My Sleep Expert - Dr. Meredith Broderick

Summary

Tosh Show Episode Summary: "My Sleep Expert - Dr. Meredith Broderick"

Podcast Title: Tosh Show
Host: Daniel Tosh
Guest: Dr. Meredith Broderick, Sleep Neurologist
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Episode Duration: Approximately 41 minutes
Knowledge Cutoff: October 2023

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1. Introduction to Dr. Meredith Broderick (12:54)

Daniel Tosh welcomes Dr. Meredith Broderick, a sleep neurologist, to the show. Meredith shares her background, including her adoption from Korea to a family in Akron, Ohio.

Daniel Tosh [13:10]: "My first question, Dr. Meredith, do you believe in ghosts?"
Meredith [13:15]: "No. They still scare me though."

---

2. Personal Experiences and Background (13:27 – 16:08)

Meredith discusses her upbringing as a transracial adoptee, her experiences at Ohio State University, and the challenges of racial identity. She also touches on her brother’s severe sleepwalking issues, highlighting the real-life implications of sleep disorders.

Meredith [17:05]: "Essentially, snoring, daytime sleepiness, insomnia are very common. And then you get unique things like sleepwalking, acting out dreams, nightmares."

---

3. Understanding Sleep Disorders (16:59 – 23:15)

Dr. Broderick delves into various sleep disorders, including snoring, insomnia, and sleepwalking. She explains how these disorders are diagnosed and treated in her practice. Meredith emphasizes the connection between sleep disorders and serious health risks such as heart attacks and strokes.

Meredith [17:07]: "I evaluate people and try to classify their disorder into medical descriptions. So, for instance, snoring is a really common reason people will come see me."

Daniel Tosh [23:15]: "How is sleep related to this?"
Meredith [23:15]: "If you have a sleep disorder, you're more at risk for vascular disease. So heart attack and stroke."

---

4. The Importance of Sleep Hygiene (23:21 – 32:23)

Meredith outlines essential sleep hygiene practices, including minimizing caffeine and alcohol intake, maintaining consistent sleep schedules, and keeping the bedroom environment conducive to sleep. She discusses the impact of technology on sleep quality and offers advice on optimizing bedroom temperature and mattress selection.

Meredith [48:25]: "Sleep hygiene involves minimizing caffeine, minimizing alcohol, keeping consistent bedtimes and wake times, not watching TV in bed, and keeping your bedroom just for sleep and intimacy."

Daniel Tosh [24:12]: "But I like this answer. I sleep on my sides, flip back and forth throughout the night."

---

5. Sleep and Lifestyle Factors (32:24 – 43:54)

The conversation shifts to lifestyle factors affecting sleep, such as diet, exercise, and emotional health. Meredith discusses the concept of sleep debt and its long-term effects on overall health. She advises on effective napping strategies and the role of melatonin supplements.

Meredith [27:59]: "Sleep debt is like sleep appetite. If you starve yourself for sleep, you build up a need to sleep, similar to hunger."

Daniel Tosh [30:08]: "My wife, every night, falls asleep on the couch at night... seems so unnecessary."

---

6. Family and Sleep Training (43:07 – 56:18)

Meredith shares her experiences with sleep training her children, addressing common misconceptions and resistance from others. She emphasizes the importance of establishing consistent sleep routines for children and discusses the challenges parents face when dealing with young kids' sleep habits.

Meredith [34:40]: "I sleep trained my first child around six months and the second one at three months."

Daniel Tosh [35:19]: "Do your kids know?"
Meredith [35:19]: "Yes, they know."

---

7. Advanced Sleep Topics: Lucid Dreaming and Dream Analysis (45:46 – 49:19)

Dr. Broderick explores topics like lucid dreaming and the significance of dreams. She explains the scientific perspective on dreaming and offers insights into how individuals can interpret and potentially control their dreams for better sleep quality.

Meredith [46:13]: "Lucid dreaming is real. I've experienced it myself, but it requires training."

Daniel Tosh [47:34]: "Do dreams mean anything?"
Meredith [47:34]: "They contain content from your day, and the brain is scanning memories and making associations."

---

8. Adoption and Identity (43:55 – 45:50)

The discussion briefly touches on Meredith's adoption journey, the challenges of reconnecting with biological parents, and the emotional aspects of maintaining connections between biological and adoptive families.

Meredith [44:13]: "Keep the connection between the biological family... maintain that identity for future questions."

Daniel Tosh [45:10]: "What advice would you offer to someone considering adoption?"
Meredith [45:10]: "Maintain the connection and identity so the child can seek out their biological family if they choose."

---

9. Practical Sleep Tips and Recommendations (49:19 – 49:25)

Dr. Broderick concludes with actionable advice on improving sleep quality, reinforcing the importance of sleep hygiene and overall wellness.

Meredith [48:25]: "Maintaining good sleep hygiene and overall health are crucial for long-term sleep quality."

Daniel Tosh [49:25]: "Thank you for being on the show."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Meredith on Sleep Debt:

  "Sleep debt is like sleep appetite. If you starve yourself for sleep, you build up a need to sleep, similar to hunger."
  [27:59]

• Meredith on Sleep Hygiene:

  "Sleep hygiene involves minimizing caffeine, minimizing alcohol, keeping consistent bedtimes and wake times, not watching TV in bed, and keeping your bedroom just for sleep and intimacy."
  [48:25]

• Meredith on Lucid Dreaming:

  "Lucid dreaming is real. I've experienced it myself, but it requires training."
  [46:13]

• Meredith on Adoption:

  "Keep the connection between the biological family... maintain that identity for future questions."
  [44:13]

---

Key Takeaways

1. Sleep Disorders Are Common and Serious: Conditions like snoring, insomnia, and sleepwalking are prevalent and can significantly impact overall health, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

2. Importance of Sleep Hygiene: Adhering to good sleep practices—such as maintaining consistent sleep schedules, creating a conducive sleep environment, and limiting stimulants—can dramatically improve sleep quality.

3. Lifestyle Influences Sleep: Diet, exercise, emotional health, and technology use play critical roles in sleep quality. Managing these factors can help mitigate sleep-related issues.

4. Sleep Training for Children: Establishing consistent sleep routines and training can benefit both children and parents, though it may face social resistance.

5. Advanced Sleep Insights: Understanding concepts like sleep debt and exploring practices like lucid dreaming can enhance one's approach to sleep health.

6. Personal and Emotional Aspects: Issues such as adoption and maintaining family connections can indirectly influence sleep quality and overall well-being.

---

Conclusion

In this engaging episode of the Tosh Show, Daniel Tosh converses with Dr. Meredith Broderick, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of sleep health. From understanding common sleep disorders to implementing effective sleep hygiene practices, the discussion provides valuable insights aimed at improving sleep quality and, by extension, overall health. Dr. Broderick’s expertise and personal anecdotes enrich the conversation, making complex medical information accessible and relatable to the audience.

Transcript

[Daniel Tosh]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

[Eddie]

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[Eddie]

[e-mail] how many hours of sleep does.

[Daniel Tosh]

A healthy adult need? At least seven is 11 depressing 11?

[Meredith]

Something's going on.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Posh Show Tosh show from show hey, welcome to Tosh Show. Great to be here on this blessed Tuesday. Tuesday, the day so great they gave it two days.

[Unknown]

I like it.

[Eddie]

How you doing, Eddie?

[Unknown]

I'm doing good. How are you doing?

