Podcast 331: How Better Sleep Can Transform Your Memory and Learning with Dr. Gina Poe

This week on the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist, Dr. Kristen Holmes, sits down with Dr. Gina Poe, neurobiologist and expert in REM sleep and memory consolidation. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Poe unpack what actually happens when you’re asleep and why sleep is essential — not just for memory, but emotional resilience, longevity, and high performance.

This episode breaks down the different stages of sleep and how they reshape the brain and regulate the nervous system. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Poe provide insight on daily habits to optimize sleep quality, including timing, exercise, and stress regulation.

Chapter Episodes

0:23 - Intro to Dr. Gina Poe

0:58 - Dr. Poe’s journey to sleep research 

6:58 - Sleep timing in relation to the body’s physiological rhythm

12:29 - Sleep pressure and melatonin production

14:52 - REM sleep reshaping the brain each night

21:03 - Effects of short sleep cycles 

30:17 - Relationship between skipped sleep cycles and neurodegenerative disease

31:36 - The importance of sleep spindles & exercise on sleep performance

40:46 - How sleep spindles change over a lifespan

43:44 - Daily practices that promote healthy sleep 

49:15 - Shift work, sleep cycles, & human growth hormone

55:01 - Metabolism and sleep cycles

59:21 - Dr. Poe’s dream sleep study

1:01:09 - What healthy sleep looks like

1:05:38 - Rapid fire takeaways