Why Do We Sleep?

<p>In downtown Los Angeles, the 50-block neighborhood called Skid Row is home to thousands of low-income people who live in tents, run-down hotels, and other temporary shelters on a permanent basis. Learn how Skid Row came about (and has persisted) in such a wealthy place in this ... Show More

<p>Hoshigaki are a type of dried fruit made by massaging a persimmon every day for weeks. Learn more about this traditional Japanese treat in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/hoshigaki.htm</p><p>See <a hr ... Show More

Psoriasis is a condition where an overactive immune system causes discomfort and discoloration of the skin. Learn what we know (and don't know!) about how psoriasis works in this episode of BrainStuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

We spend about a third of our lives either sleeping or trying to fall asleep. Why are we so bad at it? We ask behavioral sleep specialist Jade Wu.  This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and Carla Javier, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered b ... Show More

Lots of people talk in their sleep, especially kids!  Have you ever heard anyone babbling away in the middle of the night?  Or maybe someone has told you that you do it?  Sleep talking is totally normal, but why do we do it?  We asked sleep specialist Chris Winter to help us find ... Show More

As the sleep tracking industry booms, some worry that it could be driving orthosomnia, the medical term for an unhealthy obsession with attaining perfect sleep, usually driven by a wearable device. Madeleine Finlay speaks to consultant neurologist and sleep physician Dr Guy Lesch ... Show More

Do you find yourself tossing and turning for hours whilst struggling to fall asleep? Or are you out like a light the minute your head touches the pillow? Genetics and environment can play a big part in how easy (or not) you find sleeping. BBC science journalist Caroline Steel tel ... Show More

<p>Love it or hate it, it's time to face facts -- we all gotta sleep! Every day, if possible. This week we're discussing all the things that happen when we turn out the lights and go unconscious for several hours each night. Also, Tom explains a harrowing bathroom mishap.</p><p>F ... Show More

Some people fall asleep almost as soon as their head touches the pillow, while for others it can take hours of tossing and turning. CrowdScience listener Assia needs at least 45 minutes to get to sleep: it's always taken her a long time to drift off no matter how tired she is, an ... Show More

In this episode—in which Abby confronts my sister and me about our inability to have fun—discover: 1. The one “fun” post that caused more people to unfollow me on social media than any other. 2. Why girls may disassociate early from their ability to access fun. 3. Science’s insis ... Show More

<p>Does the type and amount of light you’re exposed to during the day change how well you sleep at night? Diving into the effects of daylight on your internal biological clock, sleep scientist Christine Blume shares practical tips for making natural light part of your daily routi ... Show More

Quicker decision making and faster reaction times, here's how you sleep like an Olympian Dr Cheri Mah is a sleep scientist and Professor at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Centre, specialising in the relationship between sleep and performance in elite athletes.  In this conversatio ... Show More