[Eddie]

You know, just getting ready for Mother's Day.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. Gearing up.

[Eddie]

Your mom's still alive?

[Unknown]

She is, yeah.

[Eddie]

Good, good. That is awkward when you ask somebody and they're like, no.

[Unknown]

I mean, I think you gotta know going in if they are.

[Eddie]

No, no, you can. How are you gonna know without asking?

[Unknown]

I think you're doing it just to be nice.

[Eddie]

Mm. I always assume people's mothers are alive, and then I'm just rocked to the core when I find out they're dead as shit.

[Unknown]

Yeah, dead as.

[Eddie]

Oh, I am not looking forward to the day my mom dies. Okay. That being said, I prepare for it.

[Unknown]

What have you prepared?

[Eddie]

Which is what I'm gonna say at her funeral.

[Unknown]

I'll give us a little taste.

[Eddie]

I'm gonna beatbox. I'll tell you why I'm into beatboxing. Ever since that one NSync song where Justin Timberlake just. Just went to town, I was like, oh, man. This is the most ridiculous start to a show I've ever done.

[Unknown]

This is good.

[Eddie]

I need to check into my mom. Cause Mother's Day's coming up.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Now, normally I just get my mom a card, but this year, I got her a car. Boom.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Eddie]

Who's her favorite prodigal son?

[Unknown]

Two prodigal sons.

[Eddie]

Yeah, there's two prodigal sons. Both me and my brother Andrew Strayed.

[Margot]

That's so funny.

[Eddie]

We went across the country. She's got two prodigal sons.

[Unknown]

Two prodigal sons.

[Eddie]

When we do return, there will be no one there to kill the fatted calf. These are all things I worry about. Anyway. No, I got my mom a car. Oh, my goodness, the generosity that oozes out of me.

[Unknown]

What kind of car did you get her?

[Eddie]

That's a beater. You know, no real lemon. But it's way worse than the car she was currently driving. Nobody. You know. Listen, all she talks about now is there's just too much technology in it. Let's see what that old hag's up to. I love her, don't get me wrong.

[Margot]

Yeah. Hey, this is Margot.

[Eddie]

Hi.

[Margot]

I missed your call.

[Eddie]

I've never once planned for her not answering her phone. What could she be doing at 3 o'clock on a Tuesday? That's prime awake time.

[Meredith]

Hello?

[Eddie]

Hey. Two things. One, how many cinnamon rolls did you eat?

[Daniel Tosh]

Three.

[Eddie]

Seems Tuesday seems like an unacceptable number. All right. And where's Mom?

[Margot]

She's here. Do you want her?

[Eddie]

Yeah. Let me talk to her.

[Margot]

Hello?

[Eddie]

Why weren't you answering your phone?

[Margot]

I. I don't know. I was just looking at my phone. It was right there. Oh.

[Eddie]

What are you talking. Did you change your number?

[Margot]

Oh, no. I always have it silenced, but, yeah, I didn't have it in my pocket.

[Meredith]

Sorry.

[Daniel Tosh]

Have you. Have you figured out how to get.

[Eddie]

Your phone hooked up to your new car? The Bluetooth?

[Daniel Tosh]

Is that.

[Margot]

No, no. Dad's doing that. Dad is up. I'm not doing that. I don't do all that. That's crazy. There's so much. I mean, I love the new car. I really do. But there's a lot of things that I don't even know how to work. I don't even know how to open the sunroof and the. And all the buttons on the top of it.

[Eddie]

Well, you gotta get in there and tinker.

[Margot]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

What about.

[Eddie]

Does the seat have massaging or.

[Margot]

No, I don't think so. Does our seat have massaging?

[Eddie]

What about cold air? Ask them if it blows cold air.

[Margot]

Does it blow cold air out of my butt?

[Meredith]

No. No.

[Daniel Tosh]

I bet it does.

[Margot]

You think it does?

[Eddie]

Yeah. Yeah. There's like. Next to the heated seats, there's like a one. Like, you make it press it again, make it turn blue.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, by the way, this.

[Eddie]

This counts as my Mother's Day gift.

[Margot]

What, this phone call?

[Eddie]

No, the car.

[Margot]

I was gonna say we're leaving. We're leaving this weekend for North Carolina. So I was gonna tell you anyway. Don't send flowers. Cause we won't be here for a couple weeks. Two or three weeks, I think.

[Eddie]

Is this your first road trip with the new whip?

[Margot]

I. I really do like driving. And I. You know, the thing is, I know now I should have gotten rid of the old car, but it scared me, Daniel, that last time when it heated up and it said get off right away, I thought it was going to blow up on me. It scared me a lot. And. And, you know, we never had trouble till January. We started having one thing after another, and it was so strange. So I hope Mike can sell it then. I. You know, I wish we had done it last fall when you had suggested. But, you know, I. Or we should have done it ourselves. We should have just gone down and traded that in and gotten the car ourselves.

[Eddie]

But.

[Margot]

I don't know. It's just the timing wasn't right or. But. But now I. I'm. I was afraid of that car in the end you know, and it was such a good car for 15 years.

[Eddie]

Oh, hey, sorry about that. I'm back.

[Margot]

Oh, you didn't hear anything.

[Eddie]

I'm teasing. That's just a bit. That was just a bit. I heard everything he said. It was such a long. It was so long. It's the longest I've ever talked to you. Geez.

[Margot]

I know.

[Eddie]

Pete was worried this wasn't going to be long enough for an Act 1.

[Margot]

This isn't going to be. This isn't a. No, Daniel, don't say that.

[Eddie]

I'm not. Don't worry about it. All right, let me go then. I got work to do. Safe travels. Talk to you soon.

[Daniel Tosh]

Love you.

[Unknown]

Bye.

[Eddie]

Bye. I tell you what, I could use a nap. Now then, today's guest will watch me enjoy. Original Penguin is an iconic American clothing and lifestyle brand known for blending vintage flair with modern fun. With a rich heritage dating back to 1955, original penguin has been a trendsetter in men's fashion for 70 years. From its start as a groundbreaking golf apparel company to a lifestyle brand that celebrates self expression. Today, they make fun clothes for fun days, from their iconic polos to versatile suits and fragrances. I didn't know they made fragrances. All right, to get your hands on Original Penguins pieces, to start embodying the original Good Time Lifestyle, go to originalpenguin.com and use code TOSH for a 20% off discount. That's originalpenguin.com and Use the code TOSH for 20% off your order. I tell you what, guys, that's a good deal. Hi, Daniel, Tosh here. Now, you may know me as a comedian and a podcaster, but I'm also an entrepreneur. So I know firsthand that starting a new business can be overwhelming thanks to all the hats you suddenly have to learn to wear. But lucky for me, we had Shopify to help. Shopify is a commerce platform by millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all E commerce in America. From household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. When you use Shopify, your company doesn't need to hire its own design studio or marketing team. They take care of everything with ready to use templates, social media campaigns and AI tools for content creation. They have tons of experience in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com tosh turn your big business idea into with Shopify on your side, go to shopify.com tosh that's shopify.com tosh from prioritizing.

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[Eddie]

Paw Show. My guest today has dedicated her life's.

[Daniel Tosh]

Work worked my favorite part of the day.

[Eddie]

She has a medical degree in counting sheep.

[Daniel Tosh]

Please welcome the sleep guru herself, Meredith.

[Eddie]

Meredith, thank you for being here.

[Meredith]

Thank you for having me.

