Sleep Science Podcast

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 our team, our research and events. This recording is the property of the Sleep Science Podcast and not for resale.

In this discussion, Professor Tore Nielsen from the University of Montreal shares insights on imagery rehearsal techniques to transform nightmares into empowering experiences. He emphasizes how confronting anxiety in waking life can improve dream quality. Professor Mark Blagrove from Swansea University explores the fascinating realm of lucid dreaming, revealing its potential to enhance control in both dreams and daily life. The duo also delves into the intriguing 'dream-lag' effect, explaining how significant life events influence dreams days after they occur, shedding light on memory consolidation.

Tristan Bekinschtein, head of the Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab, explores the intricate boundaries of consciousness and unconsciousness. He discusses loss of consciousness in patients and revealing brain markers, like the P300, that indicate shifts between states. Tristan shares fascinating insights into how people neglect the left side of their world as they fall asleep and examines resilience against stressors, particularly poverty. His groundbreaking research sheds light on our cognitive processes and the challenges posed by societal issues.

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 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.

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 LeeWhy do some people talk in their sleep? – From Christopher ReynoldsCan meditation before bed help you have deeper sleep? - From Lauren FinaldiWhy 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 BojarskaiteHow come we remember dreams some nights and other nights nothing at all? - From Suzie SaadIs 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 McCabeDo animals dream? - From Veronica CampeAre all of your senses still activated in sleep?- From Naasiha KoliaCan you fall asleep faster when you listen to white noise before bed? - From John NicolCheck 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.

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 CarrIf 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:Michelle CarrKaren Konkoly Lucid dreaming induction study 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.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.

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/S0960982219310358Enhance, 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/S1364661316000218Glossary of terms from the podcastTargeted 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      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.

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 podcastLabile  =  unstable or easy to changePattern 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 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.

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 integrationGlossary of terms from the podcastFinger-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.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.

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 SimoSee 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.Aversive learning = a form of conditioning where an aversion is created toward a targeted behaviour or item by pairing it with an unpleasant stimulus. Thalamic gate = the thalamus filters sensory information. All sensory inputs go through the thalamus except for olfaction (sense of smell). Peaks & Troughs = the highest and lowest points of oscillations. In this case, of the brain waves during Slow Wave Sleep. Tag = a marker that can be attached to some kind of information indicating that it has a special status (e.g. it may be more strongly replayed or consolidated) 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.