logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
26m 21s

How Do We Fall Asleep?

Vermont Public
About this episode

Why do people need to sleep? How do we actually go to sleep? How does sleeping get rid of toxins in the brain? And how come when it's nighttime I don't want to go to sleep but when it's morning I don't want to wake up? Those questions and more, all about sleep. We're highlighting an episode from 2018 with pediatric sleep psychologist Dr. Lisa Meltzer. And stay tuned; our next episode is all about dreams!

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

Up next
Aug 22
Why are puffins' beaks so colorful?
Have you ever seen a puffin? With their bright beaks, orange feet and black and white coloring, these birds are very cool to look at. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions about them! In this episode, we talk with Don Lyons, an educator and avian ecologist with the Seabird Institut ... Show More
39m 34s
Aug 8
Who invented the English language?
Where did the English language come from? Why do words have silent letters? Why do some people have accents? Why do some words sound similar? Answers to all of your questions about English and words with sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky, host of a PBS digital show called Otherwords. ... Show More
34m 30s
Jul 25
Chameleons, jellyfish and ballerinas! Check out But Why Bites
For today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different! We’re going to be listening to our video series, But Why Bites! (Even without the video part, they’re really cool!) Every other week over on our YouTube channel, we answer one kid question in a short and sweet little ... Show More
14m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2020
How to Sleep Well
“The more logical you are in your approach to your sleep, the more you’re going to screw it up,” says sleep specialist Rafael Pelayo, MD. Pelayo is a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine and the author of ... Show More
49m 30s
Dec 2023
Stop trying to fall asleep
In this first class of our course on how to get better sleep, host Cristina Quinn outlines why trying to get yourself to sleep can sometimes be a barrier to getting rest. But if we shouldn't will ourselves to sleep, what should we do instead? Cristina talks to an expert with a cl ... Show More
8m 44s
Aug 2013
Sleeping!
We have some questions about sleep: It’s ok to stay up late, right? Is it possible to control your dreams? Do all animals sleep? Why do we need to sleep anyway? 
19m 42s
Apr 2024
186. The psychology of sleep
Sleep is one of our most vital functions but how many of us actually know that much about it, the links to our physical functioning, mental health, relationships and overall wellbeing. What about some of the strange experiments they've conducted to investigate dreams or how long ... Show More
42m 39s
Nov 2023
Dr. Gina Poe: How to Get Better Sleep and Boost Your Learning, Memory and Energy
Are you getting the sleep you need? Do you wish you could improve your sleep, but you’re not sure how? Dr. Gina Poe is an accomplished researcher and trained neuroscientist with a PhD in basic sleep. Currently a professor at UCLA, Dr. Poe has been researching the functions of sle ... Show More
44m 30s
Apr 2022
Winning the sleep wars
Remember sleep? Long, uninterrupted sleep, in your own bed? If you ping-pong around from room to room, hear the pitter patter of toddler feet at night, or wake up with a toe up your nose, you're not alone. So, what can you do to save your sanity? And with so much conflicting advi ... Show More
31m 21s
Nov 2022
How much sleep does a person need?
Ah, sweet sleep. From the quick catnap to the full drool-and-snore session, we humans cherish our sleepy time. But how much sleep is enough? Does everybody need the same amount? Does a person’s amount change as they age? Is it nap time yet? We asked sleep scientist Ketema Paul to ... Show More
4m 52s
Feb 2020
Sleep
Ever elusive sleep! It’s like a unicorn we chase, endlessly when our children are young. Nobody wants to sleep except mom and dad! It becomes stressful and difficult making bedtime often unmanageable. What can we do? How can we help our families get more rest without using method ... Show More
24m 20s
Mar 2024
Ep50 "Why do we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep?" (Sleeping & Dreaming Part 1)
Why do we spend 1/3 of our lives in the strange doppelganger state of sleep? Can we die from a lack of sleep? How long is it possible to keep yourself awake (and why does the Guinness Book of World Records no longer track that)? Why are some people night owls and some morning lar ... Show More
1h 15m
May 2023
Do you know about Sleep and Dreams? 🌙
In this episode, we will learn about the different stages of sleep, how we dream, why sleep is important, and what our brain does while we sleep. When we sleep, our brain is busy working, sorting through the day's events and information and filing it away. Sleep helps our body to ... Show More
25m 49s