Dr. Gina Poe: How To Get Better Sleep And Boost Your Learning, Memory & Energy | Mel Robbins Podcast

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — Are you getting the sleep you need? Do you wish you could improve your sleep, but you’re not sure how? Dr. Gina Poe is an accomplished researcher and trained neuroscientist with a PhD in basic sleep. Currently a professor at UCLA, Dr. Poe has been researching the functions of #sleep for over 30 years and has authored nearly 200 publications on the topic. Today, Dr. Poe is here to answer your questions like, Why do you sleep? What is your brain doing as you sleep? What is REM sleep? What are sleep cycles? What are circadian rhythms? And perhaps most importantly, you’ll get 5 research-backed recommendations from Dr. Poe on how anyone, including you, can not only improve their sleep but also get a “perfect” night’s sleep, as defined by a neuroscientist. In this conversation, Dr. Poe discusses topics such as: What is the “perfect night's sleep”? How long are you supposed to sleep every night? What is a sleep cycle, and why should you care? What is N1 sleep? What is N2 sleep? What is N3 sleep? What is paradoxical sleep and how can you tell someone’s in that state? What REM sleep really is and how often we must be in it The physiological and neurological difference between being awake and asleep What a neurotransmitter is and how it changes composition when asleep What the functions of our brain’s two hemispheres are How sleep cleans the brain The connection between sleep and neuroplasticity The link between sleep and brain health The scientific reason why they call it “falling” asleep How sleep directly affects longevity and vitality Why you don’t remember your dreams How sleep impacts how we learn during the day What happens to your body and brain when you close your eyes at night The one phase of sleep you cannot miss A neuroscientist's top 5 recommendations for better sleep What the purpose of vasodilation is Which hours of sleep are absolutely critical for memory processing How many hours of sleep you really need for optimal functioning Why a consistent bedtime is the start of the best sleep of your life --- Follow Dr. Poe: Instagram: instagram.com/poe.gina Webpage: bri.ucla.edu/people/gina-poe-ph-d/ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://bit.ly/45OWCNr My book! ‘High 5 Habit’, here: https://a.co/d/g1DQ8Pt Follow me: The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast/ --- This podcast is presented for educational and entertainment purposes. I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 03:40 Why the heck do we even need sleep? 04:40 The difference in our brain between sleep and wakefulness. 06:37 A perfect night’s sleep looks like this. 14:11 Your brain cleans itself during this stage. 15:54 REM is not just a rock band; this is where your dreams happen. 23:29 The ideal number of sleep cycles you should have per night. 25:03 The first half of your sleep vs. the second half. 27:31 Good sleep habits can help your body heal from mental trauma. 29:14 Here’s how to help reset your circadian rhythm. 32:20 A consistent bedtime will produce this important hormone. 35:29 How does a bath before bed help with sleep? 37:34 The sleep routine for the world’s top sleep researcher. Wait…what? 40:39 Here’s my top 3 tips for getting a great night’s sleep. What’s yours? #sleephack #sleeping — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel RobbinshostDr. Gina Poeguest

Nov 2, 202341mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: November 2, 2023
Duration: 41m
Channel: The Mel Robbins Podcast
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — Are you getting the sleep you need? Do you wish you could improve your sleep, but you’re not sure how? Dr. Gina Poe is an accomplished researcher and trained neuroscientist with a PhD in basic sleep. Currently a professor at UCLA, Dr. Poe has been researching the functions of #sleep for over 30 years and has authored nearly 200 publications on the topic. Today, Dr. Poe is here to answer your questions like, Why do you sleep? What is your brain doing as you sleep? What is REM sleep? What are sleep cycles? What are circadian rhythms? And perhaps most importantly, you’ll get 5 research-backed recommendations from Dr. Poe on how anyone, including you, can not only improve their sleep but also get a “perfect” night’s sleep, as defined by a neuroscientist. In this conversation, Dr. Poe discusses topics such as: What is the “perfect night's sleep”? How long are you supposed to sleep every night? What is a sleep cycle, and why should you care? What is N1 sleep? What is N2 sleep? What is N3 sleep? What is paradoxical sleep and how can you tell someone’s in that state? What REM sleep really is and how often we must be in it The physiological and neurological difference between being awake and asleep What a neurotransmitter is and how it changes composition when asleep What the functions of our brain’s two hemispheres are How sleep cleans the brain The connection between sleep and neuroplasticity The link between sleep and brain health The scientific reason why they call it “falling” asleep How sleep directly affects longevity and vitality Why you don’t remember your dreams How sleep impacts how we learn during the day What happens to your body and brain when you close your eyes at night The one phase of sleep you cannot miss A neuroscientist's top 5 recommendations for better sleep What the purpose of vasodilation is Which hours of sleep are absolutely critical for memory processing How many hours of sleep you really need for optimal functioning Why a consistent bedtime is the start of the best sleep of your life --- Follow Dr. Poe: Instagram: instagram.com/poe.gina Webpage: bri.ucla.edu/people/gina-poe-ph-d/ Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://bit.ly/45OWCNr My book! ‘High 5 Habit’, here: https://a.co/d/g1DQ8Pt Follow me: The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast/ --- This podcast is presented for educational and entertainment purposes. I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 03:40 Why the heck do we even need sleep? 04:40 The difference in our brain between sleep and wakefulness. 06:37 A perfect night’s sleep looks like this. 14:11 Your brain cleans itself during this stage. 15:54 REM is not just a rock band; this is where your dreams happen. 23:29 The ideal number of sleep cycles you should have per night. 25:03 The first half of your sleep vs. the second half. 27:31 Good sleep habits can help your body heal from mental trauma. 29:14 Here’s how to help reset your circadian rhythm. 32:20 A consistent bedtime will produce this important hormone. 35:29 How does a bath before bed help with sleep? 37:34 The sleep routine for the world’s top sleep researcher. Wait…what? 40:39 Here’s my top 3 tips for getting a great night’s sleep. What’s yours? #sleephack #sleeping — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

SPEAKERS

Mel Robbins
host
Dr. Gina Poe
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, featuring Mel Robbins and Dr. Gina Poe, Dr. Gina Poe: How To Get Better Sleep And Boost Your Learning, Memory & Energy | Mel Robbins Podcast explores sleep Scientist Reveals Simple Daily Habits To Supercharge Brain Health Mel Robbins interviews UCLA neuroscientist Dr. Gina Poe about the science of sleep and how it impacts learning, memory, emotional health, and physical repair. Dr. Poe explains sleep stages, REM and non-REM functions, and why the brain does essential “work” only during sleep, including waste cleanup and memory integration. They cover circadian rhythms, light exposure, and growth hormone release, showing how inconsistent bedtimes, late screens, and poor routines sabotage this system. The episode ends with practical, research-backed habits anyone can adopt to dramatically improve sleep quality and, in turn, cognitive performance and healing.

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