Dr. Matthew Walker

Fatigue sounds like tiredness, sounds like sleep. Is that something that you guys ever cross over with?

We've done a little work in it and it's different. And I think what's happening with chronic fatigue is that there is, here we're talking about a metabolic problem, which is it's about energy balance, that there's something going on with the metabolic regulation of the system that that causes this overall sense of malaise.

We've done a little work in it and it's different. And I think what's happening with chronic fatigue is that there is, here we're talking about a metabolic problem, which is it's about energy balance, that there's something going on with the metabolic regulation of the system that that causes this overall sense of malaise.

We've done a little work in it and it's different. And I think what's happening with chronic fatigue is that there is, here we're talking about a metabolic problem, which is it's about energy balance, that there's something going on with the metabolic regulation of the system that that causes this overall sense of malaise.

Now, how that plays out with sleep, all we simply know is that chronic fatigue syndrome results in fragmented sleep and poor quality of sleep, which in some ways is counterintuitive because all of us, if you've ever gone out on one of... You know, I cycle for a bit.

Now, how that plays out with sleep, all we simply know is that chronic fatigue syndrome results in fragmented sleep and poor quality of sleep, which in some ways is counterintuitive because all of us, if you've ever gone out on one of... You know, I cycle for a bit.

Now, how that plays out with sleep, all we simply know is that chronic fatigue syndrome results in fragmented sleep and poor quality of sleep, which in some ways is counterintuitive because all of us, if you've ever gone out on one of... You know, I cycle for a bit.

If I've gone on one of those, you know, century rides and, you know, back in California, I like to do in the summer because I love cycling in the heat. By the end of that day, I come home and it's like working in the fields for eight or nine hours. I just know that night I am going to have the most righteous sleep of my life because I'm just so fatigued. I can feel it in my body.

If I've gone on one of those, you know, century rides and, you know, back in California, I like to do in the summer because I love cycling in the heat. By the end of that day, I come home and it's like working in the fields for eight or nine hours. I just know that night I am going to have the most righteous sleep of my life because I'm just so fatigued. I can feel it in my body.

If I've gone on one of those, you know, century rides and, you know, back in California, I like to do in the summer because I love cycling in the heat. By the end of that day, I come home and it's like working in the fields for eight or nine hours. I just know that night I am going to have the most righteous sleep of my life because I'm just so fatigued. I can feel it in my body.

That's a very different physiological state, I believe, than chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine is acute fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome, I think, is probably a very different biological cascade. And that's probably pushing you into more, perhaps a higher kind of chronic cortisol state where you're all of a sudden fighting against sleep rather than promoting sleep. I think it's different.

That's a very different physiological state, I believe, than chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine is acute fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome, I think, is probably a very different biological cascade. And that's probably pushing you into more, perhaps a higher kind of chronic cortisol state where you're all of a sudden fighting against sleep rather than promoting sleep. I think it's different.

That's a very different physiological state, I believe, than chronic fatigue syndrome. Mine is acute fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome, I think, is probably a very different biological cascade. And that's probably pushing you into more, perhaps a higher kind of chronic cortisol state where you're all of a sudden fighting against sleep rather than promoting sleep. I think it's different.

Fascinating. You said earlier on as well about dreaming. I want to kind of get into dreaming. What is it? Why do we do it? How does it work? Explain to me.

Fascinating. You said earlier on as well about dreaming. I want to kind of get into dreaming. What is it? Why do we do it? How does it work? Explain to me.

Fascinating. You said earlier on as well about dreaming. I want to kind of get into dreaming. What is it? Why do we do it? How does it work? Explain to me.

Yeah. Dreaming is... when you think about it, absolutely bizarre because last night, everyone listening, yourself included, as long as you slept, you all became flagrantly psychotic. And before you reject my diagnosis of your nightly psychosis, I'll give you five good reasons. Firstly, when you slept and you started to dream, you started to see things which were not there.

Yeah. Dreaming is... when you think about it, absolutely bizarre because last night, everyone listening, yourself included, as long as you slept, you all became flagrantly psychotic. And before you reject my diagnosis of your nightly psychosis, I'll give you five good reasons. Firstly, when you slept and you started to dream, you started to see things which were not there.

Yeah. Dreaming is... when you think about it, absolutely bizarre because last night, everyone listening, yourself included, as long as you slept, you all became flagrantly psychotic. And before you reject my diagnosis of your nightly psychosis, I'll give you five good reasons. Firstly, when you slept and you started to dream, you started to see things which were not there.

So you were hallucinating. Second, you believe things that could not possibly be true. So you were delusional. Third, you became confused about time and place and person. And in psychiatry, that's what we call being disoriented. Fourth, you had wildly fluctuating emotions. And we describe that as becoming emotionally labile. You're pendulum-like. You're all over the place.