had anxiety trying to get to sleep, a very hard time waking up at a “normal” time in the morning, and sleeping too much due to depression. If I have something to do in the morning for instance, my anxiety about getting to sleep the night before will be so bad I won’t get enough sleep. When I have nothing to do for a few days in a row, I find myself oversleeping and napping too much (likely due to depression). It’s nice to know it’s not my fault I’m a night owl! As someone in the social work field, there are not many macro level jobs (what I’m interested in) that are conducive to being a night owl.
I wonder how much time zones could play into this. I’d love to see a study testing “morning people” and “night owls” migrating them to different time zones etc 🤔
Just from personal experience it works the same as jet lag, but in reverse. I went to a place that exactly matched the reverse of my sleep-wake cycle and at first I had 'no' jetlag and was awake exactly when I was supposed to be awake. Then when my body adjusted I was back to being a super night owl.
Not just time zones, but daylight times. My country has continous daylight much of the summer, and just 4 hours of daylight in winter. If your "waking up with the sun" in winter, you're not up early at all.
From my personal experience, I moved to a timezone 13 hours ahead of mine and waking up in the morning wasn’t as hard. Same thing when I was in California for a week. Now, there might have been other reasons, but I often wonder about just moving to another time zone.
@@ookamiblade6318yes! When I first moved to Japan I was surprised I didn’t have any jet lag, but realized after about a month or so I fell back into my night owl self. Went to Korea for a week last year, and even by the end of that time, I was going to sleep later than when I first arrived, naturally.
Is professors book available via Audio Book specifically with him as the narrator?! His voice is sooo calm and soothing! I’d love to fall asleep to him reading me books 😂
As someone with anxiety who also happens to work 3rd shift but is a middle of the road person circadian wise I found this absolutely fascinating! I’m definitely the person that thrives on less sleep and also happens to be a heavy dreamer as well so I found that equally fascinating too. I attributed my heavy dreaming to my sensory processing disorder as my body’s way of processing everything do to my over and/or under reactions to stimuli but I never thought about my underlying circadian rhythm’s effect on it too, amazing!
What a nice, educative and evidence based interview! There really should be more awareness around this topic, especially in the medical field where ones cognitive performance is crucial.👏🏼
I had no idea that sleep is dictated by genes. As someone working towards my DO, these videos are the most informative. I used to tease my friends and husband because they are night owls, now I feel terrible for always picking on them. Thanks for all the great content @doctormike.
I recommended this episode to a few of my friends - so much knowledge and research packed into one hour of an extremely eloquent conversation!!! Loved this episode and will definitely get the book.
Dr. Mike, I already love your main channel as you are extremely responsible when it comes relaying information for people across all age categories on this platform. I just discovered this second and amazing channel. I am absolutely enjoying highly informative interviews with people, like Matthew Walker. Being responsible for debunking false-information, mis-information, bad advice and many more by providing good health related information is awesome! Not only is that spectacular, but you also provide wholistic health knowledge through an entertaining manner on your main channel as well as for this channel. You are truly an amazing physician and human-being for even bringing yourself out and into the internet world. Keep up excellent work!
This is great and I'm looking forward to the day my newborn sleeps through the night, waking multiple times has ramped up my anxiety tenfold. As I normally need 9 to 10 hrs to feel great.
The example given about a person who forces themselves to go to bed early on weekdays due to work schedules but then stays up hours later on the weekend is so accurate... I was listening to that segment as I pulled up to my house at 1:25AM on a Friday night/Saturday morning after going to the gym and running chores contemplating whether I stay up for another hour or crash for the night.
This episode was extraordinarily helpful for me. I am most certainly a night owl type, I would honestly go to bed at 1 AM if possible and wake up at 9-9:30, but for obvious reasons thats just not acceptable for most people. I feel better throughout my day and am more productive overall when I go to bed and wake up that late, but I usually am not able to.
From one Family Doctor (in PA) to another, Thank you, Dr. Mike, for all your good work and specifically for advocating for patients and primary care funding! Such important work that has potential to impact vast numbers of people’s well-being!!! Keep up the strong work! ✌🏻❤️
This video is so amazing, I used to work at a bottlo doing shift work, sometimes waking up at 7amish to start work at 9amish and sometimes waking up at 12-2 to start work at 4pm. So I always considered myself a night owl because I was having to change my sleep schedule so much and I found myself staying up later and liking it better but now I work a 8-4 kind of job and I would definitely consider myself a morning person now, I have only been in this job for 3 months and I can no believe the change in my sleep during this change. I used to have issues staying asleep, quality of sleep and falling asleep now, I’m up to bed by 9pm and usually asleep by 10pm and up at 5:30am so I’m actually getting less sleep then I used to but all the above issues I was having before I am not having/ much less having now! For 20+ years I was having horrible sleep issues and now I’m these last 3 months I have had the best sleep of my life. I’d also like to mention I’m much more appreciative of the people and places around me then I ever used to be because I have much better chemical levels due to the consistency of my sleep schedule. If you have similar sleep experiences to me please try and look for a job that is better and sustainable for you personally, it will change your life!
What a great conversation one of my favorite episodes. I truly learned a lot about myself. I've been calling Matt Walker and you Dr for years, thanks for coming together and doing this episode! . ❤😊
It’s still ironic, because as healthcare professionals, were always told how important sleep is, and sleep hygiene, and things we can tell our PATIENTS to do to better their sleep and how it can negatively impact their health, and yet ALL healthcare career schools and programs (wether it’s nursing, chiropractic, dental, medical, etc.) make it IMPOSSIBLE for students to get adequate, and quality sleep. 🤡🤡 (currently a DC student, and my sister is an Internal Medicine resident, and it’s the same story)
It's super ironic and sad! Employers on the whole need to rely on better staffing to cover all shifts rather than short-staffing and expecting to get through by working employees to an unhealthy degree. The glorification of sleep deprivation is so toxic in our society :(
Thank you for this. I'm making an appointment with my primary care doc today. I've had sleep issues all of my life (abuse survivor) and sleep has become even more challenging. I really appreciate this conversation and am thankful that I listened.
