What Happens When You Sleep?

The average person sleeps about 230,000 hours in a lifetime. That’s based on the average sleep being 8 hours and the average lifespan in the US (based on 2019 data) being about 78.19 years. That’s nearly 26 years of your life! That’s 1/3 of your life! So, it’s not surprising that we’re really interested in figuring out what exactly is going on during that 26 year-period. And we don’t just close our eyes and suddenly wake up hours later. Sleep is a complex process. It’s powerful, it’s meaningful, and it serves a great purpose. But it’s not always simple—many sleep disorders exist, and doctors and scientists have long tried to understand the way the brain works during this critical time. On this episode of The Insomnicat Show we'll talk to experts to discover what's really happening inside of our brains and bodies while we're sleeping. We'll even explore dreams and the effects of sleep disorders. Oh and are you a night owl or an early bird? There may be a genetic reason! Everything you ever needed to know about sleep starts now. Our Guests: Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D., is a research associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering and the executive director of the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). He is a neuroscientist who also works with teachers to create materials to help people learn about the brain. http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html Dr. Lindsay Browning, Sleep Expert, Neuroscientist I am Dr Lindsay Browning, a chartered psychologist, neuroscientist, author and sleep expert. I am passionate about helping people to improve their sleep, since sleep is vital for improved health and wellbeing. When you don’t get enough sleep and feel tired you won’t be the best version of you. I founded Trouble Sleeping in 2006 to help people improve their sleep and wellbeing though sleep therapy and advice based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) – the gold standard treatment for insomnia. As well has helping individuals with their insomnia, I also offer corporate talks and workshops, keynote speaking and provide consultancy to schools and organisations such as the NHS, police and utility companies to advise on topics such as shift work stress and jet lag. In addition, I am also the resident sleep ambassador for And So To Bed. I have degrees in both neuroscience and psychology and a doctorate from the University of Oxford where I specifically investigated the treatment of insomnia. After graduating with my doctorate, I realised that there was a desperate need for help for people suffering from insomnia and founded Trouble Sleeping based in Berkshire, UK. I am passionate about helping people of all ages to sleep well. Nothing makes me happier than helping someone from a place of desperation about their sleep for 40 years, to a place of peace and sleeping well! The sleep consultancy advice I offer is based on my expertise in sleep, leveraging the principles of CBT-I and is a drug free intervention. Ian Wallace, Dream Psychologist I am endlessly curious about human nature and why people do the things that they do. That’s why I became a psychologist, to understand human behaviour, particularly in complex high-consequence situations. Rather than just viewing human behaviour as an abstract set of theories, I chose to step into those complex high-consequence situations and experience their reality for myself. As a result of my choices, I have worked professionally as a North Sea oil-rig roughneck, mountain guide, session musician, fashion photographer, commercial pilot, military psychologist, relationship counsellor, child psychologist, celebrity psychologist and artificial intelligence inventor. Although these may appear to be quite diverse professional roles (or the result of a short attention span), they are united by my fundamental fascination with human nature and my continuing research into how people find meaning, purpose and potential in the work that they do. The work I do with dreams forms a fundamental part of my psychology practice. It has proven to be one of the healthiest and most natural ways of developing those human superpowers of self-awareness and situational awareness. My work with dreams is focused on the practical application of our night-time dreams as a positive and healthy method to help us achieve our waking life dreams and ambitions. This practical approach has led to regular appearances on television and radio around world, and becoming the best-selling author of The Top 100 Dreams: The Dreams That We All Have And What They Really Mean and The Complete A to Z Dictionary of Dreams: Be Your Own Dream Expert. https://ianwallacedreams.com/ Sign up for out newsletter: https://insomnicat.com/newsletter/ Follow us on IG https://www.instagram.com/theinsomnicatshow/ Follow us on FB: https://www.facebook.com/InsomnicatMediaInc #Sleep #Insomnia #SleepPatterns