[Daniel Tosh]

My first question, Dr. Meredith, do you believe in ghosts?

[Meredith]

No.

[Daniel Tosh]

That's good to hear.

[Meredith]

They still scare me though.

[Daniel Tosh]

Well, sure, if a lot of things that aren't real, if they appeared, would terrify me.

[Eddie]

You were born in Korea and adopted.

[Daniel Tosh]

By a family from Akron, Ohio. Now I want you to be honest. As an infant, when you found out that you lived in Ohio, were you like, this is fucking horrible.

[Meredith]

My favorite T shirt of all time is it's a T shirt of the skyline of Cleveland and it says Cleveland. You've got to be tough.

[Daniel Tosh]

What is that?

[Meredith]

Which is true.

[Daniel Tosh]

How is that skyline? Are there memorable buildings to make up that skyline in Cleveland?

[Meredith]

Not really. There's the KeyBank building and there's the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, that's right.

[Meredith]

I've heard kind of the highlight.

[Daniel Tosh]

Yeah, yeah. I've walked around that thing a few times.

[Eddie]

Never stepped foot inside.

[Daniel Tosh]

But I've walked around it as a first generation immigrant with white parents. What was Ohio like in the 80s? Were you aware? Did you feel like. Oh, yeah.

[Meredith]

I mean, I never even knew the term transracial adoptee until I think I moved to Seattle, but I caught it does. You do have this like George of the Jungle feel when you're like, you're like, you're like Asian on the outside, but you feel like a white. You think like a white person.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, what does thinking like a white person mean?

[Meredith]

Well, I mean, the first time I kind of got to know a lot of Asians was when I went for my fellowship at Stanford and there were a lot of Asians there.

[Eddie]

Stanford hit the bell.

[Daniel Tosh]

That's another one. We have so many Stanford grads on this show. It's pretty remarkable. Yeah.

[Meredith]

I don't know, but you.

[Daniel Tosh]

That was the first time you met a lot of Asians is here in California.

[Meredith]

Yeah. And you know, when you meet other Asians, they have like a secret handshake and they experience expect you to know certain things and when you don't, they're sort of like, you know, like, it's what's wrong with you? Like, why don't you know? Or people will just start speaking in Korean to me. And I'm like, it does not compute.

[Daniel Tosh]

How about now?

[Meredith]

So now I feel like crash course. I did. Like when I was in college, I took Korean and I met more Korean people. But still there's this feeling of like kind of almost like an imposter syndrome. Like I don't belong in this group. You know, it's kind of an interesting, like racial identity to come from, I guess.

[Daniel Tosh]

What about with your children? Are you making them more aware of their.

[Meredith]

So my daughter, she's in kindergarten, she came home and she said, I told her that she's half Korean because they were talking about that. And I said, you know, you're half Korean. And she said, well, will I be full Korean when I grow up.

[Daniel Tosh]

That's a great question. That's a good kid.

[Meredith]

I like it. It's hard to explain.

[Daniel Tosh]

Of course it is.

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

Ah, but it's fun.

[Meredith]

Yeah. It's interesting to explain.

[Daniel Tosh]

You attended the Ohio State University.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Did you say it like that?

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Like a complete asshole.

[Meredith]

That's how we say it. Because there's Ohio University.

[Daniel Tosh]

I know.

[Meredith]

And you just. We don't want to be associated, I don't think.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't. Those two rarely are confused with each other, but okay. Did you have a good time at that university? Quite a party school? No, I did.

[Meredith]

I had a really good time. Really good time.

[Daniel Tosh]

Columbus has always been one of my favorite cities to perform in, to do shows. I love going there.

[Eddie]

What's your least favorite Ohio city?

[Daniel Tosh]

Dayton.

[Meredith]

Dayton.

[Daniel Tosh]

Dayton is awful. You ever been there?

[Meredith]

Just briefly.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, it's no good.

[Eddie]

That's a garbage city. John.

[Daniel Tosh]

John back there, he's from Ohio, so.

[Eddie]

He cares about everything.

[Unknown]

Oh, I don't care at all.

[Daniel Tosh]

Where are you from in Ohio?

[Unknown]

I grew up very east. Probably like two hours from Columbus.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay, two hours from Columbus. It's not even a place. Two hours. You can go across the whole state.

[Unknown]

It takes four.

[Eddie]

All right, so you're a sleep expert.

[Meredith]

I am. I'm a sleep neurologist.

[Daniel Tosh]

Somebody has sleep problems, what do they do?

[Eddie]

What are their normal complaints or problems?

[Daniel Tosh]

And they come to you. What's the process?

[Meredith]

Basically, I evaluate people and I try to use my training and try to classify their disorder into medical description. So, for instance, snoring is a really common reason people will come see me. Being sleepy during the day is really common. Insomnia is really common. And then you'll get some unique things like sleepwalking, acting out my dreams, type things, nightmares.

[Daniel Tosh]

That's fun. People start walking around and doing things.

[Meredith]

It's interesting. My brother was actually a sleepwalker. And he would do things like climb out of, like, he would punch out his window and, like, jump off the roof and, like, run around and ring the doorbell. I have a lot more sympathy for my mom now than I want.

[Daniel Tosh]

I mean, that's a crazy person.

[Meredith]

It was very severe, and I think it was like.

[Daniel Tosh]

Were you terrified of him?

[Meredith]

Well, I was.

[Daniel Tosh]

Slept through it until one day.

[Meredith]

But, I mean, he used to walk. He went to Ohio University.

[Daniel Tosh]

And that explains it.

[Meredith]

And he said he would wake up in the middle of campus in his boxer shorts and be like, how did I get here?

[Daniel Tosh]

Is he still doing this nonsense?

[Meredith]

I think it's better now, I think, to Some he like grew out of it to some degree, but he like, can't. If he goes to a hotel or like spends the night, he wants to sleep on the first floor of the basement. So there's like long lasting effects of it.

[Eddie]

Jesus.

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

I would travel with handcuffs and just literally handcuff me to the bed every night and then you can uncuff me in the morning.

[Meredith]

Not a bad idea. I mean, there are some people that we have them like zip themselves up in like a really tight sleeping bag and like put mitts on their hands and you know, they can't have anything sharp in their room.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you watch these people sleep?

[Eddie]

Is that part of your job ever?

[Meredith]

It is.

[Daniel Tosh]

Ugh, so weird. I mean, do you get bored or you just got like a motion sensor that lets you know when the highlights are coming?

[Meredith]

Yeah. Well, so we record it and then I would page through it.

[Eddie]

Right.

[Daniel Tosh]

You don't go to their house and just hover?

[Meredith]

No.

[Eddie]

There's no personal visits.

[Daniel Tosh]

That seems like a fun thing to do. Don't mind her. She's just gonna watch us tonight.

[Meredith]

Well, nowadays two people will record themselves and they'll send me things. Sometimes I'll get a message on social media, like, can you just look at this video? And it's interesting. Sometimes the way people set up cameras and people will do it just of their eyes and I'll be like, yeah, that's just as you're falling asleep, your eyes kind of rove side to side and it's just normal.

[Daniel Tosh]

They thought they were possessed or something.

[Meredith]

They thought it was something wrong.

[Daniel Tosh]

How many of your clients sleep issues are actually linked to unresolved trauma?

[Meredith]

I would say a pretty high percentage, maybe 30%.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay, so you're basically a therapist.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Are they expected to tell you like stuff that they went through?