Possible topic for a future video: I just read how older adults should avoid the long term use of “anticholinergic” medications which have been shown in some studies to affect memory. Two of the common ones I had been using as a nightly sleep aid are Benadryl and Nyquil type meds. From what I can tell melatonin is not an anticholinergic med, at least it wasn’t shown on the list. Sleep is such an important part of the overall equation, and for those of us over 50 sleep can be elusive causing us to reach for sleep aids that may be negatively impacting our memory. Have you heard anything about these studies that you could share with us in an upcoming video?
I've always had insomnia issues, but strangely enough it's shifted as I've gotten older. As a teen/young adult I was delayed, had trouble falling asleep. Since my 30's and early 40's, it's now the "wake up throughout the night" version. I basically wake up after every REM cycle, every hour or two. It's cool that I get to remember so many dreams, but I miss having a solid 6 or so hours.
This episode makes me feel SO much better about what my boyfriend calls my “high maintenance sleep needs”: blackout curtains, completely dark room, completely quiet, weighted blanket, weighted sleep mask, and a sunrise alarm clock rather than an alarm with loud sound. I DO acknowledge that’s a lot of steps 😂
This podcast was fascinating. My now 21yo started suffering from insomnia when he went through puberty at age 14. We started a sleep med and it left him nothing but groggy and fuzzy-brained, so we stopped the medication. He is definitely a night owl, and I will suggest he look into the therapy for insomnia. I'll also be getting Dr. Walker's book. Thank you!
As usual, Dr. Mike brings us an excellent, informative and INTELLIGENT approach to our health. Mike, we love ya, but quit boxing-we need your brilliant mind! Best to Bear!
A big reason why I work the shifts I do is because of sleep. I've always struggled with falling asleep and waking up early; I hated waking up for school and as an adult I cannot get to work on time for an 8am shift. I tried and was late by a few minutes EVERY DAY for a month ☠ needless to say I quit in favor of my shifts at another job that ended at midnight. The jobs I've had the most success and personal fulfillment with are the ones that fit my sleep schedule. When I start work in the afternoon or evening and finish work between 9pm and 3am I find myself in a generally better mood and I have a lot more patience with my customers and coworkers and even with myself. What might be a minor mistake like giving back wrong change would cause a mental breakdown if I made the same mistake at 10am versus 10pm For me personally at this stage, I try to avoid signing myself up for shifts or hours I know I can't be my best for. I would never volunteer to work 8am shifts consistently at this point because I know I would be causing myself stress, and not being my best self to my coworkers and customers. I would much rather be a Closer than an Opener. And anyone who's worked with me in the morning would probably rather me close as well. 🤣 Omg, the melatonin... that explains why when I tried taking melatonin I got to the point I'd be taking like 6 a night and STILL couldn't fall asleep, and I still didn't feel any better rested!! 🙃 No wonder it didn't do sh*t for me, it barely does anything at all! ☠☠ Now I know, stick to my trees and my teas...
@LouiseBHJ ah I was, I was so lucky.. unfortunately I made that post a bit before sh*t hit the fan. I got hit back-to-back with a loss in my own family and later the same year my boss as well. The boss's wife and I were literally a two-woman operation for almost a year before she decided it was best to sell the business (which for her I am happy for cuz I could see the stress it was taking on her). Her husband (my now deceased boss) was the one who handled a lot of the operations for the small business I worked for, so once we lost him it was a struggle to keep up.. The people she sold it to said they'd keep me as a worker, but unfortunately they didn't live up to their end of the bargain and I am currently unemployed. But tbh, I am glad I was able to at least be there for a grieving wife in need of help, and I'll never ask for anything more than what they already gave me. They were probably the best bosses I'll ever have, and generally some of the kindest people I think I will ever meet. I wish I could've gone to his funeral but, I was running the store he dedicated his life to while his wife got to go; and I'm glad I could give her the time she needed to do that. That's the least I could have done for them. We sometimes don't realize just how lucky we are, but I am glad to have had the fortune to know..
If you enjoyed this Matthew Walker has many more interviews and videos on RUclips. His Ted Talk is particularly good with a lot of key points in 20 minutes rather than sitting through a 90 minute interview (both are great for me but the ted talk is a great short info dump)
Loving the podcast! I hope you continue to have a mix of episodes. The others I’ve seen so far have been really enjoyable convos between you and celebs, and this one is so informative and fascinating!
Thank you so much for doing this episode! I have been suffering the cycle of anxiety and In insomnia for years and years. My doctor has just meditacated me instead of actually treating my actual symptoms. I believe I understand my insomnia better than he does. I have tried different relaxation techniques and what not over the years with little to no results. Never have I been offered cognitive behavioral therapy and I am thankful for the insight you both have to give me Into it.🙏🙏
From Spain, thank you very, very much, Dr Mike for all your videos, interviews and talks. You have improved my mental and physical health and soothed my anxiety about it.
I wish you had asked him about sleep paralysis, I don’t think there’s enough information about this despite how terrible it is and how much it affects sleep .
Love this video, so much useful information I never knew was out there. Any idea for people who sleep with a partner who is a morning type and you yourself are an evening? Hard to fall asleep at same time even though we want to and the evening type needs to fall asleep first because morning type snores, making it impossible for the evening type to fall asleep until completely exhausted.
