Why do we sleep? | Russell Foster

Russell Foster is a circadian neuroscientist: He studies the sleep cycles of the brain. And he asks: What do we know about sleep? Not a lot, it turns out, for something we do with one-third of our lives. In this talk, Foster shares three popular theories about why we sleep, busts some myths about how much sleep we need at different ages -- and hints at some bold new uses of sleep as a predictor of mental health.
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[@RedFlamingoTV]

Sleep is the most important part of life. As someone who has been doing it properly for a few months now, i can guarantee to anyone that its the easiest and most efficient way to becoming happier and healthier, in all aspects of life.

[@twodogzdogue8710]

How did you get your sleep pattern to work?

[@freddyferrillo9704]

Get a job! Pfft. Spoiled brat!

[@randomblackgirl6007]

Space Giraffes I see what they mean im gonna try sleeping earlier because I’ve noticed I can’t sleep so my body has gotten used to me sleeping at 4am

[@MrCmon113]

You could say the same thing about eating or drinking or breathing.

[@shaurya3141]

I want to be able to sleep like a child again

[@thomasm5714]

Everything a TED talk should be. Erudite, entertaining and eloquent.

[@harshpatel9487]

The non-english natives don't enderstand

[@kriptonita8030]

@@harshpatel9487 i am latín and i do understand

[@caddy272]

Erudite?? What does that mean? *too lazy to switch to Google*

[@DrewWalton]

@@caddy272 "having or showing great knowledge or learning"

[@caddy272]

@@DrewWalton Thank you my good man.

[@VulturHS]

Watching this at 2am lol

[@waldarbeiter352]

+Shark jaws lol me too

[@opticdragon1265]

Almost same

[@nemanjabasaric4042]

+MashedPotatoes haha 02:19 :)

[@691francohead]

2:15 am here too xD

[@IvoRaptor]

1.56 am here

[@BeachJedi101]

As a construction worker, waking up between 3-5am is completely normal. Addiction is a huge issue in this field of work. This talk is really making me wonder if lack of sleep is one of the most underlying issues. P.S. I have to up for work in 5 hours lol

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

Construction is hard work, hard on your body & mind. You need your rest! & I appreciate skilled trades people like you. I wish that more high school kids would look into trades as a viable career.

[@tylerpeters2624]

Kostas Antes construction is wonderful, I am happier as a construction worker (union electrician) than I ever was doing any other job. I also make much more money than the average worker. It’s a great trade, I would encourage anyone to do it that can do it. The schooling and work is tough, the sacrifices you make will be big but it is worth it. Plus you get to build America, or wherever you live haha operate cool machines, go to amazing places, travel, have retirement, medical etc. it is heaven!!!

[@BetterBlue]

I do relate. Take care of selv.

[@PistolSovereign]

mate when you work in construction you are basically getting paid to workout

[@channingrobbins3498]

I can totally relate. I have been drilling for almost 5 and a half years now at 25 years old. I'm coming to realize that the long, physically demanding days followed by an inadequate amount of sleep is finally taking a toll on my body and mind; I am simply not getting the rest my body needs. The grind is neverending and is just not worth it anymore; paycheque included. I am currently looking to move into another field to have more time outside of work. With the majority of that extra time going to SLEEP. 👍😴

[@duel1770]

It's always so impressive when a speaker does not continually have to refer to notes all the time. That means they know their stuff... thank you for this very informative video!

[@zvolencan1]

This is what I call a TED talk - informative, structured, entertaining.

[@EQOAnostalgia]

Iv'e said for years that sleep is incredibly important and that A LOT of our problems stem from how busy our lives have become. We also work too much, many work WAY too much. We did not evolve to be this way! We did not evolve to spend our days toiling in mediocrity. People wonder why some folks snap... place them in a cubicle they hate for 8-12 hours a day and watch how fast a percentage of them fall apart! Some areas in the world the work week and hours per day have been shortened. I TRULY believe that going forward as a species, we need to reduce our work hours and improve our sleep. Essentially we should focus on doing more quality work, more resourcefully, while trimming the fat! Perhaps less of the monotonous work and more fulfilling to create less stress and depression within our bodies. (Think Star Trek for example, work isn't for monetary gain but for social status, most basic needs are free) Perhaps as our tech advances we will be able to achieve this. But it could also swing radically in the opposite direction if we continue to deplete our Earths resources and throw off the balance of the ecosystem. Only time will tell.

[@sheepgray08]

EQOAnostalgia I fully agree with you. Really good comment right here :)

[@Devin_Stromgren]

Yes, because stone age man had such a stress free life.

[@hanbulban3131]

EQOAnostalgia robotics and AI will replace our jobs anyway most of us will be unemployed in the future

[@hanbulban3131]

Experiments have proven than working 5 hours a day creates more productivity than 8-12 hours a day. Too bad our society and culture looks down on this as lazy. Until that changes majority of us will waste away life on work and stress

[@Dtzeo503]

That is why i take naps and go to sleep when i need to. Not getting enough sleep is a terrible feeling. It makes me not want to be productive i just lay in my bed the whole day.

