Sleep Science Podcast

S4E1 - Niels Niethard - Neural mechanisms underpinning sleep

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Niels Niethard from the University of Tübingen to explore what sleep looks like at the level of cortical microcircuits — and how excitation and inhibition are dynamically reconfigured across brain states. Niels walks us through how excitatory pyramidal neurons interact with distinct inhibitory interneuron populations, including somatostatin (SST) and parvalbumin (PV) cells. We discuss how these cell-type-specific interactions shift from wakefulness to non-REM sleep and into REM, creating fundamentally different circuit configurations across sleep stages. We discuss how sleep spindles, slow oscillations, and REM sleep each create distinct configurations of dendritic and somatic inhibition. Niels explains how spindle timing relative to slow oscillation peaks influences synaptic plasticity and how these processes support selective memory consolidation. The conversation also touches on his work on synaptic downscaling in cortical and hypothalamic networks, the potential link between AMPA receptor regulation and sleep pressure, and how sleep interacts with feeding-related circuits and metabolic state in mice. This episode offers a detailed, cell-type-specific perspective on how excitation and inhibition are balanced across sleep stages, revealing the microcircuit mechanisms underlying memory, synaptic downscaling, and brain homeostasis. Find out more about Dr. Niethard’s lab and see relevant publications below: Cortical circuit activity underlying sleep slow oscillations and spindles. PNAS, 2018 Slow-wave sleep drives sleep-dependent renormalization of synaptic AMPA receptor levels in the hypothalamus. PLOS Biolology, 2024 Cell-type specific dynamics of calcium activity in cortical circuits over the course of slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. Journal of Neuroscience, 2021 Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E9 - End of Season Christmas Q&A

We've gathered the NaPS lab to answer all your fascinating questions on all things sleep! A perfect bitesize episode to get stuck into the marvellous world of sleep. 1. How does sleep deprivation affect mental health? - Answered by Martha Wawrzuta Bunney, B. G. , Bunney, W. E. (2013). Mechanisms of Rapid Antidepressant Effects of Sleep Deprivation Therapy: Clock Genes and Circadian Rhythms. Biological Psychiatry Fang, H., Tu, S., Sheng, J., Shao, A. (2018). Depression in sleep disturbance: A review on a bidirectional relationship, mechanisms and treatment. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2. What is narcolepsy? - Answered by Kyrillos Meshreky Leschziner G., Narcolepsy: a clinical review, Practical Neurology 2014;14:323-331 3. Does the full moon affect sleep? - Answered by Al Saqib Majumder Casiraghi, L. et al. (2021). Moonstruck sleep: Synchronization of human sleep with the moon cycle under field conditions. Chaput, J. P. et al. (2016). Are Children Like Werewolves? Full Moon and Its Association with Sleep and Activity Behaviors in an International Sample of Children. Sleep Medicine 4. How does a smart watch track sleep? - Answered by Yan Wang 5. What is orthosomnia? - Answered by Sophie Smith Baron, K.G., et al. (2017) Orthosomnia: Are some patients taking the quantified self too far? J Clin Sleep Med 6. What is sleep regression and how long does it last? - Answered by Mo Abdellahi Weinraub, M. et al. (2012). Patterns of developmental change in infants' nighttime sleep awakenings from 6 through 36 months of age. Developmental Psychology Bruni O. et al. (2014) Longitudinal study of sleep behavior in normal infants during the first year of life. J Clin Sleep Med 7. Does Magnesium Citrate help you sleep? - Answered by Dulni Peramunugamage Magnesium for sleep, Sleep Foundation, 2025 8. Does dark chocolate help you sleep? - Answered by Martha Nguyen Abdoli, E. et al. (2024). A clinical trial of the effects of cocoa rich chocolate on depression and sleep quality in menopausal women. Scientific reports, Garbarino, S., Garbarino, E., & Lanteri, P. (2022). Circadian Rhythm, Mood, and Temporal Patterns of Eating Chocolate: A Scoping Review of Physiology, Findings, and Future Directions. Nutrients Music by Sergio Prosvirini from Pixabay Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

