The Matt Walker Podcast
The Matt Walker Podcast is all about sleep, the brain, and the body. Matt is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of the book, Why We Sleep and has given a few TED talks...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Dr. Daniel Durand1 ep
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · MedicineHOME#3792K to 489K
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom · Medicine#1916K to 86K
- 🇦🇺Australia · Medicine#255.6K to 30K
- 🇨🇦Canada · Medicine#334.9K to 26K
- 🇧🇷Brazil · Medicine#474.0K to 21K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
134K to 711K🎙 ~2x weekly·187 episodes·Last published 6d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
269K to 1.4M🇺🇸69%🇬🇧12%🇦🇺4%+3 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
148K to 782K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/19/26 | #156 - Smell and Memory | Examining the "Proust phenomenon," Matt reveals how smell acts as a direct portal to our past. Unlike sight or hearing, olfaction bypasses the brain's typical sensory relay and connects directly to memory centers like the hippocampus. This explains why a simple scent can trigger vivid, emotional childhood memories far better than visual or verbal cues. Matt also examines the clinical impacts of smell loss, particularly post-COVID-19, noting its effects on brain structure and mental well-being... | 29m 00s | ||||||
| 10/12/26 |  #155 - Sleep & Nature's Call | Matt explores nocturia, the clinical condition of waking at night to urinate, challenging the assumption that the bladder is solely at fault. Using a measuring jug to illustrate bladder capacity, Matt explains that the bladder is usually just a messenger. He details how age-related drops in nocturnal vasopressin, cardiovascular issues, sleep apnea, and primary insomnia drive awakenings that disproportionately disrupt restorative deep sleep during the first half of the night. He goes on to eva... | 28m 12s | ||||||
| 10/5/26 |  #154 - Sleep and Cortisol | Delving into the science of cortisol, Matt debunks its social media reputation as a toxic villain. He explains how this essential hormone actually regulates metabolism, immunity, and survival. He also unpacks the healthy "Cortisol Awakening Response" that prepares us for the day and dispels the popular internet myth that a 3:00 a.m. cortisol spike is what wakes you up at night. Matt contrasts healthy, temporary cortisol spikes - like those from exercise - with the chronic stress that causes a... | 28m 40s | ||||||
| 9/28/26 |  #153- Sleeping in an MRI Machine | Today’s episode explores how scientists study the sleeping brain inside a roaring, 111-decibel MRI scanner. Despite the extreme noise and discomfort, researchers use sleep deprivation, earplugs, and clever audio-filtering tricks to capture the mind drifting off. These small but groundbreaking studies reveal that falling asleep isn't a simple "on/off" switch, but a gradual transition where humans can adapt to the world's worst bedroom. Matt explains that our sensory gatekeeper, the thalamus, a... | 24m 39s | ||||||
| 9/21/26 |  #152 - The Brain on Music | Exploring the profound link between the brain and music, Matt begins by tracing musical expression back 40,000 years to a vulture bone flute, arguing that music evolved as a "social glue" to foster group bonding. He explains the neurobiology behind this, noting how rhythm and melody trigger dopamine release and synchronize individuals, an effect measurable in concert audiences and synchronized movement alike. Our host also investigates music’s therapeutic potential, debunking myths like the "... | 27m 48s | ||||||
| 9/14/26 |  #151 - The Geography of Sleep | Matt breaks down the conflict between wall clocks and our biological rhythms, explaining how latitude and longitude dictate our rest. Latitude alters seasonal daylight and melatonin - though artificial light mutes this natural cycle - and broad time zones create "social jet lag." People on the western edge of a time zone face later sunsets and chronic sleep loss, a problem worsened by the physiological disruption of Daylight Saving Time. Warmer climates also rob us of deep sleep. To r... | 23m 43s | ||||||
| 9/7/26 | neurosciencedéjà vu+3 | — | — | — | déjà vuneuroscience+4 | — | 31m 53s | ||
| 8/31/26 | sleeprelaxation+3 | — | — | — | sleep storynight ferry+3 | — | 35m 15s | ||
| 8/24/26 | sleep mythssleep quality+3 | — | — | — | sleepmyths+5 | — | 27m 16s | ||
| 8/17/26 | psychedelicsmental health+5 | — | psilocybinLSD+5 | — | psychedelicsmental health+6 | — | 32m 11s | ||
