Podcast: Why do we sleep?

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A new podcast episode digs into the start of research on sleep and its effects on the body—and the questions still puzzling scientists.

Almost a century ago, the origins of sleep science research began at the University of Chicago with the opening of the world’s first sleep laboratory. Since then, sleep science has evolved into a multi-disciplinary field—with scientists focusing on diagnosing the causes of sleep disorders, how sleep affects our metabolic health, and improving methods for good sleep hygiene.

But at the core of sleep science, one fundamental question remains: Why do we sleep?

In this episode of the Big Brains podcast, Esra Tasali, director of the University of Chicago Sleep Center; and Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy, explain their work:

You can read the episode transcript here.

Source: University of Chicago