May 13, 2023

If you've been following me for any length of time, you know the emphasis I place on sleep.

I'll give a hint to the newcomers: It's a-freaking lot. Sleep is far and away the body's most important recovery process. It's the only time your brain “washes” itself via the glymphatic system, and without sleep, you'll die faster than without food or water.

So as you can imagine, I get pretty darn excited whenever a new bit of sleep tech actually moves the needle for me, and the SleepSpace app (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%) takes that needle and blasts it off the dials. This is why I am proud to introduce my guest on today's podcast … Dr. Dan Gartenberg, creator of SleepSpace and a fiercely intelligent mind.

Dan is a sleep scientist with a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, currently the CEO of SleepSpace, and an adjunct professor at Penn State University in the Department of Biobehavioral Health. With 15 years under his belt developing sleep technology, and a resume working for artificial intelligence groups in the Navy and the Air Force, Dan has garnered more than $3.5 million in grant awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Aging. The purpose? To address a problem that affects not just the developed world, but billions around the globe: Poor sleep quality.

Dan's stated Magnus-opus is to develop the ultimate connected smart bedroom where natural remedies like sound, light, and vibration are used synergistically with various wearables and‘nearables’ (small, wireless devices in the room not attached to you) to diagnose and treat sleep disorders and improve the sleep quality of every human being. His current focus is on improving insomnia and sleep apnea outcomes, which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. The digital health technology created by Dan and his team is currently not for medical use, meaning it is available to the general public. People like you or me can access direct interventions on a nightly basis, including the best meditations to stop a racing mind, a network of coaches who specialize in all aspects of sleep, and the Dr. Snooze AI which features in the SleepSpace app.

As the inventor with five patents, Dan is a highly innovative creator with a superior understanding of sleep disorders to the vast majority of other experts. With over 10 peer-reviewed publications, and a viral TED TALK with over 5 million views, Dr. Gartenberg and his technology have been featured on the Today Show, Gizmodo, NY Times, The Washington Post, Quartz, NPR, Pop Sugar, CNN Business, Reuters, Get The Gloss, Marie Claire, Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science, DC Inno, APA Magazine, Apartment Therapy, Sleep Review Magazine, Entrepeneur.com, Business Insider, Lonely Planet, and App Picker.

And for a quick features rundown, the SleepSpace app:

• Tracks sleep with any smartphone (iOS or Android)
• Improves sleep with sound, light, & vibration
• Integrates with major wearables (Oura, Whoop, Apple Watch, Biostrap, Garmin, Eight Sleep, and more)
• SleepSpace Smart Bed for transcendent sleep experiences
• Smart alarm clock to awaken exclusively during the light sleep phase
• Circadian optimizer tracks your energy peaks
• Includes meditations like Yoga Nidra, Breathwork, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Visualizations, and more

Join me as I delve into the revolutionary world of sleep improvement – it's sure to transform the way you approach your nightly slumber.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Delayed sleep phase syndrome in teenagers…09:13

• SleepSpace (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Alcohol destroys sleep architecture
  • Moderate use is ok
• Ketone drink
• Ben’s experience with organic wine
• How Dr. Daniel got interested in sleep problems?
• Giulio Tononi
• Personal issues as a teenager
  • Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome – can be behavioral or chemical imbalance
  • Irregular sleeping habits
• Took a neuroscience course at college
  • Sleep is the foundation of our consciousness
• Trying to enhance sleep non-invasively
• The cause of delayed sleep phase syndrome in teenagers
• Society as a whole lost touch with the circadian rhythm
  • COVID made it worse
• Regular sleep schedule is essential
• Chronic stress causes high levels of cortisol
  • Plays a role in sleep problems
• Teenagers break away from parent’s circadian rhythm
  • It’s time to go your own way
  • Evolutionary biology
• Wendy Troxel
• Some people have chemical imbalance
  • Can’t get into regular sleeping cycle
• External factors are more prevalent in sleep problems

-Why do people sleep?…20:48

• Every animal sleeps
• 6 main reasons for sleep:

1. 1. Energy conservation
      • You need energy to hunt for food during the day
   2. Cooling of brain
      • If you don’t sleep, you die
      • Brain cells are damaged
   3. Learning and memory
      • Synaptic Homeostasis of Giulio Tononi
      • You down-regulate all the synapsis during the day
      • Integration to long-term memory occurs during REM sleep
   4. Emotional processing
   5. Restoration and Resilience
   6. Brain Metabolic Clearance

-Brain cooling bio-hacks…22:33

• Brain cooling devices
  • Ebb (currently unavailable)
  • Lowers metabolic activity of brain cells 
  • Ben’s experience with the device
• Eric Nofzinger developed the Ebb
• Moona
• Adequate room temperature for sleep
• Warming feet (taking a warm bath, wearing socks) reduces the time to fall asleep
• Decreasing internal body temperature helps you fall asleep
• Why does body temperature decrease when the feet get warm?
• Ben’s experience with socks and sleep
• SleepMe’s cooling blanket (use code BEN to save 25%)

-Learning and memory bio-hacks…36:02

• Sleeping over before making decisions
• 20-minute sleep deprivations and naps
• Naps are not recommended for people with insomnia
• The idea of targeted memory activation
  • Building an association between a stimulus and cognitive state
  • Replaying stimulus in different stages of sleep
• Programing of neuro-circuitry is more important
• Dr. Daniel has several patents and would love to collaborate
• Working with Sage Rader of Neuroacrobatics
• The main problem was replaying the sound that doesn’t wake you up
• SleepSpace (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Evaluation of SleepSpace app
• Sleep tracking and wearable devices
  • Oura Ring
  • Whoop
• Other apps measure the sleep after the sleep has occurred
  • SleepSpace has real-time algorithm
• Targeted Memory Reactivation
• Polysomnography data collected over 24 period
• AUC values using heart rate and motion data 
  • 0.77 for light sleep
  • 0.90 for deep sleep
  • 0.85 for REM
  • 0.95 for wake
• Ideal is 2 hours of deep sleep, 2 hours of REM, plus light sleep

-The impact of wearable devices in bedroom…48:39

• SleepSpace Smart bed device with app (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
  • Measures movement, not heart rate
  • Developing the ability to measure heart rate
  • Measures breathing to some degree
• Helps in diagnosing sleep apnea, in collaboration with Wesper
• The goal is to track non-invasively
• EMF impact on sleep in the context of wearables 
• Bedroom should be a protected space from Wi-fi signals, dirty electricity
• Shielded Healing Shielded Fabrics for Canopies and Curtains
• Dr. Daniel’s devices don’t emit EMF
  • Works completely offline
  • Only on one side of the bed
• No research on EMF impact on people
• Phones are dopamine-creation machines
• Breathwork, meditation, and Yoga Nidra sessions in the SleepSpace app (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
  • Yoga Nidra has regenerative capabilities

-Tips if you wake up in the middle of the night…58:45

• Kion Sleep
• Red lightbulbs in the bedroom
• Waking up occasionally is not a problem
• If you’re up more than 30 minutes, it's problematic
• Stay hydrated to get more deep sleep but push drinking a little bit earlier in the day
• Push bedtime a little later, go to bed more tired
• Sleep restriction therapy rather than sleep deprivation therapy for insomnia
• People with insomnia get less deep sleep and more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease

-Why people have insomnia and how can cognitive behavioral therapy help…1:03:04

• Main theory for why people have insomnia is the 3P model          
  1. Predisposing factors
     • Hyper-aroused biology
     • Worrisome thinking style
     • Circumstances of life
  2. Precipitating factors
     • Dealing with death
     • Work stress
  3. Perpetuating factors
     • Building behaviors around insomnia
• Recommended treatment isn’t a drug
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia is much better
  • Addressing issues at its core
  • Included in the SleepSpace app
• How does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy work?
  • Sleep compression
  • Stimulus control
  • Sleep hygiene
  • Cognitive training to address active thoughts that form around sleep
  • Training relaxation
  • Breathing and prayer for ruminating thoughts