Thanks for this video this really helped get a good sleep last night for the other video you posted thanks so much Mathew Walker seems like a pretty good guy to hangout with
This is amazing so far! I'm only about half way through, but I'm hoping y'all talk about nutrition and sleep. For instance, why the heck do I wake up at night with an INTENSE craving for chocolate?! 😅
My chronotype seems to be rather flexible since it allows me to fall asleep easily around 10 pm as well as around 2 am, BUT, I've been having many horrible nightmares every night that wake me up about every hour, so I'm never able to get enough sleep. It's been happening for 2 or 3 years now.
nightmares is when our subconscious brings valuable info to concios. write them down directly when u wake up and then duscuss them with psychologist. also this book is good: "Complex PTSD, from surviving to thriving
After a serious fall and head trauma I struggle with both falling asleep and staying asleep. Especially after menopause with hot flashes. It's no wonder why I live with constant brain fog.
I’m bipolar and sleep to us does not come easy. I was determined to get a good sleep as not enough sleep can cause mania episodes which makes still even worse. I do take sleep medication but other things like white noise very low(to distract my racing thoughts. I start my around eight. I notice that stop eating at six is helpful. The last thing I added a mask which is amazing I get great sleep. My last item I got was a an app to measure what kind sleep I’m getting. This is not that came easy. It took me an year. But It’s worth it
"It's not your fault. It's your chronotype." As someone who fights against DSPD, this was almost as emotional as the similar moment in Good Will Hunting.
About the CBD part, gotta say that for me who suffers from bruxism, CBD helped a ton to relief bruxism itself, not felling muscle tension or even headaches when waking up was really life changing.
I 100% agree with this concept. How do I, as a "night definite" or "night owl," become an early riser due to my son's schooling and a more societally appropriate time as a mother of a school ager?
this is intersting, I work from 1am - 5am and I go to sleep around 7-8am lol, I've been on this schedule for over a year and haven't noticed any negative effects, I actually chose nightshift over day shift because it sounded much more appealing to my ideal sleep schedule
Regarding the sneezing when hungry question at the end - it might be so called "silent reflux". It's basically acid from stomach irritating nasal mucosa.
I’ve had half a dozen sleep tests. Or rather, no sleep tests. No one here does CBT for sleep. No doctor has given me any help to get more sleep. I sleep perhaps 3-5 hours a night. My brain is already showing damage.
If you’re interested, I found CBT for sleep helpful through the app called Sleep Reset. It took me 2 months to reset my sleep. Also CBN was helpful for me.
Amazing video ! As a side comment I dealt with sleep schedule by going to sleep right after work. 5 - 7 pm and I am sleeping :D. Works in weekends and works during week days. I sleep as much as I need, no alarm clocks, no issues (usually anything between 7,5 - 12 hours. Depending how tired I am it seems). I would prefer to go to sleep at 10 am but I cant wrap my life around that due to work. Fun side effect of this is that I feel the best I felt in years. Also my allergies went away and health improved.
I'm the tired and wired. I get my sleep cycle from my mom. It's gotten worse with my mental health. I have so much I could go into, but I'd rather not write a novel here and maybe bore people...lol
Xanax is the devil! Be extremely cautious with it. I was out on it after my dad passed suddenly. I blacked out spent three days in the hospital and was home for two days before I was able to remember anything. Still don’t remember being in the hospital
It's also highly addictive. Once you get used to the dose, you'll have to keep increasing for it to work. Soon you won't be able to sleep without it. Not a quick fix
Oh no, I was prescribed that for my depression but I didn't like how it madee feel so I stopped taking it. I've also heard people of getting very dependent on it and it's very difficult to get off it. I'm taking Ambien now, for over 5 years. Same dosage though and I know I am dependent on it. I will not sleep a wink without it. I don't remember last time I had natural sleep. 😔
I really enjoyed your interview with the sleep scientist. Very informative. I am 83 years old and have been taking 2mg of Lorazapam for over 20 years for sleep. I know I am addicted but at my age I think it would be worse to stop taking this than stopping. I have long life in my background and expect to live until at least 90. What is your recommendation?
Absolutely love the podcast and am going through every episode now. QUESTION: is there actual medical proof that chocolate milk is good for muscle recovery, even better than isotonic drinks?
For those that difficulty to sleep I recommend meditation (not medication). Why? Everytime that I try to meditate, I fall at sleep! effective, quick and without any sides effects. Concerning what was said about the night owl Vs earlier morning , I agree that for some extent genes can influence but! perhaps, you can change your genes. That will be a quite nice study case. I am a earlier morning bird, I m pretty sure because since little I was waking up by my parent between 5 am and 7 am . So now it doesn t make so much different. I m used to it. It s familiar. However, I know people that they use to go to bed because of studies or work at 2, 3 am. They have really trouble to be awaken before 11 or 12 pm. Why? Because they have been practicing it for considerable amount of time. But if you what to change, it will take a tremendous will power and effort, but eventually, you can change it ( as goes for most things in life). Likewise you can adapt after moving to another country, and no longer having jet lag (after some time).
I work at a hospital, both morning, evening and nightshifts for 8-9 hours each 3-4 days in a row. Its slowly killing me. A place were we cure people, why aren't we taking care of the people who works there? Doctors, nurses and so on.
This was absolutely fascinating... So a study on the pattern of sleep and the effects of how the individual function with the hours of sleep... It's interesting how the human body operate with the amount or hours given when they then say it's not enough. Understanding that most people work more than sleep and when given the time it's like a foreign interaction. The patterns on how they involve sleep into their everyday activities seems stressful a pose to what's considered peaceful. Not sure the study is not complete... But this was and is very helpful. #Letschatmedicine the moods, mental function, body motion, and social levels plays a great roll in how sleep is important if at all to some most may not booster or energy drink becomes a need.
