166 - Robert Stickgold: Dreams and the Role of Sleep in Memory and Emotional Processing

Robert Stickgold is Professor of Pyschiatry at Harvard Medical School, where he researches sleep and dreams from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. In this episode, Bob and Robinson discuss the role of sleep in memory processing and emotional regulation, how sleep deprivation affects performance, and the evolutionary purpose and function of dreams.

OUTLINE

00:00 In This Episode…

00:17 Introduction

03:06 Why Study Sleep?

12:04 How Does the Brain Process Different Types of Memories?

20:45 How Does Sleep Affect Memory Processing?

33:10 How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect Memory Processing?

50:58 What Is The Connection Between Sleep and Emotions

01:09:03 How Do PTSD, Autism, and Schizophrenia Affect Sleep

01:32:00 An Interest in Dreams

01:34:05 Was Freud Wrong About Dreams?

02:03:29 On Hypnogogic Dreams

Robinson’s Website: ⁠http://robinsonerhardt.com⁠

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.