Sleep Science Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Sleep Science Podcast

Penny Lewis

Science

Health & Fitness

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/79d. Total Eps: 22

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and this podcast is all about understanding sleep. We know a lot about what the brain does in sleep, but we are just starting to understand why it does some of these things, and even more excitingly, how we can take full advantage of sleep and also manipulate it for our own ends. In each episode, neuroscientist Penny Lewis interviews a different sleep researcher, talking about a various aspect of sleep science. Topics will include sleep physiology and medicine, circadian rhythm, how sleep impacts on our memories and creativity, Sleep Engineering for enhanced health and cognition, and the most recent technologies to promote sleep.©SleepSciencePodcast 2021. These materials may be downloaded for personal use only. They may not be shared, distributed or reproduced in any form or for any reason without express permission

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - science
15/03/2025
#78

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https://www.sleepengineering.co.uk/
23 shares
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&amp
6 shares
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/sasha.handley.html
2 shares

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25220055/
5 shares
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17347444/
4 shares
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26055859/
1 share

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep05092
7 shares
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3719
1 share
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48337-7
1 share

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 73%

Publication history

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S3E3 - Can sleep make us more creative?

Friday, March 14, 2025 • Duration 53:55

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:

Papers from the episode:

Host: Professor Penny Lewis
Editor: Sophie Smith

Check out our NaPS website to find out more about our team, our research and events.

This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

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S2E1:Tristan Bekinschtein - The Consciousness Boundary

Season 2 · Episode 1

Thursday, May 27, 2021 • Duration 54:58

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 our team, 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

Season 2 · Episode 2

Monday, May 24, 2021 • Duration 45:59

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 frameworkGlossary 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

Episode 10: Christmas Q&A session

Season 1 · Episode 10

Tuesday, December 22, 2020 • Duration 23:29

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 our team, our research and events.

This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

Episode 9: Michelle Carr and Karen Konkoly - What is lucid dreaming and how can it help us?

Season 1 · Episode 9

Sunday, December 13, 2020 • Duration 40:39

Have you ever wished you could control your dreams? In this episode we learn about new approaches letting people do exactly that. We also delve into important benefits lucid dreaming could have, such as helping reduce nightmares or helping process traumatic memories. In addition, we explore how lucid dreams provide a window into understanding consciousness and people's inner worlds, and touch on the symbolism often found in dreams.

This episode was produced by: Dominic Carr

If you'd like to find out more about the guests featured in this episode or want to read up on their lucid dream induction study feel free to follow the links below:

Glossary of terms used in the episode:

Confabulation = mistaken or unintentionally fabricated memories.

Dream sign = something you notice in a dream that helps you realize that you're dreaming.

Dream theme = dreams tend to fall into common themes, such as dreams about being chased, flying, or getting lost somewhere.

Dream work = discussing your dream and perhaps re-imagining a more positive ending.

Entrainment = when your brainwaves become synchronized to another rhythmic stimulus.

EOG = electrodes placed near the eyes that detect eye movements.

Intention setting = setting an objective to fulfill while dreaming, such as asking a dream character a specific question.

Prospective memory = remembering you need to do something in the future.

Reality checking = asking yourself if you could be dreaming.

This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

Episode 8: Daniel Bendor: Memory Replay and Consolidation in Rodents

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, November 24, 2020 • Duration 01:06:14

In this episode, we talk to Dr Daniel Bendor from University College London. Daniel's work focuses on rodent studies of place cells in the hippocampus.

We discuss the phenomena of memory replay in which place cell activity mimics patterns of activity that occurred while the rodent was performing a task in wake. We also discuss how this process can be manipulated using targeted memory reactivation (TMR).

From this we discuss how the TMR instead of triggering a reactivation of a memory could instead be biasing the brain to replay the memory which is cued.

We go on to talk about the relationship between the cortex and hippocampus and discuss theories on the hippocampus training the cortex in putting together components of memories and how this dialogue may take place.

Throughout the episode, we discuss rodents as sleep models and the positives and limitations of using them compared to human/primate models.

Finally, we discuss links between TMR and brain washing and the possible worries this may cause.

If you'd like to find out more about Daniel's work you can find a link to his university research profile. Some key studies referenced in this episode below:

Replay and TMR: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219310358
Enhance, Delete and Incept: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058530/
Biasing hippocampal replay: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22941111/
Mapping the future: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661316000218

Glossary of terms from the podcast

Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) = the process of pairing sensory cues with learnt information to improve memory consolidation during sleep

Place cells = neurons in the hippocampus which fire when an animal is in a specific location, known as a place field.
Ground Truth = is empirical evidence or information collected from direct observation Pattern Separation = The differentiation of similar, overlapping neuronal activity into distinct, non-overlapping groupsSharp Wave Ripples = waves seen in the hippocampus during sleep and rest Engram = a neuronal representation for the existence of a memoryType 1 error = known as a false positive , when a true hypothesis is rejected Type 2 error = known as a false negative, when a false hypothesis is acceptedSpike-timing Dependent Plasticity = the effect where the timing of neuronal spikes modifies a synapse in terms of magnitude and directionOptogenetics = the process of modifying neurons so they can be activated and controlled directly by lightIf you have any questions about this episode, any of other episodes or the topics we discuss, please let us know via our email sleepsciencepodcast@gmail.com or contact us through our social media @SleepSciencePodcastProduced by Sophie Smith

Episode 7: Björn Rasch -Targeted Memory Reactivation

Season 1 · Episode 7

Sunday, November 8, 2020 • Duration 01:00:39

In this episode, we talk to Professor Björn Rasch about the pioneering of a process called Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR).

