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On all of those grounds put together, what are we doing? If sleep– and this is a great quote from a founding father of the field– if sleep doesn’t serve an essential function, it’s the biggest mistake evolution ever made. You know, on any one of those grounds, you know, sleep should have been strongly selected against. Because firstly I’m, you know, I’m not gathering resources, I’m not finding a mate, I’m not reproducing, I’m not actively socializing, and worse still, I’m vulnerable to predation. But what’s odd is that when you look at it, you think, but that’s a dumb idea. And if that’s true, it must mean that sleep is fundamentally important at the most basic of biological level. And after it did, it has fought its way through heroically, every step along the evolutionary path. What that means is that sleep appeared to evolve with life itself on this planet.

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You know, so, so until recently we didn’t have a full understanding.īut your point is actually an interesting one, which is why did it appear in the first place? What we certainly know is that every species that we’ve studied to date sleeps, even old evolutionary organisms, things like worms, for example. You know, that tells you nothing about the role that food plays in biochemical nourishment. Which is, which is like saying the reason that you need food, the reason that you need sustenance, is to stop hunger. It was delightfully un-useful and it was this: we sleep to cure sleepiness. Although I take that back, we actually did have an answer. Matthew Walker: Until very recently, we actually didn’t have the answer as to why we sleep. Why do we sleep? Why, why has evolution allowed this behavior to continue to be a part of our lives? Join us now for a conversation with Matthew Walker on the science of sleep. His research also examines the effects of stress, sleeping aids, and alcohol, and the ways we can improve our sleeping habits. An expert on the science of sleep, Walker’s research reveals that every tissue in the body and every process within the brain is enhanced as we sleep and impaired when we aren’t sleeping enough. Viskontas currently co-hosts the popular science podcast Inquiring Minds, produced in partnership with The Climate Desk, a journalistic collaboration with The Atlantic, Center for Investigative Reporting, The Guardian, Grist, Mother Jones, Slate, Hungton Post and Wired.Ĭity Arts & Lectures: Why do humans sleep? What is sleep’s evolutionary basis and what really is going on when we do it? This week, we’re broadcasting a conversation with cognitive neuroscientist Matthew Walker, talking to Dr. She has published groundbreaking work on the neural basis of memory and creativity and has won numerous research and teaching awards. Indre Viskontas is a cognitive neuroscientist with the University of California, San Francisco and a member of the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Walker has been featured on CBS 60 Minutes and the National Geographic documentary, Sleepless in America, among other programs. He is the recipient of funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. He earned his PhD in neurophysiology from the Medical Research Council in London and subsequently became Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. Matthew Walker examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. Why do we sleep? What exactly is going on in our brain during the various stages of sleep? What is the optimal number of hours and how does sleep affect our mood, our memories, and more? As a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California Berkeley, Dr. Please support our institution and these productions by making a tax-deductible contribution.

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