• Chapters

S3E8 - Michele Bellesi - Glial Cells and the Architecture of Sleep

In this episode, we welcome neuroscientist Michele Bellesi from the University of Camerino to explore the fascinating world of glial cells and their dynamic role in sleep. Michele guides us through the four types of glial cells: Astrocytes: Regulators of synaptic function and help form the blood brain barrier (BBB) Oligodendrocytes: Crucial for myelination and fast signal transmission Microglia: The brain's immune sentinels, important for responding to infection and injury as well as shaping the synaptic landscape Ependymal Cells: Involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production and CFS movement around the brain We dive into how each of these cells types behaves differently across wake, sleep and sleep deprivation and the impacts on each cell types function. Find out more about Michele's work here and see relevant papers below. The role of sleep and wakefulness in myelin plasticity, 2019, Glia Sleep loss promotes astrocytic phagocytosis and microglial activation in mouse cerebral cortex, 2017, Journal of Neuroscience Effects of sleep and wake on astrocytes: clues from molecular and ultrastructural studies, 2015, BMC Biology Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E7 - Can sleep help us unlearn negative bias and update disturbing memories?- Xiaoqing Hu

Can sleep help us unlearn biases and make our memories more positive? Implicit biases are unconscious stereotypes that influence our judgments and decisions - like assuming a particular gender for a specific job role. But what if we could change these biases? In this episode, we explore how manipulations of sleep might help reshape our implicit attitudes. We speak with Professor Xiaoqing Hu, a leading researcher in the use of Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) during sleep to alter implicit bias and make memories more positive. Xiaoqing shares his journey of applying Implicit Association Tasks (IATs) to sleep research, and how conflict biases, congruent vs. incongruent data, and task design play a role in measuring and modifying bias. We also dive into the nitty gritty of memory consolidation in sleep — examining how REM and NREM stages contribute to emotional memory consolidation, and how recency vs. saliency affects which memories get updated. Prof. Hu discusses his groundbreaking study demonstrating the ability to update unwanted emotional memories during sleep, and we explore the potential for applying this research to clinical populations. We also consider how individual schemas might influence the effectiveness of TMR across different people. If you would like to find out more about Prof. Hu's work, please see the lab website here. You can find relevant papers below: Unlearning implicit social biases during sleep, 2015 Updating memories of unwanted emotions during human sleep, 2022 Targeted memory reactivation during sleep influences social bias as a function of slow-oscillation phase and delta power, 2023 Reactivating cue approached positive personality traits during sleep promotes positive self-referential processing, 2024 Aversive memories can be weakened during human sleep via the reactivation of positive interfering memories. 2024 Disarming emotional memories using Targeted Memory Reactivation during Rapid Eye Movement sleep, 2024 Targeted memory reactivation in REM but not SWS selectively reduces arousal responses, 2021 Glossary IAT - Implicit Association Task - a test used to measure the strength of automatic associations between our concepts that we may not be consciously aware of. TMR - Targeted Memory Reactivation - A technique used to modify memory processing, through the use of presenting cues (audio or smell) that were associated with learning, whilst a person sleeps. These cues can modify select memories and in recent research is being used in emotional memory. __________________________________ Host Professor Penny Lewis Produced by Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E6 - Hongi Ngo: Exploring Closed-Loop Auditory Stimulation

We're joined by Hongi Ngo, who developed a revolutionary technique for manipulating sleep oscillations during his PhD. Closed-loop Auditory Stimulation (CLAS), which uses bursts of pink noise which are carefully timed to a particular phase of an existing brain oscillation to either boost or dampen the target oscillation. It has been used to selectively strengthen or weaken memories, improve the immune response, reduce epileptic seizures, and even potentially to slow down age related cognitive decline. Hongi tells us how he got got the idea for CLAS, explains how it works, and tells us about some of his existing studies. He talks about combining CLAS with Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) and discusses the ideas for future of brain modulation methods with techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Some of the key papers discussed are: Auditory closed-loop stimulation of the sleep slow oscillation enhances memory (2013) Auditory closed-loop stimulation of EEG slow oscillations strengthens sleep and signs of its immune-supportive function (2017) Thalamic spindles promote memory formation during sleep thrugh triple phase-locking of cortical, thalamic and hippocampal rhythms (2017) Examining the optimal timing for closed-loop auditory stimulation of slow-wave sleep in young and older adults (2019) Auditory stimulation during sleep suppresses spike activity in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (2021) Shaping overnight consolidation via slow-oscillation closed-loop targeted memory reactivation (2022) Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E5 - Anna Schapiro - Can we model the way REM and NREM replay consolidate memories?

