NOVA S47E4 · Mysteries of Sleep

NOVA

Season 47 · Episode 4 · Mysteries of Sleep · 55 min

From fruit flies to whales, virtually every animal sleeps. But why? Why do we need to spend nearly a third of our lives in such a defenseless state? Scientists are peering more deeply into the sleeping brain than ever before, discovering just how powerful sleep can be, playing a role in everything from memory retention and emotional regulation to removing waste from our brains.