Life Examined
The science and benefits of deep sleep and vivid dreams
Host Jonathan Bastian talks with Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett about our collective fascination with dreams and how COVID dreams have changed over the last year. Later, we hear from Dr.
By Jonathan Bastian • • 52m ListenHost Jonathan Bastian talks with Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett about our collective fascination with dreams and how COVID dreams have changed over the last year. Later, we hear from Dr. Rafael Pelayo, author of “How to Sleep: The New Science-Based Solutions for Sleeping Through the Night,” about the science of sleep and why getting a good night’s sleep has become so difficult.
In this episode
2 storiesInterpreting sweet dreams and COVID nightmares
Sleep was once thought of as a passive activity during which the body and brain were dormant, but it turns out that sleep is a period during which the brain is highly active and engaged. The better we sleep, the more we dream.
Read the story27 min“Sleeping should not be a chore”: The secret to a good night’s sleep
Sleeping — something we do for roughly a third of our lifetimes — is essential for our physical and mental well being. Poor sleep is associated with everything from obesity to depression, and it makes us less resilient to infection and disease.
Read the story25 min