How are memories represented in the brain and how can we model this? Professor Anna Schapiro from University of Pennsylvania as we discuss her work on computational modelling of sleep and memory. In this episode, we discuss several kinds of Neural Network models as well as diving into the history of Jay McClleland's Complementary Learning Systems theory and Anna's recent work on combining neural network modeling with EEG. Find out more about Anna Schapiro and her research group here. Links to articles discussed in this episode: Why there are Complementary Learning Systems in the hippocampus and neocortex Methods for reducing interference in the Complementary Learning Systems model Self-recovery of memory via generative replay A unifying account of reply as context-driven memory reactivation Host: Penny Lewis Editor: Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

• Chapters

S3E4 - Rebecca Spencer - Sleep across a lifetime - infant to old age

How does our sleep change as we age and what could this mean for memory and cognition? In this episode, we discuss with Professor Rebecca Spencer her research exploring how our sleep patterns evolve over the course of our lives. We explore the phenomenon of infantile amnesia - why we can't remember our earliest childhood experiences - and unpack the theories behind it. We discuss how hippocampal development changes as we age and how this links to memory consolidation and sleep. We also dive into Rebecca's work on emotional processing in children and how naps and sleeping are able to aid in emotional regulation. Rebecca runs the Somneuro Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Find out more about Rebecca and her research group here. Links to studies in the episode: Napping reduces emotional attention bias during early childhood Unhealthy diet is associated with poor sleep in preschool-aged children Television use and its effects on sleep in early childhood Host: Professor Penny Lewis Editor: Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E3 - Can sleep make us more creative?

In this deep dive episode, we look at how sleep onset can help creativity. With our amazing guest speakers, Professor Bob Stickgold, Dr Adam Horowitz, Professor Delphine Oudiette and Dr Celia Lacaux, we take a look at their work on creativity, dreams and N1 sleep. Together, we discuss different definitions of creativity, what defines N1 and what it is about N1 that makes it prime time for creative processing. Find out more about our guest speakers: Professor Bob Stickgold Dr Adam Horowitz Professor Delphine Oudiette Dr Celia Lacaux Papers from the episode: Sleep onset is a creative sweetspot Replaying the Game: Hypnagogic Images in Normals and Amnesics Dormio: A targeted dream incubation device Host: Professor Penny Lewis Editor: Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E2 - Francesca Siclari - Parasomnias and dreaming

Sleepwalking, sleep talking, night terrors - how do they occur and why do some people have them more than others? Join us as we discuss with Professor Francesca Siclari her work looking at non-REM parasomnias and the link to dreaming. We discuss the various forms that non-REM parasomnias can take, how they differ between adults and children and what the potential consequences of them can be. Find out more about Francesca and her research group here. Here are links to some of the studies: Conscious experiences during non-REM parasomnias Shared EEG correlates between non-REM parasomnia experiences and dreams Consciousness in non-REM-parasomnia episodes Host: Professor Penny Lewis Producer & Editor: Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S3E1 - Start of Season Christmas Q&A