[Meredith]

They don't always tell people. I've had people write me a letter years later and tell me something that they were holding in and they finally.

[Daniel Tosh]

Addressed it right when I see. What's the first thing we have to do?

[Meredith]

We would just talk for about an hour about your sleep, about your life and me really understanding what you're trying to fix.

[Eddie]

Insurance cover this?

[Daniel Tosh]

It does in Seattle.

[Meredith]

I bet it does.

[Daniel Tosh]

Does it everywhere?

[Meredith]

It does.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you take insurance or no?

[Meredith]

I take out of network insurance.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay. Do people in general sleep better in Seattle because of all the rain?

[Meredith]

I don't think so. I actually think the light dark cycle, because it's so dramatic there, probably messes with people. Plus there's all the tech people and you know, they have issues.

[Daniel Tosh]

Why did you specialize in sleep one?

[Meredith]

I just thought it was interesting too. When you practice neurology and you see people having strokes and, you know, diagnose them with horrible things, you think, gosh, we've got to do something more about prevention. And so that really appealed to me. And back when I chose it as a profession, people thought it was really strange. Like it wasn't even a real field. I remember being in, in my fellowship and meeting people and saying, is that like a real specialty? Like, I think they thought maybe I was kind of like a complimentary medicine type of doctor or something. Like, I just thought it was really.

[Daniel Tosh]

Interesting you were ahead of the curve because now everyone cares.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

So much. I mean, listen. Oh, my father in law, just watching him strap up his CPAP machine at night and I'm just like. And then he's bragging about his scores in the morning. I'm just like, oh, I got over an 80. I'm like, is that good?

[Meredith]

It is good.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay. How many hours of sleep does a healthy adult need?

[Meredith]

At least seven. Between seven and nine, we like to say, like, there's this Goldilocks zone. Not too little, not too much. But 7 to 9 is 11.

[Daniel Tosh]

Depressing 11.

[Meredith]

Something's going on.

[Eddie]

Okay, that's what I'd like. I like.

[Daniel Tosh]

No, I like. What do I like? I can't even do the math. I'm at least an eight hour sleeper, that's for sure.

[Meredith]

That's good.

[Daniel Tosh]

But I don't sleep it straight. Is that okay that I get up three or four times in the night? Maybe two or three.

[Meredith]

Are they short?

[Eddie]

Very short.

[Daniel Tosh]

Just to go to the bathroom?

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Okay, that's okay.

[Meredith]

We wake up after every sleep cycle. That's probably what's happening. If you think about it, it's like how to protect yourself if you're living in the wild, right? You wake up, you look around and then you go back to sleep. You're making sure everything's still okay.

[Daniel Tosh]

That's what I'm protecting, my house. Oh, man, that's good. That's also my biggest fear about jail. I don't think sleep has affected my life to where I'm like, I don't ever want to commit a crime because going to jail, that just seems like such a nightmare to me. How they sleep in there, what do.

[Meredith]

They do in jail?

[Daniel Tosh]

Well, I don't know. First of all, you only get one pillow. Okay. And then there's a threat at all times. Somebody doing something to you, like Your brother. Except for they're not asleep.

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

You know, I don't know. It just seems crazy.

[Eddie]

If jail was like, oh, you can have three pillows and you're.

[Daniel Tosh]

You can stay in your cell all day and sleep all. And night, and we won't bug you, then I'd be like, okay, jail sounds okay, but the fact that it's like, no, rise and shine. And you gotta get. Why are they waking people up?

[Eddie]

I'll be honest with you.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't even know that they do, but I always feel like I think they do anyway. Stroke prevention. How is sleep related to this?

[Meredith]

Well, if you have a sleep disorder, you're more at risk for vascular disease. So heart attack and stroke. Because sleep plays such an important role in restoring our health and immune function, if we don't sleep well, our blood pressure goes up, and that's a huge risk factor for vascular disease.

[Daniel Tosh]

This is great. All this stuff makes sense. Yeah. Because nothing bothers me more when I talk to those people that are like, oh, just three or four hours, that's all I need. And I'm like, ugh. What's the best position to sleep in?

[Meredith]

Depends on what you're thinking about. But interestingly, there was a study that just came out in January in a very prestigious journal called Cell. These scientists think that when we sleep on our sides, we can drain our veins and our neck. We have these big jugular veins in our neck and this clearance of waste that happens when we sleep, we get better drainage when we sleep on our sides. And depending on how the anatomy of your venous drainage, you may want to do both sides or sleep on one side.

[Daniel Tosh]

But I like this answer. I sleep on my sides, flip back and forth throughout the night, and then occasionally I'll do a little bit on my back, and occasionally I'll do a little on my stomach.

[Eddie]

But for the most part, I don't.

[Daniel Tosh]

Have a set position. Now my wife just sleeps, doesn't move, doesn't remove the covers, and just sweats all night long. I just find it disturbing and disgusting. What's the ideal temperature we should be sleeping at?

[Meredith]

They say 65 to 68 degrees.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, my God. That's my heaven. If you could talk my wife into 65. No, she just. It's like 72.

[Eddie]

Just something awful.

[Daniel Tosh]

What kind of. What kind of mattress should we be using?

[Meredith]

There is some personal preference. What's subjective. And for some people, it depends on, you know, how much you weigh. So the more you weigh, the firmer mattress you're going to need. And so, but like a medium firm is generally like, you know, what most people are going to prefer. And there's some, a little bit of science around. It should be heat dissipating, so, you know, it's keeping your body cool. You're not getting hot.

[Daniel Tosh]

Everything you're saying, she's wrong, right? Everything she sleeps, wrong. She shouldn't be this hot. All right, that's a firmish mattress. But I do, I have a little bit of the acid reflux, so I've put the blocks up on the bed for a slight. That's fine, right?

[Meredith]

Yep. Or no, no, that's good. That's good.

[Daniel Tosh]

What about those beds the old people have, the foldable ones? Are people actually sleeping in those things?

[Meredith]

People do. There are some people that need to elevate more either because, you know, their body weight, it helps them kind of mechanically breathe easier or for reflux. You know, some people just have trouble getting out of bed and so it's helpful for them.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't, well, I don't like it when they have beds that are split in half where one half can do something and the other half, then there's a seam in the middle. All of a sudden I want to roll over and say hi to what's her name, you know, now I've got a seam.

[Meredith]

Well, but you know, what with the temperature thing like you're talking about, they have those cooling mattresses now where like, you know, you can have the cooling mattress on yours.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't care. I don't care about any of this.

[Eddie]

And you know what the worst mattresses are? Those air.

[Daniel Tosh]

Any sleep numbers where they have the air that's garbage.

[Eddie]

Is snoring a sign of someone getting real sound sleep or a sign that they're about to die?

[Meredith]

It's more on the about to die closer to the about to die. Although you can do that for a long time and your body sort of makes adaptations and they're not necessarily great adaptations like your, your brain starts. Stops being as arousable, so you start becoming sleepier and sleepier. So that's why, you know, think about it. If someone's snoring really loud and they can sleep through that, you know, that's not natural. You should awaken to something that loud.

[Eddie]

This is great.

[Daniel Tosh]

See, I'm just, I'm just thinking of my in laws now because she has to have. My mother in law has to have a sound machine on. And a sound machine as an adult seems unnecessary. She also has to have it complete black. There can be no Light. And then he's got the CPAP machine on and it's just chaos in there.

