As a professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science, Matthew Walker is an expert on sleep. In this class, he will illuminate the science behind sleep and teach you how to increase the quality and quantity of your sleep. Learn how to prevent sleep debt, navigate the effects of alcohol and caffeine, and improve your health. Your best sleep starts tonight.
Overview
Syllabus
- Meet Your Instructor
- Neuroscientist and sleep researcher Matthew Walker takes you through the history of sleep and what he'll be teaching in his class.
- What Is Sleep?
- Learn the basics of sleep, including what REM and NREM are, and what your brain is doing during these sleep periods.
- How Sleep Works
- Matthew helps you identify your 24-hour “master clock” and how to understand it.
- Night Owl or Morning Lark?
- Do you love the mornings or thrive at night? Matthew breaks down how this natural rhythm is determined and interpreted.
- The Buzz on Alcohol and Caffeine
- Matthew explains how these two substances affect your sleep and offers tips on how to manage your sleep if you choose to imbibe.
- Prevent Sleep Debt
- Learn what sleep debt is, how it occurs, and how best to combat it.
- Fire Up the Brain
- Learn how a good night’s sleep affects your ability to learn, solve problems, and harness creativity—and how those skills are affected when you don’t get sufficient sleep.
- Sleep Across Our Life Span
- Sleep evolves as we age. Explore how sleep is affected by the changes we experience and how better sleep can help prevent disease.
- Overnight Therapy
- Sleep has a profound effect on our mental and emotional health. Matthew explains why.
- The Absurd Act of Dreaming
- Ever wonder what your brain is doing when you’re dreaming? Matthew explains why dreams can benefit our waking selves.
- Sleep and the Human Body
- Matthew explains how we can learn to boost our immunity and reduce health risks by sleeping better.
- Diet and Sleep
- What you eat affects how well you sleep and vice versa. Learn how sleep influences your eating habits.
- Sleep to Thrive
- Matthew talks about the importance of sleep for optimal physical and mental performance.
- How to Sleep Better
- Matthew compiles a list of essential tips on how to set yourself up for sleep success.
- Reclaim Your Sleep
- Learn why we as a society should embrace the importance of sleep.
Taught by
Matthew Walker
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Reviews
5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review
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This is the most amazing class I have ever listened to! I had absolutely no idea just how important quality sleep was. I knew some basics, not to try and catch up on sleep, no alcohol before bed, but he breaks down EVERYTHING about those things and so much more! It will totally change how you think about sleep, and will inspire you to strive for a great nights sleep, every single night!