To kickstart season 3 of the Sleep Science Podcast, we have the lab behind the podcast, NaPS Lab, to answer some great sleep-related questions from our listeners. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! 1. What is lucid dreaming? - Answered by Mo Abdellahi Lucid dreaming - Stephen LaBerge, 2009 Induction of self awareness in dreams through frontal low current stimulation of gamma activity Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep 2. Do dreams do anything for us? - Answered by Kyrillos Meshreky The brain as a dream state generator: an activation-synthesis hypothesis of the dream process Converging theories on dreaming Predictive coding under the free-energy principle 3. What types of memory does sleep help you consolidate? - Answered by Yan Wang The whats and whens of sleep-dependent memory consolidation The role of Sleep in declarative memory consolidation - direct evidence by intracranial EEG Sleep, Memory, and Plasticity 4. How does sleep change as you age? - Answered by Megan Wadon Sleep across the lifespan The architecture of early childhood sleep Normal sleep in children and adolescence 5. Why do adolescences sleep longer? - Answered by Martha Nguyen National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations Sleep in Children and Adolescents with Behavioral and Emotional Disorders Sleep quality and adolescent default mode network connectivity 6. Does the menstrual cycle affect our sleep? - Answered by Marta Wawrzuta Changes in sleeping energy metabolism and thermoregulation during menstrual cycle 7. How do the seasons affect our sleep? - Answered by Sophie Smith Circadian entrainment to the Natural Light-Dark cycle across seasons and the weekend Seasonality of human sleep: polysomnographic data of a neuropsychiatric sleep clinic Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

• Chapters

S2E9 - End of season Q&A Session

For our end of season special, we have the rest of the NaPS lab in to answer a number of exciting sleep-related questions from our listeners. These touch on a range of different subjects from sleeps involvement in weight gain to alcohol's effect on sleep. Thanks to those who sent in questions! List of Questions: 1. What is it in general anaesthetic that completely prevents a patient from waking up mid-surgery? Is this a similar state to being in a deep sleep or is this different entirely? 3:43 2. Can having daytime naps improve your memory? 5:24 3. Can a good sleep schedule help you lose weight? 6:40 4. Why do people tend to have a deeper sleep after drinking alcohol? 8:26 5. Can a lack of sleep really impact the way your brain works long term? 11:24 6. Why do children with ASD struggle to fall asleep and maintain sleep? 12:54 7. How does loud snoring or sleep talking wake up other people but not manage to wake up the person themselves? 16:13 8. How does drinking lots of caffeinated drinks affect our sleep wake cycle? 19:17 9. How does hibernation differ from a normal sleep in some animals? 21:05 10. When people say the term “just sleep on it” after a row or an emotional experience, is there any truth in this? Does sleep help you process emotions? 23:24 11. How much is sleep deprivation related to our immunity? 25:05 This episode was produced by Bella Mills-Smith This recording is property of the sleep science podcast and not for resale Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E8 - Chiara Cirelli - Synaptic Homeostasis in Sleep

In this episode, we talk with Professor Chiara Cirelli from the department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. We begin by hearing about how she first got interested in sleep research, and particularly about her time as a medical student at the University of Pisa where she worked on the noradrenergic system using cat models. We then look at the importance of using cross-species models in sleep research with flies, mice, rats and humans. We also discuss the different ways of using these animal models and the different advantages they offer for sleep research. We then move on to Chiara's Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis. This hypothesis has been supported by data from a wide range of species, and suggests that an important function of sleep is to downscale synapses. During the day, brain connections (or synapses) relating to information we have learned get strengthened. This can result in a kind of neural saturation, whereby there is no space for more synapses. The Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis proposes that these synapses are downscaled during sleep, bringing about a form of homeostasis that allows us to repeatedly strengthen synapses during wake and downscale during sleep. We also take a look at different ways of measuring synaptic growth across species such as molecular studies, structural or electrophysiological studies and the current difficulties in following synapses over long periods of time. Finally, we look at Chiara's most recent finding which shows synapses associated with new learning are protected from downscaling during sleep. Instead, her latest data show that it is the background noise that is reduced during sleep, allowing for an increase in signal to noise ratio. We hope you enjoy the episode and please find more information below. Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast: Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis Synaptic Homeostasis Hypothesis in Memory Consolidation Downscaling If you would like to find more information of Chiara's work, you can find a link to her research page here. Glossary of terms Synaptic Homeostasis - Renormalistion of overall synaptic strength to restore cellular homeostasis, preventing saturation and allowing further memory formation following a day of learning ATP 'cost' - ATP is our source of energy for everything that we do. An ATP 'cost' would refer to how much cellular energy something would use. Declarative learning - Learning about knowledge which we can talk about e.g dates, facts, events. Drosophila - a genus of flies, commonly referred to as fruit flies, which are used regularly in scientific research. Smart down selection - A process of selectively protecting synapses which need to be kept during downscaling. Phosphorylation - Process of adding a phosphoryl group to a molecule. Phosphorylation can help regulate cell signals or protein development often acting as a way of 'labeling' cells. Noradrenergic System - A neurotransmitter system within our nervous system that is often associated with alertness or arousal. - Episode produced by Sophie Smith This recording is property of the sleep science podcast and not for resale Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E7 - Reto Huber - Local Sleep, Sleep Homeostasis, & Brain Plasticity

