Conscious Choices: Sleep's Interplay with Alcohol and Caffeine

Alcohol disrupts sleep by interfering with REM cycles, leading to a REM sleep rebound effect, where the brain attempts to recover lost REM sleep, resulting in vivid dreaming. However, the brain cannot fully regain all REM sleep lost. Conversely, caffeine, a psychoactive stimulant, affects sleep by remaining in the system for an extended period due to a half-life of five to six hours, making it difficult to fall asleep if consumed too late in the day. Even small amounts of caffeine can linger and hinder sleep quality, demonstrating the importance of timing in caffeine consumption.

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Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Pique premium pu’er tea crystals, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business.

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.

This episode is something different. It’s an experimental format that I’m super excited about, and it’s back by popular demand.

This is an episode that scratches an itch I’ve had for years. I am not always able to listen to every great podcast episode out there, even when they are by some of my closest friends. The answer to my predicament was to ask them to send me a top segment from their podcast that I could listen to and—more importantly—also share with you, my dear listeners.

My team edited them together, and here we are! This episode is a compilation of 15-to-30–minute clips from some of the best podcasters—and also best interviewees—in the world and certainly some of my favorites.

At the beginning of each clip, you will hear an intro from the host and where to find their work and podcast. I’ll also share one or two of my favorite clips from episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show.

You can view this episode as a buffet, and I strongly suggest that you check out the shows included. If you like my podcast, you will very likely enjoy the featured shows in this episode.

And before you go: Do you like this format? Please let me know on Twitter at @tferriss and also mention @TeamTimFerriss.

Please enjoy!

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This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

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This episode is also brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is a platform designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.

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[07:10] Who is Matt Walker?

[07:39] Drowsiness is the sincerest form of flattery here.

[09:01] Alcohol and sleep.

[16:58] Caffeine and sleep.

[25:25] Who are Adam Grant and Atul Gawande?

[26:24] “Just say yes until you’re 40, and after 40, just say no.”

[30:17] Avoiding burnout during the “say yes” phase.

[31:57] Worst advice Atul has gotten.

[32:36] Why should everyone (including a busy surgeon) have a coach?

[36:22] Receiving and reacting to feedback.

[39:17] The culture of an organization is the worst behavior you tolerate.

[42:30] Who is Diana Chapman?