The Bert Show – “Vault: Sanjay Gupta Joins The Show”

Original Air Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Bert and The Bert Show Cast
Guest: Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN Chief Medical Correspondent)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins The Bert Show to discuss sleep health, the use and risks of prescription sleep aids (like Lunesta and Ambien), and share insights from his upcoming CNN special, "Sleep." Through candid conversation and listener call-ins, Dr. Gupta offers practical advice and scientific explanations, addressing America’s relationship with sleep and the modern reliance on medication over behavioral solutions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Allure and Risks of Sleep Medications

• Personal Account:
  Bert confides to Dr. Gupta that he began using Lunesta to sleep due to ongoing insomnia, influenced by marketing and his doctor’s assurance that it's "non-addictive" (02:00–03:15). However, after several weeks, he cannot sleep without it.

• Dr. Gupta’s Perspective:

  • Modern prescription sleep aids are “less addictive,” but “none of them are designed to be taken lifelong” (03:29).
  • Sleeping pills are meant for short-term relief during difficult periods, not a permanent solution.

• Quote:

  “None of them are designed to be taken lifelong. I mean, that is not the purpose of them.”—Dr. Sanjay Gupta (03:32)

• Quick-Fix Society:
  Dr. Gupta notes our tendency to skip behavioral fixes and default to medication:

  “We’re a quick-fix society and we are subjected to the marketing, there's no question. But I think too many people in this country probably jump to the pill first before trying things that might be a little bit easier.” (04:41)

2. How Sleeping Pills Work

• Neuroscience Simplified:
  Dr. Gupta explains that sleeping pills reduce the effectiveness of neurotransmitters related to wakefulness, either by quantity or function, thereby promoting sleep.

  • Newer meds have a short half-life, so they “don’t make you groggy the next day” (05:21–06:18).

• Side Effects:

  • Common side effects: dry mouth, headaches, nausea (06:23).
  • Uncommon but alarming: “sleep eating,” especially with Ambien (06:23–07:19).
    • Memorable Story: A woman sleepwalks, cooks, eats, and accuses her housekeeper—zero memory of the event.

3. Recreational and Widespread Use

• Ambien’s Evolving Reputation:
  Some are “using Ambien... as almost like a recreational drug where their sex is better, where they like the high,” posing new dangers (07:19–07:42).

• Youth & Sleep Aids:
  Dr. Gupta is “struck by the number of young people…even in grade school... taking sleeping pills regularly” (07:43).

  • Listener Erin (12:20) confirms high schoolers commonly seek Ambien—sometimes to sleep, sometimes even to skip school and enjoy the drug’s “buzz.”

• Quote:

  “I mean, it was unheard of for someone when I was a kid to take a sleeping pill. That just sounded kind of crazy.”—Dr. Sanjay Gupta (07:55)

4. Sleep Deprivation & Cognitive Function

• Dr. Gupta’s Personal Experiment:
  He stayed awake for 30 hours, then tried flying a 747 simulator at NASA. Even with knowledge and adrenaline, he performed poorly:

  “It was amazing how many of just the takeoff sequences...that I sort of had memorized and thought I had down pat that I had forgotten or I just couldn’t recall as quickly.” (08:23–09:40)

  • Emphasizes real-world risk: 80,000–100,000 crashes a year due to drowsy driving.

• Medicine and Sleep Deprivation:
  Discussion of long hours in medical training, with concerns about residents’ performance under chronic sleep deprivation.

  • Resident work week now capped at 80 hours (09:40–10:32).

5. Call-Ins: Real People, Real Struggles

• Susan:
  Addicted to Ambien for over a year, doesn’t feel refreshed, wonders if dependence is physical or psychological (10:32–11:19).

  • Dr. Gupta: Medically, Ambien “is not supposed to be addictive,” but tolerance and withdrawal do occur. Suggests gradual dose reduction (“weaning”) for safer discontinuation (11:19–12:11).

• Erin:
  Affirms youth Ambien use, describing classmates “skipping school and sleeping” and the drug’s “buzz” (12:20–12:51).