[Eddie]

It's just the loudest noise.

[Daniel Tosh]

I have got children in the other room that don't need these type of distractions.

[Meredith]

What's wrong with them getting older?

[Daniel Tosh]

That's just. It seems like they're just making stuff up. Explain what sleep debt is to people who might not be aware of the term and think it sounds like a hippie dippy Bullshit.

[Meredith]

I think of it like sleep appetite. So whenever you stay awake, your body builds up neurotransmitters and that increases your need for sleep. So it's just like if you starve yourself for a while, you'll become hungry and hungrier. So we need a certain amount of sleep debt. 16 hours on average to sleep 8 hours at night.

[Daniel Tosh]

All right, I'll believe that. Can we catch up on sleep to some degree?

[Meredith]

Yes. So, for instance, if you're very sleep deprived, let's say you have a big test or something this week and you don't get great sleep, and then you can make up for it on the weekend. But if you're chronically sleep deprived, if you just think about. In terms of math, if you add up those hours, it becomes so many hours. If you're chronically sleep deprived, you really can't catch up on it.

[Daniel Tosh]

My mother. I was not a great student. Now you were a great student. But my mother's advice to me always was, sometimes I would be overwhelmed about a test and her advice as a mother. Instead of studying really hard, she'd be like, well, just make sure you have a good night's sleep. That was always her advice to almost everything.

[Meredith]

That's good advice.

[Daniel Tosh]

Just go to bed.

[Meredith]

It's really good advice.

[Daniel Tosh]

You think it's good advice? That's great.

[Meredith]

Well, you have to study. But then there are all other studies that show you're learning. You keep what you learned. If you sleep after.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, well, I don't know. I think she was just like, I think you just need some sleep. I failed the test. She's like, whoa, whoa. Were you rested? I felt great. How long should it take you to fall asleep?

[Meredith]

About 15 minutes? 10. 15 minutes?

[Daniel Tosh]

No, I can fall asleep. I can beat that.

[Meredith]

You can?

[Eddie]

Oh, easily.

[Meredith]

Are you like, my head hits the pillow and naps.

[Daniel Tosh]

It's just the second I am allowed to take a nap, I just go to sleep.

[Meredith]

For how long?

[Daniel Tosh]

Well, I don't know. I mean, as long as I'm allowed to. If I had my dream nap, it would probably be close to an hour, but usually they're much shorter than that. Is that too long?

[Eddie]

Is an hour too long?

[Meredith]

No, it's not too long. There are different lengths of naps that have different benefits. So, like the power nap, you're getting a certain number of minutes of stage two, and that's performance enhancing. And then, you know, we say, like, the perfect nap is one sleep cycle midday. And so there's, like, different times you would take it to try to get different distributions of your sleep stages.

[Daniel Tosh]

I just feel like I'm very European. I just need a nap after I eat. If I eat lunch, I want to go down almost immediately. Can napping be a problem?

[Meredith]

The only time I'm really against them is for people who struggle with chronic insomnia. They're very counterproductive to that. Or sometimes people fall asleep on the couch and then they get up to go to bed, and then they can't sleep because they've, you know, just slept for a while.

[Daniel Tosh]

My wife, every night, falls asleep on the couch at night, and I'm like, well, why don't we just get up and go to bed? And she's like, I don't want to go. I'm like, she just wants to go to sleep twice, basically. That seems so unnecessary. But the ordeal of doing all the stuff before bed is too much, I guess. We have no TVs in any bedroom in our house, but everybody gets an iPad. I'm kidding. No, we don't have TVs. I remember when they were. That was. I was like, no, there's, like, one. There's a TV in the family room, the end. It's the phones and the screens that are the biggest problem with good sleep, I think so.

[Meredith]

I think that's a big part of it.

[Daniel Tosh]

Reading on your phone before bed. It's bad for us. We shouldn't do it.

[Meredith]

It's bad because it's. The light, for one, is sending a signal that it's daytime.

[Daniel Tosh]

When can't we change the light setting?

[Meredith]

It doesn't really filter it out completely. The little, like, blue. I forget what it's called. Like dark mode or I forget what it's called.

[Daniel Tosh]

There's a dark mode.

[Meredith]

And then also what we're doing. So if you're on social media or you're scrolling, it's kind of giving you little dopamine hits. And it just kind of. It kind of keeps your day going where we need a little.

[Daniel Tosh]

But what if I'm just straight reading from the phone?

[Meredith]

I think that's Okay. I mean, it's better. The less light, the better.

[Daniel Tosh]

When do you stop eating before bed?

[Meredith]

So I eat dinner around 6 o'clock and I don't eat anything after that.

[Daniel Tosh]

You have dessert after dinner?

[Meredith]

No. I mean, rarely. Unless it's like a special occasion or.

[Daniel Tosh]

You don't have a sweet tooth or you just don't want to have dessert because it's not good for you.

[Meredith]

It will affect my sleep. I will have a reflux. And also I just. If I do, I'm gonna gain weight.

[Daniel Tosh]

You're a tiny person. I don't. Diet is a huge part of sleeping, right?

[Meredith]

It is. It is more than people realize. They're entwined. They're synergistic with each other.

[Daniel Tosh]

So you're saying a minimum of three hours?

[Meredith]

I would say a minimum of three.

[Daniel Tosh]

I love to eat and then.

[Eddie]

Well, what about.

[Daniel Tosh]

But naps.

[Eddie]

It's okay to eat and then crash.

[Meredith]

If you eat before bed, you know, one, you can have like reflux and things like that. But also it moves your circadian rhythm, like your natural timing of sleep. It moves it a little later. So especially if you're someone who has trouble getting up in the morning or going to bed at the right time, it can be very counterproductive.

[Eddie]

How come if I don't fall asleep.

[Daniel Tosh]

Right when I'm tired, that then, oh, there goes that opportunity to fall asleep?

[Meredith]

I don't know the answer to that question, but I do hear people say that a lot, that they almost feel like, you know, it's like a wave coming and you missed it and you have to wait for the next one.

[Daniel Tosh]

Right. But that's not helpful. If you can't tell me, why do you sleep well?

[Meredith]

I do. I sleep extremely well.

[Daniel Tosh]

Have you always slept well?

[Meredith]

You know, I'm one of those good sleepers, but in sleep medicine you can be too sleepy. So I've definitely been on that end of the spectrum. Like, we think of insomnia as when you don't sleep well, but there can also be people who are too sleepy and sleep too much. And so I've definitely been on that end of the spectrum at times in my life.

[Daniel Tosh]

Are you married?

[Meredith]

I'm married.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Eddie]

A husband?

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Does he sleep well?

[Meredith]

He does.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you guys go to bed at the same time every night?

[Meredith]

We do, but we're kind of. We're both night owls, and so we. We sort of have a negative effect on each other.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't like this.

[Eddie]

Okay, you're both night owls.

[Daniel Tosh]

So what time do you go to bed at Night.

[Meredith]

Well, now, because I have young kids, I try to go to bed by like 9, 30, 10. But before kids it was like midnight.

[Daniel Tosh]

What time do you wake up? What time do the kids wake up?

[Meredith]

My kids wake up around 6:45, 7. But I get up at between 6 and 6:15.

[Daniel Tosh]

I'm just, I'm just getting your routine. We have the exact same age kids. You have a two year old and.

[Eddie]

A six year old.