| 8/10/26 | sleepbrain health+5 | — | amyloid-betaglymphatic system | — | sleepglymphatic system+6 | — | 25m 18s | ||
| 8/3/26 | sleephuman lifespan+5 | — | — | — | sleeplifespan+6 | — | 20m 38s | ||
| 7/27/26 | deep sleepsleep science+4 | — | — | — | deep sleepsleep tips+5 | — | 32m 31s | ||
| 7/20/26 | neurological anomaliesface blindness+4 | — | — | — | face blindnessprosopagnosia+6 | — | 28m 27s | ||
| 7/13/26 | neurobiologylove+5 | — | — | — | neurobiologylove+5 | — | 33m 06s | ||
| 7/6/26 | memorysleep+3 | — | — | — | memorysleep+5 | — | 29m 02s | ||
| 6/29/26 | sleeprelaxation+3 | — | — | Eleanor's gardenlavender+1 | sleep storyrelaxation+3 | — | 25m 19s | ||
| 6/22/26 | sunlightbiological impact+5 | — | Vitamin D | — | daylightalertness+5 | — | 26m 07s | ||
| 6/15/26 | insomniahyperarousal+4 | — | — | — | tired but wiredinsomnia+4 | — | 29m 04s | ||
| 6/8/26 | sleep inertiawakefulness+3 | — | — | — | sleep inertiawakefulness+4 | — | 28m 57s | ||
| 6/1/26 | sleep sciencenutrition+3 | — | Sleepy Girl Mocktailtart cherry juice+3 | — | Sleepy Girl Mocktailtart cherry juice+6 | — | 31m 06s | ||
| 5/27/26 | bedtime procrastinationsleep+3 | — | — | — | revenge bedtime procrastinationsleep debt+3 | — | 29m 58s | ||
| 5/20/26 | sleepsound+4 | — | Hadza | — | sleepsound processing+4 | — | 33m 10s | ||
| 5/13/26 | light exposuresleep quality+3 | — | — | — | sleeplight exposure+4 | — | 27m 11s | ||
| 5/4/26 | MRI screeningcancer detection+3 | Dr. Daniel Durand | Prenuvo Medical Group | — | MRIcancer+6 | — | 1h 07m 30s | ||
| 4/27/26 | sleepdoomscrolling+3 | — | social media | 12th graders | doomscrollingsleep+5 | — | 32m 40s | ||
| 4/20/26 | binaural beatssleep improvement+3 | — | binaural beats | — | binaural beatssleep+4 | — | 32m 30s | ||
| 4/13/26 | sleeppets+4 | — | — | — | sleeping with petsco-sleeping+3 | — | 27m 05s | ||
| 4/6/26 | shift workcircadian rhythms+3 | — | — | — | shift workcircadian rhythms+5 | — | 31m 55s | ||
| 3/30/26 | sleeprelaxation+3 | — | The Apothecary of Tranquil Remedies | London | sleep storyguided sleep+5 | — | 31m 53s | ||
| 3/23/26 | sleep sciencegenetics+3 | — | — | — | natural short sleeperssleep genetics+3 | — | 23m 12s | ||
| 3/16/26 | sleep positionhealth+4 | — | beta-amyloidtau protein+2 | — | sleepglial cells+5 | — | 21m 32s | ||
| 3/9/26 | non-restorative sleepsleep disorders+3 | — | medicinesleep studies+3 | — | non-restorative sleepsleep studies+5 | — | 30m 31s | ||
| 3/2/26 | coffeehealth+5 | — | coffeeAlzheimer’s+1 | — | coffee paradoxcaffeine+5 | — | 29m 11s | ||
| 2/23/26 | melatoninsleep+4 | — | melatonin | — | melatoninsleep hormone+6 | — | 25m 01s | ||
Showing 35 of 187
Pitch Fit is a Pro feature
See how bookable this show is for guests, which brands already advertise, the per-episode ad value, and the best-fit guest and sponsor profile. The numbers are blurred on the free plan.
How readily this show books outside guests like you.
How proven this show is for host-read sponsorships.
For Guests
ProFor Advertisers
ProUpgrade to Pro to unlock guest cadence, sponsor categories, fit scores, and per-episode ad value for this show.
Similar Audience Demographics
Podcasts that attract a similar listener profile
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media
The Peter Attia Drive
Peter Attia, MD
Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair
Lifespan Communications LLC
Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
Scicomm Media
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig
The Daily Stoic
Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures
The Proof with Simon Hill
Live better for longer
Chart history for The Matt Walker Podcast
Peaked at #8 in RO, top 10 in 1 of 46 tracked markets, currently #8 in RO.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RO | — | #8 | #8 | — |
| United Kingdom | — | #19 | #19 | — |
| Australia | — | #25 | #25 | — |
| HU | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| IS | — | #29 | #29 | — |
| RO | — | #29 | #29 | — |
| SG | — | #32 | #32 | — |
| Canada | — | #33 | #33 | — |
| MY | — | #35 | #35 | — |
| South Africa | — | #36 | #36 | — |
| United States | — | #37 | #37 | — |
| PT | — | #40 | #40 | — |
| New Zealand | — | #41 | #41 | — |
| TH | — | #46 | #46 | — |
| Finland | — | #47 | #47 | — |
| Brazil | — | #47 | #47 | — |
| HK | — | #51 | #51 | — |
| Ireland | — | #52 | #52 | — |
| TW | — | #54 | #54 | — |
| AR | — | #60 | #60 | — |
Chart Positions
46 placements across 40 markets.
Chart Positions
46 placements across 40 markets.