  • Bert compares the sensation: “It kind of gives you this almost buzz, like drunk, like feeling...” (12:51–13:15).

• Jeff Bridges (cast):
  Shares Ambien helped with sleep disrupted by dialysis, but relates to the “loopy and drunk and acting stoned” feeling pre-sleep (13:21).

6. Alternatives & Healthy Sleep Hygiene

• Dr. Gupta’s Recommendations:
  Most people neglect basic sleep practices. He lists essentials:

  • Remove distractions from bedroom
  • Thermostat between 66–70°F
  • Blackout curtains
  • Address persistent worries by writing them down
  • Notes a case study: Busy woman, total skeptic, but basic sleep hygiene raised her sleep to 7–8 hours a night (13:54–15:02).

• Quote:

  “Every sleep specialist we talked to said, you know what? You got to use that because it works for the vast majority of people.” (14:15)

7. The High Cost of Sleep Loss

• Long-term Impact:
  Chronic sleep deprivation (5–6 hours/night versus 8) raises risk of obesity, metabolism disorders, chronic diseases (heart, lung) and memory impairment (15:02–16:17).

• Memorable Explanation:

  “You may remember this conversation a couple of weeks from now, but probably not a few months from now because your body just isn’t able to restore and retrieve those memories as well because of lack of sleep.” (15:35)

8. New Drugs: Stimulants like Provigil

• Caller Ken:
  Asks about "Provigil" (modafinil), a stimulant prescribed for wakefulness. Bert notes his doctor offered it as an alternative to diet pills for staying alert during the day (16:47–17:23).
  • Dr. Gupta: “It’s a different premise altogether...we’re talking about keeping people awake as opposed to getting them sleep.” Military uses, but “we just don’t know the long-term effects of that as of yet.”
  • He’s personally cautious, suspects it’s not healthy long-term (17:06–17:57).

9. Upcoming Special: “Sleep”

• CNN Air Date: March 26, 10 PM
  • The special covers all the issues discussed, with stories, science, and practical advice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------| | 03:32 | “None of them are designed to be taken lifelong.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 04:41 | “We're a quick-fix society…” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 06:23 | “One of the medications, Ambien, has come under some criticism... sleep eating episodes.”| Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 07:55 | “Unheard of for someone when I was a kid to take a sleeping pill.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 09:20 | “I was amazed how many of the just takeoff sequences...that I had forgotten.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 14:15 | “It works for the vast majority of people.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 15:35 | “You may remember this conversation a couple weeks from now, but probably not a few months from now because your body just isn’t able to restore and retrieve those memories as well because of lack of sleep.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 17:06 | “It’s a different premise altogether... we’re talking about keeping people awake as opposed to getting them sleep.” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta | | 19:03 | “We spent a lot of time coming up with that title [‘Sleep’].” | Dr. Sanjay Gupta |

Important Timestamps

• 02:00–03:15 – Bert describes personal sleep struggles and Lunesta use
• 03:29–04:41 – Are sleep aids addictive? Societal quick-fix mentality
• 05:19–06:18 – How sleep medications change brain chemistry
• 06:23–07:19 – Side effects, including bizarre “sleep-eating”
• 08:23–09:40 – Dr. Gupta on sleep deprivation experiment & risk
• 10:32–12:11 – Callers Susan and Erin: real-life Ambien stories, Dr. Gupta’s advice
• 13:54–15:02 – Sleep hygiene and practical tips
• 15:02–16:17 – The physical and mental cost of sleep deprivation
• 16:47–17:57 – The “go drug” Provigil: risks and unknowns

Flow of Conversation

The episode is informal, direct, and humorous, balancing education with relatability. Dr. Gupta’s expertise is grounded and compassionate, and the show freely acknowledges the real-world urgency (and sleepiness) of the cast and callers. Bert and listeners' personal experiences make for a practical, accessible discussion about sleep.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with sleep, considering sleep aids, or interested in the science of sleep and the importance of healthy habits over quick pharmaceutical fixes. Dr. Gupta’s upcoming CNN special “Sleep” promises further exploration of these timely and personal issues.