[Daniel Tosh]

We both have two year olds and six year olds. Every minute that I'm awake past them going to bed, I feel is wasted. I'm like, I should just go down. What am I doing?

[Eddie]

What?

[Daniel Tosh]

We're going to start a new series. Like, this is not the time. This is time to recharge.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Eddie]

So I try to go.

[Daniel Tosh]

I go to bed very early. Did your kids sleep well?

[Meredith]

Yes. I mean, I had to sleep train them, which for some reason is extremely controversial. Whenever I talk about it, people will, I'll get messages saying like, you're a child abuser.

[Daniel Tosh]

Well, that. Who cares?

[Meredith]

No, I know, but for some reason it's so controversial. But I did, I did sleep train my first one around six months. And the second one I was just like three months. Let's go.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, good for you. Now I sleep trained the first one and it took in like two days.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

It was like two days of torture doing the alarm on my phone. Okay. But the second one didn't care as much and she just figured it out pretty quickly. Both of my kids great sleepers and I see people that struggle, but they don't do the things necessary to stop it. So I'm like, well, I don't care anymore. Oh, you're tired.

[Eddie]

Well, yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

Your kid still sleeps in your bed and she's five.

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

What age do you put like pillows and blankets and stuff in there?

[Meredith]

I waited. And you're technically supposed to wait until one year because sometimes longer.

[Daniel Tosh]

Some of these pediatricians are like, don't put anything in there yet. I'm like, what? My kid's got a pillow blanket, doesn't need a sleep sack and just sleeps. They're like, well, does she stay on the pillow? I'm like, for the most part, yeah.

[Eddie]

How important are pillows?

[Meredith]

I guess I don't know the scientific answer to that, but I think people find them to be helpful for neck support. And I think they become something we're used to if we have them.

[Daniel Tosh]

How many pillows do you sleep with?

[Meredith]

Two.

[Daniel Tosh]

I'm a three.

[Margot]

You win.

[Daniel Tosh]

No.

[Meredith]

Are they all under your head?

[Daniel Tosh]

No. No, But I Have one kind, like firmish foam one that is down and then a really soft feather one on top of it. That way I get the height, but I still have the softness of the feather one.

[Meredith]

Smart.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay. Then the other one is just for body and knees and stuff like that.

[Meredith]

I'm gonna use that in my clinic.

[Daniel Tosh]

You can have that one.

[Meredith]

Okay.

[Daniel Tosh]

No, but my wife has just. She's got all kinds of nonsense. She's got these square pillows that are supposed to help for back support. None of it I don't pay attention to. There's just a wall between us at this point and that both physical and emotional. Do women actually require more sleep than men?

[Meredith]

There are studies that show that women need a little bit more sleep than men, but it's a little bit murky because women also have more fragmented sleep and more sleep disruption. And so it's not really clear whether there's a physiologic need for more sleep or women just sleep a little bit more because it's more disrupted or they have more. You know, some women have more responsibilities if they carry the domestic load. And then also working. So we don't really know if it's purely physiologic or it's a combination of things.

[Daniel Tosh]

Did you work through your pregnancies or No, I did. Did you like that or no.

[Meredith]

You know, it would have been nice, I think, to have a choice about it. I think I would have liked to work less than like normal. And it's definitely like a push pull where I love my work and I love what I do. But I'm also aware of the. That this is such a transient and important time to pay full attention to my kids.

[Daniel Tosh]

So how did you sleep while you were pregnant?

[Meredith]

Not as good as I did.

[Daniel Tosh]

Well, sure.

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

But was it miserable at the end or. No.

[Meredith]

I had a lot of vivid dreams, which is very common. I had horrible reflux to the point where like one of my back. Like the back part of one of my teeth, like, shattered off. Cause my reflux was so bad.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh.

[Meredith]

So, yeah. And then I had all the pillows.

[Daniel Tosh]

Did you do the big snake one that wraps around you?

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Oh, I hated that thing so much. The day that thing left our bedroom, I was just so excited.

[Meredith]

Just because it takes up so much space.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't know. No, because putting the dumb pillowcase on it is maddening. It's so fucking hard.

[Eddie]

It's a two person job.

[Daniel Tosh]

I need somebody to hold while I'm pulling. I just. I didn't like that my son doesn't close his eyes all the way when he sleeps. Besides it just being creepy, is there anything I need to do?

[Meredith]

Is it all the time or just.

[Daniel Tosh]

Yeah, like, when I see him sleeping, I'm like, they're just a little bit open. You know people that sleep with their eyes a little bit open?

[Meredith]

I think just as long as his eyes aren't dry. Just making sure that his eyes stay, you know, lubricated.

[Eddie]

I think his eyes are lubricated.

[Daniel Tosh]

Where are you at on giving kids fistfuls of melatonin?

[Meredith]

Not good.

[Eddie]

Not good.

[Daniel Tosh]

Good to know. I would never do that. What about melatonin in general?

[Meredith]

I like melatonin for very specific reasons. For short periods of time, I think it can be appropriate, but it shouldn't be a substitute for trying to form the natural behaviors and creating patterns and consistency with your kids around bedtime.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Have you ever used it for your kids?

[Meredith]

A few times.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay, me too. What should we sleep in? And what do you think of people that sleep naked? It's disgusting.

[Eddie]

Leading the witness.

[Meredith]

No comment.

[Eddie]

Are you a naked sleeper? Is that what I just learned by.

[Daniel Tosh]

You saying no comment?

[Meredith]

No, I'm not. I'm not. I think you have to dress for the climate you live in. You know, I mean, nonsense.

[Daniel Tosh]

No, I mean, bedrooms are controlled climates.

[Meredith]

Well, not necessarily. Like in Seattle, no one has air conditioning. Right.

[Daniel Tosh]

And so in Malibu, nobody has air conditioning.

[Meredith]

Really. Okay, but is there a nice breeze all the time?

[Daniel Tosh]

Yeah, almost.

[Meredith]

Okay, but if it's really hot, you know, obviously you're gonna sleep in something lighter. But, you know, they say like, moisture wicking and like, heat dissipating fabrics are good. But honestly, those things are like icing on the cake. It's not a nest. It's. You don't have to have those things to be a good sleeper, but they can. I think they can enhance the experience. Right.

[Daniel Tosh]

Just like you've recently gotten pajamas.

[Meredith]

Oh, really?

[Daniel Tosh]

Like actual pajamas? Cause my wife's like, what are you doing? Why don't you have any n pajamas? I don't like sleep.

[Eddie]

My grandpa, I have one pair of.

[Daniel Tosh]

His pajamas because as a child, I would always remember all of his pajamas. And he had all those, like, the pants with the shirt and the button. I'm like, he's sleeping in this little suit. Everybody that's on the show gets a gift. It's just stuff I bring from my house. You're not gonna like any of these things. Don't worry about it. I tell my kids they have birthday parties.

[Eddie]

You do birthday parties for Your kids.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you invite their friends?

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you allow their friends to bring gifts?

[Meredith]

Yes.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay. I say no gifts. I'm always like, no gifts. No thank you. Just whatever. I don't care. And then everybody still brings gifts.

[Eddie]

Well, guess what?

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't give them to my kids. I don't. I store them. And then whenever I need a gift, for some reason is like, boom, we've got a gift ready to go.

[Meredith]

Do your kids know?

[Eddie]

No. No.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Daniel Tosh]

No, no. Don't tell them. By the way, they get gifts. We give them gifts for their birthday. But when I'm having a party for.