The couples observation made me laugh. My husband loved his sleep and would be in bed by 9pm. I prefer going to bed at 1am. It did cause some problems. 😆😴
Love this video. Super interesting! If I don't get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep my cerebral vasospasms are in full force and I get migraines. It was a vicious circle because of that problem for me for the past 4 years since I was undiagnosed until 2 months ago. Thank goodness for verapamil. I still wake up to pee once or twice a night but at least I can fall back to sleep now! Lol A big reason I'm staring my business is so I can get to sleep at a decent time unlike my current job situation. Sleep is so crucial for many things! I've got some brain damage from my condition and having multiple tias so I am trying my best to prioritize adequate sleep. I'm urging others to do the same!
Love this podcast thank you! I go to bed around 9:30, read and fa asleep around 10:30 toi wake Up around 5:30. When I wake up I still feel sleepy and get out of bed at 7. My problem is... If I go to a friend house... I fall asleep on the couch soooo early! How can I switch the gear for weekend activities?
The thing about CBD, ironically it seems to be flipped in some people with ADHD like myself. THC acts like my prescription Ritalin, there’s no way I’m falling asleep on that. And CBD, in lower doses actually is key to helping me fall asleep and stay asleep while in higher doses keeps me awake like THC does. And I haven’t found studies that look into that phenomenon in neurodivergent folk specifically, but it seems to be present in many of my friends and family members who also have ADHD. It’s a weird thing, but I hope to see studies about cannabinoid’s effects in neurodivergent folk in the future
Allergies reduce my sleep quality with blocked nose and itchy skin, BUT my allergy medication makes me super tired. Taking it in the evening does not help, because instead of helping me fall asleep it makes me just oversleep in the morning (like 11-13 hours). Tried different types too but they are all the same. And my doctor doesn't really belive its as bad as it is.
Kudos for this amazing episode 👏 I would love to know if there are any studies looking at the epigenetic changes that happen in people of a particular chronotype working as a shift worker in an absolutely opposite time (opposed to their innate chronotype) for instance a person of the evening chronotype working in the early morning shift and vice versa
I don't drink alcohol, coffee or tea, I don't smoke, mostly take cold shower , i do home workout as well but I sleep 2 - 4 hours only, sometimes I sleep 45 minutes only . I work 12hrs night shift. I take melatonin on a regular basis Help !
I’m the 11:30pm kinda guy, but I notice when I go camping, I go to sleep more like 9pm, and it’s definitely a light thing, and a lack of screens. So there’s a lot of pseudo night owls due to those factors, in my opinion.
I'm the same when I'm planning my sleep schedule at home imbready for sleep around mid night. But when i don't carefully manage myself i can be up until 2 am. But then when i used to go camping with my dad removed from technology and being active all day i would sleep much earlier and wake much earlier
Good point
Though i do agree that the light plays a considerable roll on the timing of sleep onset. In your case, the fact that when you go camping, you have likely also increased the amount of physical activity compared to normal days, which will also drastically increase the amount of the sleep pressure chemical adenosine in your system. So that probably also contributed to your earlier sleep schedule while camping.
@@Ricky-bl7yz That might be the case for most people, but I’m pretty active regardless averaging 18k steps per day.
And boredom. There's not much to do after dark in the wild when you can't see
This honestly has been one of my favorite episodes. My mind was blown when he said your genes dictate what type of sleeper you are. And here I thought I was the one in control....
I dont know how much genes actually dictate I've come up with a beautiful theory people who are born between the hours 5am to 4pm theyre morning people and from 5pm to 4am they're night owls I bet you any kind of anything ask your friends what time they were born and than ask them if they're a morning person or a night owl
Thx for the honesty.
So pleased to finally have this acknowledged. I choose to work nights BECAUSE I don't sleep till 4am or later, NOT the other way round.
@@lynnem6909 do you know what time you were born?
Control is an illusion
As a regular factory worker with no exeptional skills or intellect. I find these vids fascinating , love hearing academic experts explaning things all peoples experience. Thankfull for RUclips and your channel for getting these convo's put there. Where back in the day these kind of things were restricted to peers among one another.
Learning to articulate intellect is worth trying because I believe if your mind found interest in these types of topics and this manner of nuanced communication, then you definitely have the intellect perhaps even exceptional with the articulation. 😊
Almost 4 AM here, it's good to finally hear someone say that it's not my fault that I can't sleep earlier.
The things they discuss about being a night owl actually made me emotional because I’ve felt that way my entire life and never had someone as an advocate for night owls and their struggles ❤
This was incredibly healing to watch. I have struggled with sleep my whole life and experienced a severe and chronic episode. I tried everything I could. It wasn't until I saw a neurologist who told me that I wasn't a bad sleeper, that apart of it could be my circadian rhythm, and when I learned about fight or flight response that I was able to address my insomnia successfully. I agree with everything he said. I don't stress about sleep hygiene and do what it takes to get myself to sleep. I know what triggers my flight or fight response and try to avoid that. I wish that I had learned this much sooner. I am glad to know there are professionals out there who think like this.
I’ve always been a night owl and I’ve also always noticed that if I don’t have an alarm and can sleep however long I like, my natural day cycle is a bit longer than 24 hours. And now there’s been evidence of different genes affecting all of it. And it’s fascinating
Saw him on Rogan years back, one of the best conversations, has stuck in my mind ever since. Great refresher!
This guys voice 😍 i dont know how much of this podcast i can get through his voice is like butter and just makes me want to fall asleep ... high praise to you Sir
I really enjoyed this episode and learned a lot. I’ve always had anxiety trying to get to sleep, a very hard time waking up at a “normal” time in the morning, and sleeping too much due to depression. If I have something to do in the morning for instance, my anxiety about getting to sleep the night before will be so bad I won’t get enough sleep. When I have nothing to do for a few days in a row, I find myself oversleeping and napping too much (likely due to depression). It’s nice to know it’s not my fault I’m a night owl! As someone in the social work field, there are not many macro level jobs (what I’m interested in) that are conducive to being a night owl.