-Remedies for sleep apnea…1:09:59

• Dan has delved deep into the research
• COMISA (Co-Morbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea) – when insomnia co-occurs with sleep apnea
• Inspire is an alternative treatment
• Sleep apnea is a risk for heart disease and decreases lifespan
• There are different phenotypes of this disease
• The medical system is broken here
  • Always recommending CPAP therapy
  • CPAP works only for some people
  • A doctor should look at the person as a whole
• Mandibular Advancement Device
  • Bone and jaw health problems
  • Bio-mechanics and dental issues
• Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn
• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
• Mouth taping with Hostage Tape or SomniFix
• Turbine nasal dilator
• Learning how to breathe is essential
• Foam Rolling
• Podcast with Dr. Eniko Loud:
  • The Exciting Future Of Holistic Dentistry (& How Ben Greenfield Is Re-Inventing His Mouth!) With Dr. Eniko Loud.
• Dust mites in the nose cause of snoring
• Mold exposure
• The Mold Medic: An Expert's Guide on Mold Removal by Michael Rubino
• Nasal spray by Dr. John Lieurance (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Podcast with Dr. John Lieurance:
  • The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.

Intracranial balloon adjustment

-The best side to sleep on…1:21:17

• Sleeping on right side is better from a gastro-intestinal perspective 
• Is sleeping on your back better?
  • not good for sleep apnea
  • good for back pain
• Podcast with Dr. Peter Martone:
  • The Problem With Sleeping On Your Side, How To Sleep On Your Back, Little-Known Sleep Enhancement Tricks & Much More!

-Recommendation for pharmaceutical or supplemental solutions…1:22:45

• Dan prefers natural solutions
• Magnesium or GABA can be beneficial
• CBD and CBN for anxious people
  • THC hinders REM sleep
• Ben takes CBD, Kion Sleep, and melatonin (use code BEN to save 5%)

Final tips for sleep improvement…1:26:31

• Tested deep sleep stimulation in the lab
• Playing of 1.2 Hz sound wave increases delta-wave sleep
  • Incorporated in SleepSpace app (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Red light environment
  • Know where you are in circadian rhythm
• Blue Light Diet health hack for smartphones
• Sleeping with pets
  • Generally, no pet sleeping
  • Comfort that pets bring can lead to a relaxed state
  • Pets can also disturb your sleep

-And much more…

Upcoming Events:

• Health Optimisation Summit: June 17th – 18th, 2023
  

Join me at The Health Optimisation Summit in London! This is your chance to be part of a community of 2,500 like-minded people and learn from world-leading health speakers. You'll be able to fast-track your health journey, discover cutting-edge secrets and hacks, explore the latest tech and gadgets, and find the cleanest and healthiest supplements and nutrient-dense foods. Don't miss out on this incredible experience! Use code BENGREENFIELD for 10% off regular and VIP tickets. Learn more here.

• HUM2N Event: June 19th, 2023

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from the best in the field and take your biohacking journey to the next level. You’ll get the chance to be involved with a private network of biohackers, a live discussion with myself and Dr. E, a live Q&A, an experiential biohacking experience, tasty food, and a chance to win some mind-blowing prizes! Learn more here.

• Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar!

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

– Dr. Dan Gartenberg:

• SleepSpace (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• SleepSpace Smart Bed (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• NSF Project Pitch_Neurosity_v3

– Podcasts:

• The Exciting Future Of Holistic Dentistry (& How Ben Greenfield Is Re-Inventing His Mouth!) With Dr. Eniko Loud.
• The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.
• The Problem With Sleeping On Your Side, How To Sleep On Your Back, Little-Known Sleep Enhancement Tricks & Much More!

– Books:

• Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn
• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
• The Mold Medic: An Expert's Guide on Mold Removal by Michael Rubino

– Other Resources:

• Ketone Drink
• Dry Farm Wines
• Kion Sleep
• Magnesium 
• GABA
• CBD
• Melatonin (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Moona
• SleepMe Cooling Blanket (use code BEN to save 25%)
• Oura Ring
• Whoop
• Hostage Tape 
• SomniFix
• Turbine Nasal Dilator
• Foam Roller
• Shielded Healing Shielded Fabrics for Canopies and Curtains
• Blue Light Diet Circadian Control Panel for Smartphones
• Giulio Tononi
• Wendy Troxel
• Sage Rader
• Wesper
• Inspire

Episode sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Dan Gartenberg or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!