Dr. Matt Walker

I am so, so tired, but I'm just so wired that I can't fall asleep.

I'm desperate for sleep.

I know I want sleep.

but I can't fall asleep because I'm just so wired.

And that is a sympathetic hyper cortisol state.

And you can see it in their physiology.

But coming back to your question, cortisol will drop naturally throughout the night,

but then it starts to rise back up and will start to produce its fantastic sort of peak climbing rate right at the moment when you would naturally again want to wake up.

So what we're mapping here is this wonderful tapestry, this kaleidoscope of coordinated biology

that your adenosine levels are finally coming to their lowest point.

Your circadian rhythm is starting to rise.

Your cortisol levels are starting to rise.

Your core body temperature is starting to increase because it's dropped throughout the night.

All of these things unite in this beneficial timing ballet of just brilliance that naturally has you waking up and feeling like you're ready to go.

if everything is aligned, if you've got your chronotype right, your sleep quantity, your quality, regularity, and you're sleeping in appropriate sort of timed amounts.

Can't wait.

Thank you again for having me in this opportunity.

What you do for the public, by the way, in terms of your advocacy for science and also for health, for what you do, thank you.

And for giving me this opportunity to be here to share the message of sleep, thank you.