TMR is a tool which can be used to selectively consolidate learnt material during sleep by pairing it with sensory stimuli such as odours or sounds during learning. This process can be used to manipulate memories during sleep and improve memory consolidation. We also discuss how TMR can interfere with consolidation and consider the pros and cons of this technique as a tool for memory manipulation.

We then go on to discuss some of Björn's other work, including how sleep can amplify the positive impacts of therapy, and how this process can be used help overcome problems like arachnophobia.

If you'd like to find out more about Björn's work you can find a link to his research page and to some key studies referenced in this episode below:

https://www3.unifr.ch/psycho/en/research/biopsy/

Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast:

o Targeted Memory Reactivation
o Labile or Stable
o Auditory Feedback and Memory cueing
o Arachnophobia

Glossary of terms from the podcast

Labile = unstable or easy to change

Pattern Separation = The differentiation of similar, overlapping neuronal activity into distinct, non-overlapping groupsGeneralisation = grouping of similar overlapping information to a general outputEngram = a neuronal representation for the existence of a memory Salience = of importance Closed Loop Auditory Stimulation (CLAS) = the method of using click sounds during sleep to enhance slow oscillations-Episode produced by Penny Lewis and Sophie Smith

Episode 6: Dan Margoliash & Tim Brawn: How sleep helps birds to learn their songs

Season 1 · Episode 6

Friday, October 16, 2020 • Duration 01:18:30

In this episode we take a neuroethological approach to sleep, and discover why songbirds are such a good model system for studying sleep's role in learning. These include advantages like songbirds' sleep-wake patterns and sleep architecture being more similar to human's than rodents', the fact that songbirds are strongly motivated to learn their songs, which can then be easily assessed for accuracy, and the observation that population-level neuronal replay in the song system is often very easy to identify, since patterns of neural firing during replay can actually sound like the songs. We're led through this fascinating topic by Professor Dan Margoliash and Dr Tim Brawn, whose work in Zebrafinches and Starlings has revealed valuable insights into perceptual, declarative and procedural learning, as well as how reconsolidation works, and into why interference learning may sometimes even be useful.

If you'd like to find out more about their work you can find links to their research pages and to some key studies referenced in the episode below:

Here are the websites for Professor Dan Margoliash and Dr. Tim Brawn

Here are links to some of the studies mentioned in the podcast:
o Reconsolidation & interference
o Perceptual & interference learning
o Tutor song selective neurons
o Finger-tapping
o Sleep for perceptual learning
o Sensorimotor integration

Glossary of terms from the podcast

Finger-tapping task = explicitly learning a numeric sequence and typing it as fast and accurately as possible with your non-dominant hand. For instance, you might be asked to type the sequence 4-1-3-2-4 repeatedly while the sequence is displayed on a screen. This primarily tests procedural learning rather than working memory.Interference = one memory hindering the retrieval of another, e.g. because both memories have overlapping retrieval cues.Neuronal bursting = periods of multiple action potentials clustered together, which are then followed by extended silent periods.Reconsolidation = refers to how recalling memories returns them to a labile state, meaning they then need to be re-stabilized to commit them back to long term memory. New learning that takes place before this happens can be used to update the original memory.Song motif = the individual phrases that make up the song. They are themselves constructed from syllables.Song stereotypy = refers to a bird's song being repeated with great consistency once learned.Song system = the discrete set of brain areas that controls song learning and production.

Episode 5: Anat Arzi & Thomas Andrillon - Learning in your sleep

Season 1 · Episode 5

Monday, September 21, 2020 • Duration 01:00:32

We humans have long wondered if it is possible to learn while we sleep but, experimental findings on this have often been disappointing. You will now be happy to learn that the tide has turned in this respect, since we now have firm proof that it IS indeed possible to learn new information while you sleep. However - the information your brain can pick up in this manner might not exactly go as easy as you hope it would.

In this episode, we interviewed Dr. Anat Arzi and Dr. Thomas Andrillon two of the first researchers to incontrovertibly demonstrate that the human brain can learn during sleep. They tell us about the similarities and the differences between their results and we speculate about the possible reasons behind the disparities.

Produced by: Eniko Simo

See the web profiles of Anat and Thomas:

Publications discussed in the program:

o Humans can learn new information during sleep; Arzi, A. et. al. Nat. Neuroscie. 2012.
o Olfactory aversive conditioning during sleep reduces cigarette-smoking behavior; Arzi A. et. al. Journal of Neuroscience 2014.
o Formation and suppression of acoustic memories during human sleep. Andrillon, T. et. al. Nature Communications, 2017.
o Sleepers Selectively Suppress Informative Inputs during Rapid Eye Movements. Andrillon, T. et. al. Current Biology, 2020.

Glossary:

Associative learning = a learning process in which a new response becomes associated with a particular stimulus.

Perceptual learning = repeated exposure enhances the ability to discriminate between two (or more) otherwise confusable stimuli.

Sleep Science Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

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Apple Podcasts

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Sleep Science Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other72

PubMed27

Nature6

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other72

PubMed27

Nature6