PODCAST · society
Sleep Junkies
by Jeff Mann
Sleep Junkies spans the whole conversation about sleep. Interviews with sleep experts, thought-leaders and advocates talking about sleep-centric topics to do with health, science, culture, technology and the sleep industry.
Episodes
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Advertisers are coming for your dreams
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...
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A unified theory of dreaming?
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...
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Sleep Supplements: science or snake oil? - Part 2
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…
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Sleep Supplements: science or snake oil? - Part 1
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 know the answers? This is often the case when we talk about sleep supplements. This rapidly growing market comprises a dizzying array…
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Pregnancy and baby sleep - beyond the mom blogs
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...
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Documentary: Big Golf, science and the battle for Standard Time
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…
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Beyond sleep tracking - the future of sleep technology
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...
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Rethinking Sleep In Modern American Life
MatthewWolf-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...
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Cannabis and sleep: from prehistory to the 21st century
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...
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Robots, innovation and the sleep economy
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...
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AI, wearables and the future of sleep medicine
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,...
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Do dreams have a social function? - A COVID-19 Special Report
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…
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Screen time and sleep - it's not just about the blue light
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…
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Sleep, immunity and coronavirus
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…
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Sleep, diet, obesity and weight gain: Part 2
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...
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Sleep, diet, obesity and weight gain - Part 1
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...
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The truth about melatonin
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,...
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Exploding head syndrome
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...
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The science of sleep and music
Music has been called the 'purest form of art', but it's also used by many as a way 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, co-author of a recent...
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Sleep and the teenage brain
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....
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Debunking the demons: sleep paralysis explained
Throughout human history, across different cultures, people have told tales about supernatural visitations during the night. We now know that these stories refer to a condition known as sleep paralysis, a hybrid sleep/wake state whereby our muscles are largely paralysed but our brain 'wakes up'....
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The Sleep Charity
After experiencing chronic sleep deprivation after the birth of her first child, Vicki Dawson identified a need for social support services to people with sleep issues. Today, Vicki heads up the Sleep Charity, an award-winning organisation that reaches thousands of families with sleep needs, and...
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Taking the fear out of insomnia
We speak to author Lois Maharg about her book, The Savvy Insomniac, and the journey to conquering her fear of insomnia. This Episode's Guest Lois Maharg is a health journalist who writes about sleep, exercise, and food. Lifelong insomnia gave rise to her new book, The Savvy Insomniac: A Personal...
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A new science of sunlight
We speak to journalist and author Linda Geddes about her new book, Chasing The Sun, which explores the extraordinary significance of sunlight – from ancient solstice celebrations to modern sleep labs, and from the unexpected health benefits of sun exposure to what the Amish know about sleep that...
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Putting sleep apnea 'out of business'
The American Sleep Apnea Association was founded in 1990 with a goal to administer and nurture a new model of sleep apnea peer support groups. Adam Amdur has been the Chief Patient Officer since 2014 and in a wide ranging conversation we talk about the work of the ASAA, dispel some of the myths…
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Exploring a sociology of sleep
The Sociology of Sleep Group was founded at Surrey University over 20 years ago and has published widely on many sleep related topics including ageing, sleep and gender. We talk to Dr Robert Meadows about his research at Surrey, looking at sleep from a sociological perspective, along the way...
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Sleep research roundup September 2019 – Dr Jonathan Cedernaes
We discuss 4 recent publications from the world of sleep science with Dr Jonathan Cedernaes. Discussing weekend sleep recovery, shift work & cancer, daylight saving time, and the inter-individuality in light response of the human circadian system 1) Ad libitum Weekend Recovery Sleep Fails to...
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The Start School Later Movement
For the last few decades, a grass-roots movement across the United States has been raising awareness and campaigning to change the situation in many schools, whereby early bell times are forcing kids to get out of bed extremely early in order to make it through the school gates on time. With bus...
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Redefining sleep training (hint: it's not all about Cry It Out)
Getting a child to sleep through the night is one of the biggest challenges that parents face. In recent years, online wars have erupted between parents who advocate for behavioural sleep training methods and those who choose 'baby-led' parenting styles. Much of the antagonism stems from the...
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Lucid dreaming: a science-based user's guide
Lucid dreaming is a wildly popular, but often misunderstood phenomenon. But alongside the fantasy narratives of movies like Inception, and its adoption into mysticism and New Age beliefs, lucid dreaming is also steeped in a rich and diverse body of modern scientific research. In today's podcast…
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Sleep, ethical behaviour and the workplace
We all know what it's like to get out of the 'wrong side of bed'. Grumpiness, short temper, slow thinking - these are all traits associated with lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep. But a mounting body of evidence shows us that poor sleep can also affect our moral and ethical behaviour, our…
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Intensive Sleep Retraining - a genuine quick fix for insomnia?
When it comes to treating insomnia, we're usually told that there are no quick fixes. Although a relatively recent development, the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia is usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-I), a course of treatment which, although highly effective, takes several...
