Russell Foster

Joining us at Audible Studios is sleep expert and Professor of Circadian Neuroscience Russell Foster.

He’s created a book called Life Time, which looks in detail at how sleep and our body clocks are essential in building optimum routines for a healthy body and mind, and why we need to escape the trappings of the 21st century such as high-level stress and artificial light. And there’s no better person to have written it....

Foster's PhD thesis set his path into the realms of circadian rhythm research, looking at photo receptors in Japanese quails. With thanks to his research, we now know that the human eye has a third photo receptor, not just the cones and rods we knew about. This third receptor helps us follow a sleep-wake cycle, whether we are blind or not.

His research has provided incredible insight into the necessity of sleep and the issues sleep deprivation can cause. For his invaluable contribution to science, he has been awarded research prices such as the Honma prize (Japan), the Cogan Award (USA) and Zoological Society Scientific and Edride-Green Medals (UK).

We will be chatting with Russell Foster about why some people need more sleep than others, how sleep and mental health interact, and why jet lag makes you feel so bad! And of course, he shares his top tips for a good night’s sleep.