[Eddie]

Their birthday party, I just want the.

[Daniel Tosh]

Kids to come over and play. And I don't want this big thing.

[Eddie]

Of everybody bringing gifts.

[Daniel Tosh]

But then, sure enough, everybody brings gifts. My son's birthday party just happened. His six year party.

[Eddie]

And Eddie, that works here, three people.

[Daniel Tosh]

Got him magic sets.

[Eddie]

Now, first of all, I don't want.

[Daniel Tosh]

My kid playing magic here. So there's a magic kit for your daughter.

[Eddie]

I want her to do that unopened. Magic's too hard.

[Daniel Tosh]

You can fill it on the floor.

[Eddie]

Throw it on four.

[Daniel Tosh]

There's gonna be more gifts you're gonna come up with.

[Eddie]

Do you know how hard it is to do magic? It's impossible. You have to practice.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't know my kids.

[Eddie]

I'd rather them learn the piano.

[Daniel Tosh]

I don't want him spending all this time in his room becoming a magician.

[Eddie]

That's just weird. Now he's got three kits. The one Eddie got him is.

[Daniel Tosh]

He opened it too quickly so I couldn't re gift it. That's not that one. It was like 3,000 pieces anyway. That's nuts. Your other daughter, your 2 year old.

[Eddie]

These are nice. Unused book, unicorn.

[Daniel Tosh]

You just come home with something that makes them happy.

[Eddie]

There you go. Give that to her.

[Meredith]

Now, I don't have to shop for them to bring them gifts.

[Eddie]

You don't, right? Exactly.

[Daniel Tosh]

We'll put that in there.

[Meredith]

Thank you.

[Eddie]

Here.

[Daniel Tosh]

Now, your husband did. He watched my show, right?

[Meredith]

He is a super fan.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay, look at this.

[Eddie]

This is an award I received. It is presented to Daniel to celebrate.

[Daniel Tosh]

My 1,000,000th tosh0 download. It must have been something on an app or something stupid. I've never had any awards hung anywhere. I gotta get rid of that. I'm gonna sign that for him.

[Meredith]

Oh, yes. I guarantee you he will put it in his office.

[Eddie]

Oh, good. You tell him to take that. That's good.

[Meredith]

Okay.

[Daniel Tosh]

Now, I like candles, but you can't sleep with them. Burn right oh. So I had a bunch of faint candles, but my wife was like, we.

[Eddie]

Can'T have fake candles.

[Daniel Tosh]

And as.

[Eddie]

And I was like, okay, so we'll.

[Daniel Tosh]

Just get rid of all these candles.

[Eddie]

You're gonna love these. You just. You just.

[Daniel Tosh]

I think there's still batteries in these.

[Eddie]

Yeah, this one's still. Yeah, look at that. They've got remote controls. You put those in your kid's room, then it's safe.

[Daniel Tosh]

They can just have candles. I just was like, I do not need.

[Meredith]

You'd have to get another suitcase.

[Eddie]

No, no, we'll ship that for you. Don't worry about it. There's remote controls.

[Daniel Tosh]

You can put them on timers. I don't even.

[Eddie]

My kids just use.

[Daniel Tosh]

Doesn't matter.

[Eddie]

We'll get rid of those.

[Daniel Tosh]

You'll love those.

[Eddie]

You'll love those.

[Meredith]

I feel like I'm on the prices, right?

[Daniel Tosh]

More like let's make a deal where you win the offer, but we're gonna have to get those off the desk. I'm sorry. It's a lot, I know, but, you know, I'll give you advice.

[Meredith]

I can handle it.

[Daniel Tosh]

Have you made contact with your biological parents?

[Meredith]

I haven't made contact, but I have attempted to. I have done what's called, like, a search through the adoption agency, but they aren't able to put me in contact. But I have tried. You know, if I didn't have little kids right now and I had the bandwidth, I sort of wish I would have done it when I was younger.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Meredith]

But people have told me that it's possible, and you'd have to go to Korea. You have to go to Korea, and you have to hire, like, a private detective, or you have to basically find them. I think that's the real hurdle, is that especially in Korea, that's why you were given up for adoption, is there's so much shame about being an unwed mother. And even if in my case, from the information I have, it's really forced upon by the family, because not only are you bringing shame to yourself, you're bringing shame to the whole family. And so they sort of don't want to be found. And so for some of the people I know that have found their families, they still didn't. It was, like, still a secret. It was like, I'll talk to you, but there's not gonna be any, like, reunions or anything because I have my family now, and they don't know about you.

[Daniel Tosh]

Now, as an adoptive individual, how do you feel about the experience overall? And what advice would you Offer to someone considering it.

[Meredith]

The main thing that I would tell people is keep the connection between the biological family. You know, you don't necessarily have to have a relationship the whole childhood, but maintain that identity and the connection so that if the child has questions and wants to seek that out someday, they have a right to go ask those questions.

[Daniel Tosh]

I mean, health benefits alone.

[Meredith]

Yeah, health benefits for sure.

[Daniel Tosh]

I've looked into adopting before. I think in California now. In California, all adoptions have to be open adoptions. It can't be a sealed off private like it used to be. Is that true or no?

[Meredith]

I don't know that for sure.

[Daniel Tosh]

I think that's true. I don't know.

[Eddie]

That was what I was told.

[Daniel Tosh]

Now that, which I think is a good thing is what you're saying is what we should do. Can you have a nightmare and still have good sleep?

[Meredith]

You can. A lot of it has to do with the way the person subjectively interprets that experience. Usually when people come to see me for that, they're not having a good sleep. I mean, that's why they're there to see me.

[Eddie]

Is lucid dreaming a real thing?

[Meredith]

It is.

[Daniel Tosh]

Can you do it?

[Meredith]

I've experienced it, but I'm not one of the rare people that can do it frequently who experiences it frequently. But I've never really trained. I think you have to train yourself to some degree.

[Daniel Tosh]

How do we know that people are actually good at it and or doing what they say?

[Eddie]

We just have to take people's word. There's no way to track it, right?

[Meredith]

Yeah, but sometimes you, you know, like there's a famous researcher that did these experiments where he would be following people's eye movements and they would wake up and say they were playing like a ping pong match. And you know, there can be little things like that.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay, well, that's the one thing that goes back and forth.

[Meredith]

True. But no, you do have to take their word for it.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Daniel Tosh]

I mean, I've tried to control a dreamer too, but at some point I'm like, I'm just wide awake at this point. I'm not. This is no longer a dream.

[Meredith]

Well, you're supposed to ask yourself during the day, am I dreaming? Am I dreaming? And then by saying that and practicing it, then that should happen to you when you're dreaming. And then supposedly you'll realize that you're dreaming. That's supposedly the first step. And then once you have that awareness that you're dreaming, then you can try to control the dream.

[Daniel Tosh]

All right, I'm gonna Start working on it. Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming? I'm gonna do that all day long. Do dreams mean anything?

[Meredith]

I think it depends who you ask. But they're basically going to contain content from the day, important things that happen during the day. And then basically what's happening is the brain is scanning memories and trying to make associations between past memories. And so what we remember about them is what we call dreams. I mean, we all dream every night, and we're not consciously aware of it or don't remember it. But I think there is a whole community in neuroscience. These are, like, legitimate researchers that believe there's so much about our unconscious awareness and our intuition that does have meaning, but we just don't. We don't have a lot of answers about it. But I do think to. To answer you, I do think they have meaning, but maybe not the way. Maybe not the way we think about that they have meaning.