I wonder how much time zones could play into this. I’d love to see a study testing “morning people” and “night owls” migrating them to different time zones etc 🤔
Just from personal experience it works the same as jet lag, but in reverse. I went to a place that exactly matched the reverse of my sleep-wake cycle and at first I had 'no' jetlag and was awake exactly when I was supposed to be awake. Then when my body adjusted I was back to being a super night owl.
Not just time zones, but daylight times. My country has continous daylight much of the summer, and just 4 hours of daylight in winter. If your "waking up with the sun" in winter, you're not up early at all.
From my personal experience, I moved to a timezone 13 hours ahead of mine and waking up in the morning wasn’t as hard. Same thing when I was in California for a week.
Now, there might have been other reasons, but I often wonder about just moving to another time zone.
@@ookamiblade6318yes! When I first moved to Japan I was surprised I didn’t have any jet lag, but realized after about a month or so I fell back into my night owl self. Went to Korea for a week last year, and even by the end of that time, I was going to sleep later than when I first arrived, naturally.
Yes and daylight savings time. I’d love to live in a place that didn’t have it. We don’t need any additional altering of sleep wake times!
Is professors book available via Audio Book specifically with him as the narrator?! His voice is sooo calm and soothing! I’d love to fall asleep to him reading me books 😂
As someone with anxiety who also happens to work 3rd shift but is a middle of the road person circadian wise I found this absolutely fascinating! I’m definitely the person that thrives on less sleep and also happens to be a heavy dreamer as well so I found that equally fascinating too. I attributed my heavy dreaming to my sensory processing disorder as my body’s way of processing everything do to my over and/or under reactions to stimuli but I never thought about my underlying circadian rhythm’s effect on it too, amazing!
What a nice, educative and evidence based interview! There really should be more awareness around this topic, especially in the medical field where ones cognitive performance is crucial.👏🏼
I had no idea that sleep is dictated by genes. As someone working towards my DO, these videos are the most informative. I used to tease my friends and husband because they are night owls, now I feel terrible for always picking on them. Thanks for all the great content @doctormike.
I recommended this episode to a few of my friends - so much knowledge and research packed into one hour of an extremely eloquent conversation!!! Loved this episode and will definitely get the book.
Dr. Mike, I already love your main channel as you are extremely responsible when it comes relaying information for people across all age categories on this platform. I just discovered this second and amazing channel. I am absolutely enjoying highly informative interviews with people, like Matthew Walker.
Being responsible for debunking false-information, mis-information, bad advice and many more by providing good health related information is awesome! Not only is that spectacular, but you also provide wholistic health knowledge through an entertaining manner on your main channel as well as for this channel.
You are truly an amazing physician and human-being for even bringing yourself out and into the internet world.
Keep up excellent work!
This is great and I'm looking forward to the day my newborn sleeps through the night, waking multiple times has ramped up my anxiety tenfold. As I normally need 9 to 10 hrs to feel great.
Sleep deprived makes you so messed up and it takes a long time to fix
The example given about a person who forces themselves to go to bed early on weekdays due to work schedules but then stays up hours later on the weekend is so accurate...
I was listening to that segment as I pulled up to my house at 1:25AM on a Friday night/Saturday morning after going to the gym and running chores contemplating whether I stay up for another hour or crash for the night.
This episode was extraordinarily helpful for me. I am most certainly a night owl type, I would honestly go to bed at 1 AM if possible and wake up at 9-9:30, but for obvious reasons thats just not acceptable for most people. I feel better throughout my day and am more productive overall when I go to bed and wake up that late, but I usually am not able to.
I love that you've created this podcast channel. It's so different from your original channel and in the best way possible! Thank you, Dr. Mike! 🙏
From one Family Doctor (in PA) to another, Thank you, Dr. Mike, for all your good work and specifically for advocating for patients and primary care funding! Such important work that has potential to impact vast numbers of people’s well-being!!! Keep up the strong work! ✌🏻❤️
This video is so amazing, I used to work at a bottlo doing shift work, sometimes waking up at 7amish to start work at 9amish and sometimes waking up at 12-2 to start work at 4pm. So I always considered myself a night owl because I was having to change my sleep schedule so much and I found myself staying up later and liking it better but now I work a 8-4 kind of job and I would definitely consider myself a morning person now, I have only been in this job for 3 months and I can no believe the change in my sleep during this change. I used to have issues staying asleep, quality of sleep and falling asleep now, I’m up to bed by 9pm and usually asleep by 10pm and up at 5:30am so I’m actually getting less sleep then I used to but all the above issues I was having before I am not having/ much less having now! For 20+ years I was having horrible sleep issues and now I’m these last 3 months I have had the best sleep of my life. I’d also like to mention I’m much more appreciative of the people and places around me then I ever used to be because I have much better chemical levels due to the consistency of my sleep schedule. If you have similar sleep experiences to me please try and look for a job that is better and sustainable for you personally, it will change your life!
What a great conversation one of my favorite episodes. I truly learned a lot about myself. I've been calling Matt Walker and you Dr for years, thanks for coming together and doing this episode! . ❤😊
This is incredible. Now I am interested in pursuing research on sleep as a ph.d. in nursing.
