Menu
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Dave Asprey dives deep into the science of sleep with top experts to uncover how improving both the quality and quantity of your sleep can revolutionize your health and longevity.
Are you sleeping enough—or just enough to get by? In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Dave Asprey dives into the global sleep crisis and reveals why mastering your sleep is the most important biohack you can do for your health, performance, and longevity. This episode is your ultimate guide to transforming your rest and, by extension, your life.
First, sleep scientist Matthew Walker breaks down how sleep deprivation has become a global epidemic, slashing up to 20% of our sleep in the past century. He unpacks the dangers of too little sleep, including its direct link to increased mortality rates and cognitive decline, and discusses the optimal sleep duration for both quantity and quality.
Next, Peter Martone shifts the conversation to sleep posture and environment. He shares simple yet effective techniques for optimizing your sleep position to maximize deep, restorative rest. Learn how a small change in your pillow or bed setup can lead to dramatic improvements in your sleep quality and overall health.
Finally, Dan Gartenberg dives into the world of sleep biohacking. He reveals groundbreaking research on how sound waves can enhance your deep sleep and how controlling light exposure can unlock better rest. From sleep-tracking tech to environmental optimizations, Dan provides actionable tips to help you take your sleep game to the next level.
By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with expert-backed strategies, biohacking secrets, and sleep science insights that will completely transform the way you sleep—and live.
Check out the Full Episodes here:
– Sleep is the Boss of You – Matthew Walker, Ph D | 616
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxmtBy0YQjs
– Change Your Body Position To Get Better Sleep with Dr. Peter Martone | 819
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKhA3iclRK0
– Sleep Need & Sleep Age Find Out Yours – Dan Gartenberg | 583
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbxB67M-s2A
Sponsors:
Dave Asprey sets the stage by discussing sleep as an investment, focusing on the tangible returns you get from optimizing sleep, such as improved health, longevity, and performance.
A deep dive into the alarming global sleep deprivation trend, highlighting how societal changes over the past century have drastically reduced sleep duration and increased health risks.
This section explains the direct correlation between sleep duration and mortality risk, citing studies that show how both insufficient and excessive sleep can negatively impact health outcomes.
The discussion turns to REM sleep, its role in cognitive functions like memory and learning, and how missing out on it can severely impact mental and emotional well-being.
Asprey and his guests delve into strategies to improve sleep quality, touching on continuous sleep, avoiding interruptions, and the depth of sleep cycles that play a key role in recovery.
This part introduces the latest sleep technologies, such as sound-based interventions and smart gadgets, to monitor and enhance sleep stages.
Here, the guests discuss how maintaining optimal body temperature plays a critical role in sleep quality, exploring products like cooling mattresses and temperature-controlled environments.
A look at how artificial light, especially blue light from devices, disrupts melatonin production, delaying sleep onset and decreasing sleep quality.
Dave shares his personal sleep optimization hacks, ranging from experimenting with blue light blocking glasses to adjusting bedtime routines for maximum sleep efficiency.
This section discusses the body’s natural detoxification processes during sleep, with a focus on how proper sleep posture can enhance lymphatic and glymphatic drainage, improving brain health.
Debunking common myths about side sleeping, with a focus on how sleeping positions affect the body and whether side sleeping truly benefits glymphatic drainage.
The importance of cervical alignment during sleep is highlighted here, especially regarding its impact on spine health, posture, and overall sleep quality.
The benefits of using the Neck Nest, a product that promotes better cervical alignment, are explored in this segment, showing how it can lead to improved sleep quality.
Audience members ask questions about temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and how sleep posture and alignment can help alleviate the symptoms.
Late-night eating and body temperature fluctuations influence sleep quality, offering practical tips to avoid these common pitfalls.
A discussion on how specific sound frequencies and advanced sleep tech can be used to promote deeper, more restorative sleep
The episode wraps up with a focus on cortisol, explaining its role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and how improper cortisol levels can lead to poor sleep quality.
Resources:
“Follow” or “subscribe” to The Human Upgrade™ with Dave Asprey on your favorite podcast platform.
Go to Apple Podcasts at daveasprey.com/apple and leave a (hopefully) 5-star rating and a creative review.
Got a comment, idea or question for the podcast? Submit via this form!
Follow @thehumanupgradepodcast on Instagram and Facebook.
Learn directly from Dave Asprey alongside others in a membership group: ourupgradecollective.com.
Smarter Not Harder: The Biohacker’s Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want is about helping you to become the best version of yourself by embracing laziness while increasing your energy and optimizing your biology.
Subscribe to become an “Insider”, and receive weekly biohacking tips and tech directly from Dave to start hacking your way to stronger mental performance and physical results.
Receive weekly biohacking tips and tech by becoming a Dave Asprey insider.