In this episode, we interviewed Professor Reto Huber, who leads a research group at the University Children’s Hospital, Zurich. Reto’s interests encompass sleep disorders, development, synaptic plasticity and regeneration. In this episode we discuss local sleep, a process whereby different parts of the brain express different depths of sleep or wake at different times. We consider the relationship of local sleep to phenomena such as sleep walking and sleep talking, and Reto explains a series of experiments exploring how local sleep relates to learning. We then consider the use of drosophila as a model to study sleep and the sleep homeostasis hypothesis before switching topic to discuss the developing brain and sleep. Reto explains some important experiments linking sleep to plasticity. We discuss the differences in slow wave activity throughout development, and how the activity corresponds to experience dependent plasticity. We then consider a potential link to childhood conditions such as ADHD. Finally, Reto explains closed loop auditory stimulation and some recent findings relating to local sleep and learning. We end the episode by exploring the potential use of the technique in clinical settings. If you would like to read more on Reto's work, you can find a link to his publications here. Glossary: Local Sleep - A phenomenon in which different parts of the brain experience different depths of sleep or wake at different times. Sleep Homeostasis- The optimal balancing of sleep and wake driven by sleep pressure and our circadian rhythms Synaptic Homeostasis- Renormalising of overall synaptic strength to restore cellular homeostasis, prevent saturation and allow further memory formation following a day of learning ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Closed Loop Auditory Stimulation- A method designed to enhance slow wave activity during sleep through auditory stimuli - Episode produced by Vanessa Hyde & Sophie Smith This recording is property of the sleep science podcast and not for resale Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E5 - Manuel Schabus & Kerstin Hoedlmoser - How babies sleep and what this means for their cognitive function

In this episode we talk to Professor Manuel Schabus and Professor Kerstin Hoedlmoser from the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Salzburg. In this episode, we discuss their work on the development of sleep-in babies, first discussing what baby sleep is like and how it differs from older children and adults in regard to activity and sleep stages and specifically sleep spindles and why we think this is. We also look at the difficulties of recording sleep in babies and what other methods are used to analyse and assess baby sleep. We then look in depth at the development on sleep spindles in babies and go on to discuss the difference between fast and slow spindles and their hypothesised importance in connection with memory consolidation and learning. We also discuss the importance of coupling activity and synchrony in the brain, specifically sleep spindles and slow oscillations and how these synchronise as we grow and develop and why this synchrony is important for memory and cognitive function. If you'd like to find out more about Manuel's work you can find a link to his research page here and a link to Kerstin's research page here. Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast: o Fast and slow spindles and their connection to cognitive and memory function o Coupling of slow oscillations and sleep spindles and motor learning o Coupling of slow oscillations and sleep spindles and memory Glossary of terms Sleep Spindle - These are a burst of neural activity which usually occur during stage 2 non-REM sleep. (Synaptic) Pruning - The natural removal of extra synaptic connections between neurons which occurs between childhood and adulthood. Declarative learning - A type of learning about knowledge which we can talk about e.g dates, facts, events. Episodic memory and semantic memory are types of declarative learning. Alpha Activity - A pattern of electric actvity in the brain, alpha activity predominately occurs during rest with a frequency between 9-11Hz. - Episode produced by Sophie Smith & Bianca Strete This recording is property of the sleep science podcast and not for resale Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E6 Wenbiao Gan - The role of sleep in synapse formation and elimination