It’s still ironic, because as healthcare professionals, were always told how important sleep is, and sleep hygiene, and things we can tell our PATIENTS to do to better their sleep and how it can negatively impact their health, and yet ALL healthcare career schools and programs (wether it’s nursing, chiropractic, dental, medical, etc.) make it IMPOSSIBLE for students to get adequate, and quality sleep. 🤡🤡 (currently a DC student, and my sister is an Internal Medicine resident, and it’s the same story)
It's super ironic and sad! Employers on the whole need to rely on better staffing to cover all shifts rather than short-staffing and expecting to get through by working employees to an unhealthy degree. The glorification of sleep deprivation is so toxic in our society :(
Clearly its to give you a decade long personal experience of sleep deprivation.
Thank you for this. I'm making an appointment with my primary care doc today. I've had sleep issues all of my life (abuse survivor) and sleep has become even more challenging. I really appreciate this conversation and am thankful that I listened.
same here. listen to the book "Complex PTSD, from surviving to thriving"
I'm soooo happy you had Matthew Walker on. I saw him a while back on JRE and I've been following him ever since. I love his book as well.
Possible topic for a future video: I just read how older adults should avoid the long term use of “anticholinergic” medications which have been shown in some studies to affect memory. Two of the common ones I had been using as a nightly sleep aid are Benadryl and Nyquil type meds. From what I can tell melatonin is not an anticholinergic med, at least it wasn’t shown on the list. Sleep is such an important part of the overall equation, and for those of us over 50 sleep can be elusive causing us to reach for sleep aids that may be negatively impacting our memory. Have you heard anything about these studies that you could share with us in an upcoming video?
I've always had insomnia issues, but strangely enough it's shifted as I've gotten older. As a teen/young adult I was delayed, had trouble falling asleep. Since my 30's and early 40's, it's now the "wake up throughout the night" version. I basically wake up after every REM cycle, every hour or two. It's cool that I get to remember so many dreams, but I miss having a solid 6 or so hours.
This episode makes me feel SO much better about what my boyfriend calls my “high maintenance sleep needs”: blackout curtains, completely dark room, completely quiet, weighted blanket, weighted sleep mask, and a sunrise alarm clock rather than an alarm with loud sound. I DO acknowledge that’s a lot of steps 😂
This podcast was fascinating. My now 21yo started suffering from insomnia when he went through puberty at age 14. We started a sleep med and it left him nothing but groggy and fuzzy-brained, so we stopped the medication. He is definitely a night owl, and I will suggest he look into the therapy for insomnia. I'll also be getting Dr. Walker's book. Thank you!
As usual, Dr. Mike brings us an excellent, informative and INTELLIGENT approach to our health.
Mike, we love ya, but quit boxing-we need your brilliant mind! Best to Bear!
A big reason why I work the shifts I do is because of sleep.
I've always struggled with falling asleep and waking up early; I hated waking up for school and as an adult I cannot get to work on time for an 8am shift. I tried and was late by a few minutes EVERY DAY for a month ☠ needless to say I quit in favor of my shifts at another job that ended at midnight.
The jobs I've had the most success and personal fulfillment with are the ones that fit my sleep schedule. When I start work in the afternoon or evening and finish work between 9pm and 3am I find myself in a generally better mood and I have a lot more patience with my customers and coworkers and even with myself. What might be a minor mistake like giving back wrong change would cause a mental breakdown if I made the same mistake at 10am versus 10pm
For me personally at this stage, I try to avoid signing myself up for shifts or hours I know I can't be my best for. I would never volunteer to work 8am shifts consistently at this point because I know I would be causing myself stress, and not being my best self to my coworkers and customers. I would much rather be a Closer than an Opener. And anyone who's worked with me in the morning would probably rather me close as well. 🤣
Omg, the melatonin... that explains why when I tried taking melatonin I got to the point I'd be taking like 6 a night and STILL couldn't fall asleep, and I still didn't feel any better rested!! 🙃 No wonder it didn't do sh*t for me, it barely does anything at all! ☠☠ Now I know, stick to my trees and my teas...
Same here! Lucky for you, you got a work like that!
@LouiseBHJ ah I was, I was so lucky.. unfortunately I made that post a bit before sh*t hit the fan.
I got hit back-to-back with a loss in my own family and later the same year my boss as well.
The boss's wife and I were literally a two-woman operation for almost a year before she decided it was best to sell the business (which for her I am happy for cuz I could see the stress it was taking on her).
Her husband (my now deceased boss) was the one who handled a lot of the operations for the small business I worked for, so once we lost him it was a struggle to keep up..
The people she sold it to said they'd keep me as a worker, but unfortunately they didn't live up to their end of the bargain and I am currently unemployed.
But tbh, I am glad I was able to at least be there for a grieving wife in need of help, and I'll never ask for anything more than what they already gave me.
They were probably the best bosses I'll ever have, and generally some of the kindest people I think I will ever meet.
I wish I could've gone to his funeral but, I was running the store he dedicated his life to while his wife got to go; and I'm glad I could give her the time she needed to do that. That's the least I could have done for them.
We sometimes don't realize just how lucky we are, but I am glad to have had the fortune to know..
If you enjoyed this Matthew Walker has many more interviews and videos on RUclips. His Ted Talk is particularly good with a lot of key points in 20 minutes rather than sitting through a 90 minute interview (both are great for me but the ted talk is a great short info dump)
Such an informative and interesting conversation. One of the best guests!
Loving the podcast! I hope you continue to have a mix of episodes. The others I’ve seen so far have been really enjoyable convos between you and celebs, and this one is so informative and fascinating!
Yessss to sneezing when hungry. My husband does this, but it usually happens right after his first bite.
Walker is so awesome. Dude is the real Sandman.