[Daniel Tosh]

Are there things I can do to improve my quality of sleep?

[Meredith]

Sleep hygiene, which we all hear about. It's kind of like, we think of it like getting a dental cleaning. So maintaining good sleep hygiene. So that's, you know, minimizing caffeine, minimizing alcohol, keeping consistent bedtimes and wake times, you know, not watching TV in your bed, you know, keeping your bedroom just for intimacy and just for sleep. Those things are protective against developing a sleep disorder. So that's number one. Number two, I would say all of these health things like nutrition and exercise, physical fitness, emotional health, they're all, you know, they all are synergistic. So anything that promotes your wellness and health is good for sleep. And what it really comes down to a lot from a medical. Medical perspective is vascular health. So like having normal cholesterol, having normal blood pressure, having a healthy body weight, those are all things that will promote long term.

[Eddie]

All right, well, Dr. Meredith, thank you.

[Daniel Tosh]

For being on the show, and I appreciate it.

[Meredith]

Thank you for having me.

[Daniel Tosh]

Okay.

[Eddie]

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[Radhi Devlukia]

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[Eddie]

PA Show. Thank you, Meredith. Can't wait to get home tonight. Crawl into bed. You know what keeps me awake at night? Noise. Mostly noise. If everybody shut the fuck up, I'll fall asleep.

[Daniel Tosh]

How about you?

[Eddie]

You can fall asleep under any circumstance. Well, it's time for the segment we call hello from Tosh Show. That's where one of our lucky subscribers gets a personal shout out from me. This is to a Brett Hamilton who proposed to his wife on a night they saw me perform in Las Vegas back in 2015. I'm told the marriage is still working out, so I'd like to wish them a happy 10th anniversary. To Mr. And Mrs. Brett Hamilton. I don't know his wife's first name. Let's just guess. What do you think, Ed?

[Unknown]

Claire.

[Eddie]

Claire Hamilton. Beautiful name.

[Unknown]

Brett and Claire.

[Eddie]

I'm guessing this be their second marriage.

[Daniel Tosh]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Name like Claire, you got a name like Claire? That's not. That's not your first. This is not your first rodeo.

[Unknown]

Exactly.

[Eddie]

Anyway, what else we got? We got some plugs to do our traditional plugs. Tossshowstore.com Eddie's tour and my tour Midwest in June. And tickets on sale now for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. That's kind of mid California. Now it's time for the free plug. Carl, you ready for this free plug? This week's free plug is from Brownville Historical Society's Spring Flea Market. It's less than one month away, so mark your calendars. This is the world's almost largest flea market. According to their website, the market will be open from 8am to 5pm May 24 through the 26th. And before you ask, most vendors are cash only, but more and more do take cards. You think they take Apple pay or no?

[Unknown]

Probably not.

[Eddie]

Yeah, nobody at those flea markets can ever get the Apple Pay to work.

[Unknown]

Nope.

[Eddie]

It's always frustrating.

[Daniel Tosh]

Do you have cash?

[Eddie]

No, I don't have cash. That's why I'm handing you my phone. There is one ATM in town located inside TJ's Tavern at the corner of Main street and Highway 136. Pop in for an early morning pint and get loose. Take out 500 in cash and buy some knickknacks or bric a brac, whatever. All right, there's gonna be several food vendors, Ranging from funnel cakes to ribs and hamburgers. That's not really much of a range. What do you expect? This is southeast Nebraska. You're practically in Missouri. They're not. They're not known for any type of food, are they? I can't imagine. Anyway, you're encouraged to park on the side of the street in brownville and along Highway 126. They're encouraging you to park along a highway. It can't be a real highway.

[Unknown]

Nope.

[Eddie]

It's got to be, like, a slow speed limit there. Main street will be inaccessible during the flea market hours, so don't even think about trying to park there. Public restrooms are located in the town hall. Oh, man. They're gonna let everybody from a flea market Take a dump in the town hall.

[Unknown]

Roll in there.

[Eddie]

Oh, that's irony, right?

[Unknown]

Funnel cakes.

[Eddie]

Ugh. What do you buy at a flea market? Is there, like, go to things that you want?

[Unknown]

Lawn art?

[Eddie]

A flea market is just like a farmer's market, but just stuff, not food, right?

[Unknown]

Yeah, it makes sense.

[Eddie]

That's just the. I mean, are people, like, making new stuff or. Flea market's not always just. It's not like. It's not like a garage sale, is it?

[Unknown]

No, I would say it's elevated.

[Eddie]

It's an elevated garage sale.

[Unknown]

Yeah, it's much bigger.

[Eddie]

Right. But I mean, some people just, like, they have. They're selling brand new art and things. Craft stuff, crafts. I tell you what, what's better, a flea market or a craft fair?

[Unknown]

Flea market.

[Eddie]

Flea markets. Better than a craft fair.

[Daniel Tosh]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

You get hamburgers at flea markets.

[Eddie]

Oh, there's no hamburgers at a craft fair. That's interesting. See, I think. I think I'm used to craft fairs. I don't think I'm going to flea markets very often.

[Daniel Tosh]

You know what?

[Eddie]

I might go to this flea market when I'm up in Omaha. How far away is brownville from Omaha? That's what I need to know. I would definitely fly in for this. This looks like I'm gonna need a full day to get through it. And parking's free. This is a good deal all around. Well, I can't wait to get up there and spend some quality time with the good people in southeast Nebraska. We'll see you next week. Original Penguin is an iconic American clothing and lifestyle brand known for blending vintage flair with modern fun with a rich heritage dating back to 1955. From its start as a groundbreaking golf apparel company to a lifestyle brand that celebrates self expression. Today they make fun clothes for fun days from their iconic polos to versatile suits and fragrances. To get your hands on original Penguin's pieces, to start embodying the original Good Time lifestyle, go to originalpenguin.com and use code TOSH for 20% off your order.

[Cleveland Clinic Advertiser]

When it comes to your health and well being, the right care can change everything. That's why Cleveland Clinic has been elevating world class patient care for over a century. From the latest in heart, neurology and cancer care to advanced diagnostics and beyond, Cleveland Clinic is here for every care in the world. Explore a wide variety of health and wellness info by visiting clevelandclinic.org today.

[Eddie]

Is your team still running on yesterday's tech? Oh man, time for an upgrade. The ThinkPad X1 carbon is ultralight, ultra powerful and powered by an Intel Core Ultra processor so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Need security? Lenovo's Think Shield helps protect your business from modern threats. Needs smarter performance built in AI features keep things running fast and efficiently. And if you're looking for perks, Lenovo Pro gives you exclusive business benefits, extra savings and access to essential tools. Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech search for business [e-mail].

[Radhi Devlukia]

This is Radhi Devlukia from a really Good Cry. Did you know that approximately one in three Americans have insulin resistance and consume over 300% more than their daily recommended intake of sugar. Have you been wanting to beat your sugar cravings? Well I did a 30 day sugar fast and I found Apothecary Sugar Kick that helped me through it. Their potent tincture features Japanese inspired ingredients studied for their ability to support healthy blood sugar levels, giving you more energy, less fatigue and fortified longevity. Find Apothecary in Sprouts Farmers market stores nationwide and online@ Ulta.com, amazon and Apothecary.com that's Apothecary with a [e-mail] you're listening.

[Daniel Tosh]

To an iHeart podcast.