In this episode, we talk to Professor Wenbiao Gan from the Neuroscience and Physiology and Skirball Institute at New York University School of Medicine. Professor Gan tells us about how he started to become interested in studying sleep and its impact on learning and memory. He talks about intriguing and hands-on ways to assess the formation and elimination of dendritic spines in the mouse cortex, and how different experimental tasks like running backwards on a treadmill influence spine formation with or without sleep. Some counterintuitive results are presented and Professor Gan also shares his perspective on the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis. In the end, Professor Gan gives some thoughts about the future of sleep research and suggests new methods of improvement in the area. If you would like to find out more, here is a link to Professor Gan's full list of publications: Links to the studies mentioned in the podcast: REM sleep promotes experience-dependent dendritic spine elimination in the mouse cortex Fear extinction reverses dendritic spine formation induced by fear conditioning in the mouse auditory cortex REM sleep selectively prunes and maintains new synapses in development and learning Experience‐dependent plasticity of dendritic spines of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the mouse cortex Two-photon microscopy as a tool to investigate the therapeutic time window of methylprednisolone in a mouse spinal cord injury model Sleep contributes to dendritic spine formation and elimination in the developing mouse somatosensory cortex Glossary of terms (synaptic) pruning = a natural phase in the development of the nervous system during which connections between neurons that are no longer needed die off dendrites = tree-like extensions of the neuron dendritic spines = extensions of a dendrite that help receive information from other neurons synaptic homeostasis = the idea that neural synapses cannot keep strengthening forever. Instead, they must also downscale at some point in order to make space for further strengthening. Such downscaling can be done in a relative manner that preserves information coded by the synapses in question. Episode produced by Bianca Strete and Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E4 Colin Espie – What is insomnia and how can we treat it?

In this episode, we interviewed Colin Espie, one of the world’s leading authorities on sleep and insomnia. Colin is Professor in Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford, and Clinical Director of the Experimental & Clinical Sleep Medicine Programme, Sleep & Circadian Neurosciences Institute, again at the University of Oxford. Professor Espie talks about sleep problems, explains why actively focusing on getting more sleep is not the best way to combat these issues. He also argues that behavioural approaches are much more effective even though clinicians tend to prescribe medicine by default. He has solid plans for changing the treatment of insomnia in the future and has already made a flying start eleven years ago by launching Sleepio, the online sleep clinic. Find out more about how Sleepio works and how can you register today by listening to this episode. If you would like to have a look at the Sleepio website, you can do it by clicking here. You can also click here to find out more about Prof. Espie and read through recent publications mentioned in this podcast. A new edition of Prof. Espie's book Overcoming Insomnia: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques, published by Little Brown Book Group will be released in late September. This recording is property of the sleep science podcast and not for resale. Glossary · Hypermetabolised (brain) = having an elevated energy expenditure · Hyperarousal = abnormal state of increased responsiveness to stimuli · Chronotype = one’s natural inclination to sleep and be active at certain times of the day · CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) = form of therapy aimed to improve mental health mainly through emotional regulation and developing coping mechanisms · Sleep Restriction Therapy = a CBT therapy that works to decrease variability in the timing of sleep while increasing the depth of sleep - Episode produced by Bianca Strete & Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E3 - Tore Nielsen & Mark Blagrove - Lucid Dreaming & the 'Dream-lag' effect

In this episode, we talk to Professor Tore Nielsen from the University of Montreal and Professor Mark Blagrove from Swansea University. In part 2 of this two part episode, we carry on our discussion about nightmares and talk about Tore's work on imagery rehearsal. A process where the dreamer rehearses their nightmares finding solutions to them in waking life in order to reduce stress and anxiety around nightmares and find more control in their dream life. Then we move on to lucid dreaming and how this differs from imagery rehearsal. We take a look at Mark's work on how lucid dreamers have more control in their waking life and go on to discuss the possibly positive and negative effects lucid dreams may have on our REM dreams. Finally, we discuss work from both guests on the dream-lag effect. This phenomenon, first discovered by Tore, occurs when life events are incorporated into dreams the night after the event and also 5-7 days after, but not in between. We discuss how the dream-lag effect was discovered and how it only appears to happen in REM dreams. We also discuss what this may means biologically and what impact it may have on memory consolidation. We hope you enjoy this episode! If you haven't already listened to it, part 1 of this episode is available on all podcast platforms. If you would like to find out more about either Tore's or Mark's work, check out the links below. Tore's page here and Mark's page here . Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast: o Imagery Rehearsal o Control in lucid dreamers o Discovery of the dream-lag effect o Replication of the dream-lag effect o The dream lag-effect and significant personal events Glossary of terms Lucid Dreaming - This is a type of dreaming where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming. The dreamer in some cases can have control over the dream content. Metacognition - Where one is aware of their own thinking and thoughts. Idiopathic - A disease or condition which seems to have no known cause or appears spontaneously. Dream-lag effect - A phenomena where life events are incorporated into dreams the night after the event and also 6-7 days after, but not in between. ****If you think we need to add a term or two here, please let us know****. - Episode produced by Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E1:Tristan Bekinschtein - The Consciousness Boundary