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ASMR: a sleep expert's perspective
In just 10 years, ASMR has grown from a fringe Youtube trend into a mainstream cultural phenomenon, boasting billions of video views, and even a Superbowl commercial. Despite millions claiming that ASMR induces relaxation and helps them to get to sleep, there is still only a tiny body of…
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Mindfulness, meditation and sleep
Over the last decade, mindfulness - a secular version of some of the rituals, beliefs and meditation practices originating in ancient Buddhism - has grown into a massive wellbeing trend. From hugely successful apps like Headspace and Calm to corporate wellness programs and government initiatives,...
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Why sleep is vital to your sports and fitness regime
In recent years, the world of professional sports and athletics has 'woken up' to the idea that sleep plays a vitally important role in optimizing athletic ability and performance. Today we're talking to Dr Amy M. Bender, a sleep scientist who has spent her life involved in many competitive…
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How to optimize your sleep when you work night shifts
Despite the constant warnings about the negative health impacts of shift work, the 20-30% of the workforce who work nights and irregular hours provide a vital function to our modern 24/7 society. So what are the best practices for shift workers to balance the demands of working shifts, disrupted...
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The Nocturnal Brain with Guy Leschziner
We talk with Guy Leschziner, world-renowned neurologist, sleep physician and the author of a new book, The Nocturnal Brain: Tales of Nightmares and Neuroscience, a fascinating journey interweaving real life stories with cutting edge sleep science.
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The great sleep tracking debate - Part 2
What are the barriers for consumer sleep wearables being taken seriously as accurate, reliable sleep measurement tools by the research and clinical communities? In the second part of this discussion we talk about the problems of proprietary algorithms, raw data access, and the challenges that…
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The great sleep tracking debate - Part 1
How accurate is your sleep tracker? Are consumer sleep wearables good enough to used for research and clinical purposes? Join us as we navigate the complex issues surrounding marketing claims, scientific validation, reliability, raw data and why 'black boxes' technology is an impediment to...
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Yoga, meditation and integrative sleep therapies
Using yoga, meditation and a range of complimentary physical therapies, our guest today, integrative sleep therapist and trainer Deidre O'Connor tells the story of her very personal journey to solving her sleep problems. Skip to sections: 2:51 Introduction 4:05 The decision to travel and study…
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The science of dreams and dreaming: a brief history
From the earliest civilisations to the present day, humans have been fascinated by the many mysteries of dreams and dreaming. But in the 20th century, the discovery of REM sleep kickstarted a new era of scientific enquiry in dream research. We talk to sleep and dream researcher Dr Antonio Zadra...
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Behind the headlines: Sleep research roundup March 2019
We invited our regular guest Dr Neil Stanley to take a look at some of the most recent scientific publications from the world of sleep research. With so many discoveries being made in the field we take a look at just four sleep science stories that have crossed into the mainstream press. We…
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Timeshifter - fighting jet lag with light
Commercial jet travel has been around since the 1950's. But as well as revolutionising the way humans were able to traverse the globe, it brought an unforeseen consequence - jet lag. Jet lag is a physiological condition that arises from the disruption to our circadian rhythms when travelling east...
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Natural medicine and sleep
Dr Josh Corn is a licensed naturopathic doctor and in this episode he tells us about the types of herbs and supplements he uses to treat patients he sees with sleep issues. Dr Corn works as a primary care provider in the state of Oregon and graduated from National University of Natural Medicine,...
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Hacking light for optimal sleep and circadian biology
A practical guide to optimising your sleep and circadian biology with light exposure in the day and blocking blue light at night. We talk to Thaddeus Owen, the Primal Hacker about blue light blocking glasses, getting naked outdoors in the morning and lots more. For 200,000 years, human physiology...
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Solving sleep problems in school-age children
New parents are inundated with advice on nurturing their newborn, including hundred of blogs, forums, and books dealing with every aspect of managing your baby's sleep. But once past the infant and toddler years, sleep tends to become more manageable as routines ingrain themselves and habits…
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The impact of daylight saving time on sleep and circadian timing
Last year, the European Union proposed putting a permanent end to Daylight Saving Time (DST), the twice yearly practice of changing the clocks in order to maximise the amount of daylight during longer winter evenings. But apart from the discussion around the economic advantages or disadvantages…
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What is CBT-I? Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia explained - 007
CBT-I (cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia) has in recent years become a first line recommended treatment in many countries for treating sleep problems that would have previously been tackled with prescription meds. The reason for the rise in popularity of CBT-I is that studies have…
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The art and science of the power nap
In the 21st century, napping is making a resurgence. A mounting body of research is slowly starting to counter the age-old stigmas that napping is something fit only for pre-schoolers, the elderly, or the work-shy. Some of the world's biggest companies like Google are embracing this sleep science...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Sleep Junkies spans the whole conversation about sleep. Interviews with sleep experts, thought-leaders and advocates talking about sleep-centric topics to do with health, science, culture, technology and the sleep industry.
HOSTED BY
Jeff Mann
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sleep Junkies have?
Sleep Junkies currently has 55 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sleep Junkies about?
Sleep Junkies spans the whole conversation about sleep. Interviews with sleep experts, thought-leaders and advocates talking about sleep-centric topics to do with health, science, culture, technology and the sleep industry.
How often does Sleep Junkies release new episodes?
Sleep Junkies has 55 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Sleep Junkies?
You can listen to Sleep Junkies on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sleep Junkies?
Sleep Junkies is created and hosted by Jeff Mann.
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