
HiberNation
Mallika Rao dives into the lives of nearly a dozen people, each with a story to tell, rooted in a different facet of sleep. Over the course of this first season, we’ll descend from the material realm to the subterranean, from sleepovers to the dream world, and discover the extraordinary impact this ordinary act can have on all of us.
Latest episodes

Aug 5, 2021 • 41min
Time Machine
In Revolution-era Iran, a woman dreams her own death. Guests discuss dream science, intuition, time perception, the Iranian revolution, stress, sleep, healing childhood trauma, and the power of dreams to connect with departed loved ones.

Jul 29, 2021 • 35min
Ghost Attack
Sleep paralysis remains one of the world’s most puzzling disorders, known by different names across cultures and eras. Sufferers recount nightly visitations straight out of horror movies, by ghosts and demons who emanate concentrated evil. And scientists can’t deny that something inexplicable seems to happen to those in the throes of an episode. We travel from a bedroom in a small town in India to a luxury hotel to follow one woman’s journey with this baffling disorder. Special thanks to guest Ranita Roy, and Dr. Baland Jalal.Links from today's episode: The Entity
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Jul 22, 2021 • 18min
Go to Sleep, Little Baby
The lullaby is an old song form, full of darkness and light. In this mini-episode, we learn about this ancient thread between parent and child, and enter the world of a tense expectant mother and a special lullaby.Special thanks to Emily Eagan of The Lullaby Project, to Ashley Pacheco and to Tiffany Ortiz.Links from today's episode: Learn more about The Lullaby ProjectYou can also listen the to the album The Lullaby Project released, Hopes and Dreams
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Jul 15, 2021 • 55min
Third State
In the 1950s, Armond Aserinsky became the most famous kid in science. The 9-year-old son of Eugene Aserinksy, a tough, obstinate grad student who discovered REM sleep, Armond saw the pains of discovery up close, as his dad’s first test subject. REM, which some likened to another state of existence, would change science, and the Aserinsky household, for good.Special thanks to guests Armond Aserinsky and journalist Lynne Lamberg, as well as to Dr. Peter Shiromani.Links from today's episode: Read the article by Chip Brown that inspired this episodeWe couldn't have done this without Lynne Lamberg - read one of her articles on AserinksyAnd for more on how sleep science evolved, read "A New Vision of Dreams" in the New York Times
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Jul 8, 2021 • 38min
Big $leep
A tech reporter on a hunt to defeat her insomnia discovers a larger contradiction fueling the multibillion dollar sleep industry. Can products really solve a problem that modernity has partially caused?Special thanks to guests Charlotte Jee and Ben Reiss, author of Wild Nights. Links from today's episode:Read Charlotte’s story about her wild nights with techCheck out the shipping forecast that used to keep her companyListen to Apeman by The KinksAnd for more from Ben, get a copy of Wild Nights from your local bookstore.
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Jul 1, 2021 • 16min
Spend the Night with Joe McGill
Joe McGill is on a quest to sleep in every slave dwelling in America. For this mini-episode, we sent the activist a recorder to tape an overnight stay and explain why he does what he does.Special thanks to Joseph McGill Jr. and Nicole A. Moore.Links from today's episode: Learn more about The Slave Dwelling Project.Get some Headspace. Use code HiberNation at checkout for a 90-day free trial.
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Jun 24, 2021 • 38min
Stay Woke
Special thanks to Raysean White, Telicia Phillips, and Dr. Girardin Jean-Louis.Links from today's episode: If you want more from Dr. Jean-Louis, follow him on Twitter. Read the full CNN article that features Raysean.Get some Headspace. Use code HiberNation at checkout for a 90-day free trial.
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Jun 17, 2021 • 43min
Slumber Party
Special thanks to this episode’s guests, Sushmita Yallapragada and Benjamin Reiss.Links from today’s episode: Wild Nights by Benjamin ReissGet some Headspace. Use code HiberNation at checkout for a 90-day free trial.
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Jun 10, 2021 • 47min
Sleeping Together
Special thanks to this episode’s guests, Michele Neff Hernandez and Dr. Wendy Troxel.Links from today’s episode: Soaring SpiritsSharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep by Dr. Wendy TroxelGet some Headspace. Use code HiberNation at checkout for a 90-day free trial.
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Jun 3, 2021 • 5min
Don’t Be A Mosquito
Get some Headspace. Use code HiberNation at checkout for a 90-day free trial.
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