In this episode, we talk to Dr Tristan Bekinschtein from the Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab and discuss his research looking into the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness. We talk about his work in the loss of consciousness in vegetative state patients, sedation and sleep and his findings regarding brain markers which indicate when we change between these two states. We also discuss his research showing that people tend to neglect the left side of the world as they fall asleep and why this might be. We also talk about Tristan's other work in resilience and what makes our mind resilience to stressors such as poverty. If you'd like to find out more about Tristan's work you can find a link to his research page here and a link to the Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab page here. Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast: o P300 marker of consciousness o Neglect of the left side of the world o Animal or Object? Differentiation of semantic words whilst asleep Glossary of terms from the podcast P300 - Measured by electroencephalogram, this is a term for a spike response, occurring 300ms after an intended stimuli which is usually focused on by the participant. - Episode produced by Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

S2E2: Tore Nielsen & Mark Blagrove - Part 1 - What we dream and why we need to

In this episode, we talk to Professor Tore Nielsen from the University of Montreal and Professor Mark Blagrove from Swansea University. In part 1 of this two part episode, we talk about how both our guests became interested in the world of sleep and dreams and then discuss what we actually dream about, from emotional REM dreams to non-rem dreams. We also talk about the different methods of collecting dream reports and the positives and negatives of these methods. We go on to discuss Tore's fear extinction theory of nightmares, which proposes we dream about our fears in order to make them less frightening. We also explore the sensitivity theory which suggests more sensitive people have more nightmares when they are stressed. If you would like to find out more about either Tore's or Mark's work, you can find the links to the pages below. Tore's page here and Mark's page here . Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast: o Fear Extinction Model of Nightmares o Smelling and Tasting in our dreams o Emotions in our dreams o Susceptibility framework Glossary of terms Lucid Dreaming - This is a type of dreaming where the dreamer is aware they are dreaming. The dreamer in some cases can have control over the dream content. Metacognition - Where one is aware of their own thinking and thoughts. Alexithymia - Term used to describe difficulty in describing one's own emotions and feelings. ****If you think we need to add a term or two here, please let us know****. - Episode produced by Sophie Smith Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

Episode 10: Christmas Q&A session

Today's episode is a little bit different. We're marking the end of our first season by roping in the rest of the NaPS lab to answer listeners' sleep-related questions. Thanks to everyone who sent questions in! List of questions: Why do we use the term ‘sleeping like a baby’ when babies don’t, in fact, sleep? - From Jaime Jenkins How do hormones affect sleep? - From Beth Lee Why do some people talk in their sleep? – From Christopher Reynolds Can meditation before bed help you have deeper sleep? - From Lauren Finaldi Why do we need to cycle through different sleep states multiple times per night i.e why isn’t it half the night slow wave sleep and half the night of REM sleep? – from Laura Bojarskaite How come we remember dreams some nights and other nights nothing at all? - From Suzie Saad Is an eye mask effective for better sleep? - From Lauren Finaldi What exactly is happening during sleep paralysis and why does this happen sometimes? - From Brittany McCabe Do animals dream? - From Veronica Campe Are all of your senses still activated in sleep? - From Naasiha Kolia Can you fall asleep faster when you listen to white noise before bed? - From John Nicol Check out our NaPS website to find out more about the podcast, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.