Thank you so much for doing this episode! I have been suffering the cycle of anxiety and In insomnia for years and years. My doctor has just meditacated me instead of actually treating my actual symptoms. I believe I understand my insomnia better than he does. I have tried different relaxation techniques and what not over the years with little to no results. Never have I been offered cognitive behavioral therapy and I am thankful for the insight you both have to give me Into it.🙏🙏
I love this podcast and all that you do Mike keep up the good work.❤You got my full support🥰
From Spain, thank you very, very much, Dr Mike for all your videos, interviews and talks. You have improved my mental and physical health and soothed my anxiety about it.
Put on my earphones, laid down on my bed to watch this video and ended up falling asleep. 😂😂
Will watch it again though
I wish you had asked him about sleep paralysis, I don’t think there’s enough information about this despite how terrible it is and how much it affects sleep .
Love this video, so much useful information I never knew was out there. Any idea for people who sleep with a partner who is a morning type and you yourself are an evening? Hard to fall asleep at same time even though we want to and the evening type needs to fall asleep first because morning type snores, making it impossible for the evening type to fall asleep until completely exhausted.
Nine hours needed here!
Thanks for this video
this really helped get a good sleep last night for the other video you posted thanks so much
Mathew Walker seems like a pretty good guy to hangout with
This is amazing so far!
I'm only about half way through, but I'm hoping y'all talk about nutrition and sleep. For instance, why the heck do I wake up at night with an INTENSE craving for chocolate?! 😅
My chronotype seems to be rather flexible since it allows me to fall asleep easily around 10 pm as well as around 2 am, BUT, I've been having many horrible nightmares every night that wake me up about every hour, so I'm never able to get enough sleep. It's been happening for 2 or 3 years now.
nightmares is when our subconscious brings valuable info to concios. write them down directly when u wake up and then duscuss them with psychologist.
also this book is good: "Complex PTSD, from surviving to thriving
why did this make me cry to watch.
After a serious fall and head trauma I struggle with both falling asleep and staying asleep. Especially after menopause with hot flashes. It's no wonder why I live with constant brain fog.
try HRT if it s not too late
Thank you so much for this episode 🙏 I bought his book years ago! Love learning more about sleep because I struggle with it as well
I’d love to hear why I jolt in reaction to a ‘falling’ dream while in early stages of sleeping.
I’m bipolar and sleep to us does not come easy. I was determined to get a good sleep as not enough sleep can cause mania episodes which makes still even worse. I do take sleep medication but other things like white noise very low(to distract my racing thoughts. I start my around eight. I notice that stop eating at six is helpful. The last thing I added a mask which is amazing I get great sleep. My last item I got was a an app to measure what kind sleep I’m getting. This is not that came easy. It took me an year. But
It’s worth it
what a marvellous topic to discuss which all of us face it in reality .. sleep
"It's not your fault. It's your chronotype."
As someone who fights against DSPD, this was almost as emotional as the similar moment in Good Will Hunting.
Matthew is definitely from Liverpool. I don't care where he lives now, he grew up in Liverpool.
Now that was a dream duo. Thanks so much
Really enjoyed this podcast and learned a lot! Gave me so much to think about with how I view my sleep schedule. Thank you both! 🥰
I did the questionnaire and I’m a moderate evening. Pretty interesting!
About the CBD part, gotta say that for me who suffers from bruxism, CBD helped a ton to relief bruxism itself, not felling muscle tension or even headaches when waking up was really life changing.
I try Sleep on 8pm - 4am everyday,, now I have not any problem with or without caffeine... 😅
Also I have found that increasing activity and exercise helps tire me out. I fall asleep.
I 100% agree with this concept. How do I, as a "night definite" or "night owl," become an early riser due to my son's schooling and a more societally appropriate time as a mother of a school ager?
Did you not listen to the podcast? They clearly state that you can’t. Its genetically wired
this is intersting, I work from 1am - 5am and I go to sleep around 7-8am lol, I've been on this schedule for over a year and haven't noticed any negative effects, I actually chose nightshift over day shift because it sounded much more appealing to my ideal sleep schedule
Regarding the sneezing when hungry question at the end - it might be so called "silent reflux". It's basically acid from stomach irritating nasal mucosa.
Can I just get Professor Walker to record some books on tape for me? That would help me sleep, he has a very soothing voice :)
I would love to hear David Sinclair on your podcast and get a doctors perspective on reverse aging and it's supplements, trackers etc on reverse aging
I’ve had half a dozen sleep tests. Or rather, no sleep tests. No one here does CBT for sleep. No doctor has given me any help to get more sleep. I sleep perhaps 3-5 hours a night. My brain is already showing damage.
If you’re interested, I found CBT for sleep helpful through the app called Sleep Reset. It took me 2 months to reset my sleep. Also CBN was helpful for me.
Dr. Mike is totally sleep deprived in this, look at how much he blinks!
Amazing video ! As a side comment I dealt with sleep schedule by going to sleep right after work. 5 - 7 pm and I am sleeping :D. Works in weekends and works during week days. I sleep as much as I need, no alarm clocks, no issues (usually anything between 7,5 - 12 hours. Depending how tired I am it seems). I would prefer to go to sleep at 10 am but I cant wrap my life around that due to work. Fun side effect of this is that I feel the best I felt in years. Also my allergies went away and health improved.
I remember watching Matthew on Joe rogan and that was my favorite episode and now hes here!! I swear his voice has gotten deeper lol
I'm the tired and wired. I get my sleep cycle from my mom. It's gotten worse with my mental health. I have so much I could go into, but I'd rather not write a novel here and maybe bore people...lol
I was just put on Xanax for sleep. I have tried everything imaginable for 20 years. Peace!
Xanax is the devil! Be extremely cautious with it. I was out on it after my dad passed suddenly. I blacked out spent three days in the hospital and was home for two days before I was able to remember anything. Still don’t remember being in the hospital
It's also highly addictive. Once you get used to the dose, you'll have to keep increasing for it to work. Soon you won't be able to sleep without it. Not a quick fix
@@swisspeach2026 Thanks for the advice! Peace!
