You Are Not So Smart 024 - Sleep - Richard Wiseman
5 snips
May 24, 2014 
Richard Wiseman, a psychologist and author, delves into the mysterious world of sleep and dreams. He explains why we still don’t fully understand the nature of sleep despite its significant role in our lives. Wiseman shares intriguing insights on how moon phases can affect sleep quality and offers techniques to improve both sleep and dreaming. The conversation also touches on the creative potential of dreams and debunks myths surrounding sleep learning, adding a layer of fascination to our nightly rest.
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Sleep Remains A Major Scientific Mystery
- Sleep consumes about a third of life yet scientists still lack a definitive answer for why we sleep.
- Leading researchers call sleep a major unresolved biological enigma despite modern tools.
Night Terrors Sparked The Book
- Richard Wiseman began researching sleep after developing night terrors in his early 40s that woke his partner.
- He found night terrors link to anxiety and environmental factors like room heat, and they resolved relatively quickly.
The 90-Minute Sleep Cycle Explained
- Sleep cycles progress through stages roughly every 90 minutes, repeating across the night.
- Most people have about five dreaming periods, and many dreams are mundane; bizarre dreams stick in memory.