Oh no, I was prescribed that for my depression but I didn't like how it madee feel so I stopped taking it. I've also heard people of getting very dependent on it and it's very difficult to get off it. I'm taking Ambien now, for over 5 years. Same dosage though and I know I am dependent on it. I will not sleep a wink without it. I don't remember last time I had natural sleep. 😔
This was a fantastic episode! Based on your hairstyle, this must have been recorded around the time you fought Ian
I really enjoyed your interview with the sleep scientist. Very informative. I am 83 years old and have been taking 2mg of Lorazapam for over 20 years for sleep. I know I am addicted but at my age I think it would be worse to stop taking this than stopping. I have long life in my background and expect to live until at least 90. What is your recommendation?
I kno this is old, but as a narcoleptic this is fascinating
Absolutely love the podcast and am going through every episode now.
QUESTION: is there actual medical proof that chocolate milk is good for muscle recovery, even better than isotonic drinks?
Chad Dr. Mike hearting a question and not answering it lol
i never knew dr mike had a podcast
It's fairly new, but I'm hooked on it, lol!
Loved this one! It was very educational and eye opening!
For those that difficulty to sleep I recommend meditation (not medication). Why? Everytime that I try to meditate, I fall at sleep! effective, quick and without any sides effects.
Concerning what was said about the night owl Vs earlier morning , I agree that for some extent genes can influence but! perhaps, you can change your genes. That will be a quite nice study case.
I am a earlier morning bird, I m pretty sure because since little I was waking up by my parent between 5 am and 7 am . So now it doesn t make so much different. I m used to it. It s familiar.
However, I know people that they use to go to bed because of studies or work at 2, 3 am. They have really trouble to be awaken before 11 or 12 pm. Why? Because they have been practicing it for considerable amount of time. But if you what to change, it will take a tremendous will power and effort, but eventually, you can change it ( as goes for most things in life).
Likewise you can adapt after moving to another country, and no longer having jet lag (after some time).
I work at a hospital, both morning, evening and nightshifts for 8-9 hours each 3-4 days in a row. Its slowly killing me.
A place were we cure people, why aren't we taking care of the people who works there? Doctors, nurses and so on.
I recently figured out that for me the best time to sleep is between 01:30 to 09:30😴😸
39.20 this is a very fascinating theory that I had never thought about😮
Well now at least I know why I like having my room cold when I go asleep
This was absolutely fascinating... So a study on the pattern of sleep and the effects of how the individual function with the hours of sleep... It's interesting how the human body operate with the amount or hours given when they then say it's not enough. Understanding that most people work more than sleep and when given the time it's like a foreign interaction. The patterns on how they involve sleep into their everyday activities seems stressful a pose to what's considered peaceful. Not sure the study is not complete... But this was and is very helpful. #Letschatmedicine the moods, mental function, body motion, and social levels plays a great roll in how sleep is important if at all to some most may not booster or energy drink becomes a need.
Maybe my insomnia (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, getting into deep sleep) is just sleep losing the evolutionary battle? :p I HAVE EVOLVED
The couples observation made me laugh. My husband loved his sleep and would be in bed by 9pm. I prefer going to bed at 1am. It did cause some problems. 😆😴
Love this video. Super interesting! If I don't get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep my cerebral vasospasms are in full force and I get migraines. It was a vicious circle because of that problem for me for the past 4 years since I was undiagnosed until 2 months ago. Thank goodness for verapamil. I still wake up to pee once or twice a night but at least I can fall back to sleep now! Lol A big reason I'm staring my business is so I can get to sleep at a decent time unlike my current job situation. Sleep is so crucial for many things! I've got some brain damage from my condition and having multiple tias so I am trying my best to prioritize adequate sleep. I'm urging others to do the same!
❤
Love this podcast thank you!
I go to bed around 9:30, read and fa asleep around 10:30 toi wake Up around 5:30. When I wake up I still feel sleepy and get out of bed at 7.
My problem is... If I go to a friend house... I fall asleep on the couch soooo early! How can I switch the gear for weekend activities?
The thing about CBD, ironically it seems to be flipped in some people with ADHD like myself. THC acts like my prescription Ritalin, there’s no way I’m falling asleep on that. And CBD, in lower doses actually is key to helping me fall asleep and stay asleep while in higher doses keeps me awake like THC does. And I haven’t found studies that look into that phenomenon in neurodivergent folk specifically, but it seems to be present in many of my friends and family members who also have ADHD. It’s a weird thing, but I hope to see studies about cannabinoid’s effects in neurodivergent folk in the future
Wow he was one of my professors!
Allergies reduce my sleep quality with blocked nose and itchy skin, BUT my allergy medication makes me super tired. Taking it in the evening does not help, because instead of helping me fall asleep it makes me just oversleep in the morning (like 11-13 hours). Tried different types too but they are all the same. And my doctor doesn't really belive its as bad as it is.
Here I am listening for the second time taking notes 😂
You should get the comedian Chris Gethard to talk about mental health on your show
i usually fall asleep between 11 pm and 1 am and i wake up between 5 am and 7 am
Learned so much from this❤
Kudos for this amazing episode 👏
I would love to know if there are any studies looking at the epigenetic changes that happen in people of a particular chronotype working as a shift worker in an absolutely opposite time (opposed to their innate chronotype) for instance a person of the evening chronotype working in the early morning shift and vice versa
I don't drink alcohol, coffee or tea, I don't smoke, mostly take cold shower , i do home workout as well but I sleep 2 - 4 hours only, sometimes I sleep 45 minutes only . I work 12hrs night shift. I take melatonin on a regular basis Help !