[@MuhammadAbdullah-iy3hc]

aren't you a special snowflake

[@cece2845]

Muhammad Abdullah aren't you salty smh

[@jackik1410]

Napping doesn't provide you with the necessary deep sleep, it tricks your brain into thinking it slept enough, but its just simply outside of the normal healthy pattern. My economy teacher recommended napping because it made it easier to sleep less and work more.

[@scottross1715]

I feel the same way, almost robbed if I don't get to sleep. Deeeeep breathes....🐞

[@yungsnoop5317]

who watches Ted talks before they sleep ?

[@shadybabypurdy7270]

Me

[@DeAdler_13]

If you have to Explain what an contrast is : Yung snoop

[@vinnievalentine421]

Just make sure you don't watch the Episodes from the other side

[@seanli5133]

ME

[@benpholmes]

I've fallen asleep many time while watching this video, while ignoring his advice about not drinking alcohol.

[@davmar9923]

As an inventor I have been aware of the connection between sleep and problem solving for many years. I consume the essential elements of a problem when awake and then "sleep on it". By consciously engaging in this process I have been able to consistently arrive at answers to problems that escaped intense deliberate cogitation. I was also fortunate enough to retire at age 55. I haven't used an alarm clock for years and get up in the morning when I damn well feel like it.

[@MsHaleyDawn]

I worked 12 hour night shifts for nearly 4 years. Have always been a night owl and my body didn't resist very much trying to sleep during the day. The problem was all the loud people during the day. People cutting grass, honking horns, construction...and during the summer children running around screaming constantly. I miss my night shift (and the $8/hr shift differential!) but it does feel nice to be up and awake when the rest of the world is now.

[@vikkicarr3255]

I’m a Registered Nurse that worked night shift for 7 years! I hated it. During the day l did sleep but only for 6 hours and then my body would automatically wake up. Working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week was hard because then l would have 4 days of sleeping at night and then the vicious cycle continued. Once l got off of the dreadful shift l got Breast Cancer a year later! I truly do believe there’s a connection to illnesses and sleep cycles.

[@AyaOnni]

"TEENAGERS ARE NOT LAZY" like honey for my ears... I knew it😏

[@arnab6408]

Even if we all have passed/passing/going to pass the teenage/childhood years. We actually don't understand most aspects of human behaviour in those years. We do a lot of things instinctively, hence we have no memory of 'why we did certain things'. So passing judgements like teenagers are lazy/crazy etc.....is certainly criminal. But as parenthood changes all of that perspective...lol

[@nfactorial4074]

don’t you mean music to your ears. tf is honey on your ears good for. love you

[@jokerfemgenderbend4755]

they said honey for your my ears what they mean is honey is sweet, hearing that is sweet

[@markrichardson2512]

#1 comment

[@crankpatate3303]

Yo, don't you have some homework to do instead of watching youtube videos all day you lazy teenager?! ;p

[@yungmemeboi]

Ironically, I'm currently watching this video when I should be sleeping haha

[@renatao6330]

I know that feeling bro

[@jasonwills1116]

yung meme boi extraordinaire metoo.

[@ericthespark]

Maybe your a psycho .... lol

[@inox1ck]

Mee too, though it's 5PM :)

[@patriciasmith7074]

Me too it’s 3:49 am, I think I’ve always viewed sleep as a waste of time. There are so many things I’d like to do instead.

[@Aluminata]

I think of wakefulness as a necessary evil. Sleep is the natural state. Ask any cat.

[@faizafairy7263]

awww hello cat

[@sl4983]

Maybe we should learn something from cats. By the way, sleep is necessary, period.

[@dreambeliever5150]

Or any baby. They need many months to bear this world lol.

[@Violincase]

I asked my cat. He didn't comment.

[@asherschmidt9820]

Bob, your cat might've been thinking; "well duh , of course, I don't think you need an answer to that"

[@satishsinha1260]

This videos reveals how important sleep is for us. We have come to know a lot of reasons why we need sleep and what are the consequences of an inadequate sleep. Inspite of this if we think actually what happens to our body that we sleep and why we cannot control sleep, we find no answers.

[@ryansmith3448]

Watching this while drinking caffeine in a well lit room at 2:30 AM

[@RidingJapan]

Ryan Smith you Little rebel

[@briscanandrei8626]

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta ...

[@Mr0Omar]

ok, you are a hero!!

[@nepraos3151]

what a mad lad

[@DabsOnDabs]

@@nepraos3151 Lock him up and throw away the key. 🔑

[@STaSHZILLA420]

We sleep so we can download the universe update. thats why when you dont sleep, your consciousness starts to break down and senses start misfiring. Gotta get that update bro.

[@bismithn9740]

#underratedcomment

[@lordcurze]

Livin in the year 10000

[@lordcurze]

Bismith N #underratedcomment

[@ockertoustesizem1234]

daily firmware update

[@rileyhoffman6629]

Fascinating. As a depression-sufferer from a family of mentally ill, the information you offer is eye-opening. Thank you.

[@kanis999]

I feel like the most important change we as a society need to make in regards to this topic is flexible scheduling of our daily tasks based around one's natural biological rhythm. I've spent decades trying to adjust to the demands of early risers to no avail. I've tried everything I've ever read of heard of. My body does not work with that schedule. I see no reason my job could not be done from 12-8 instead of 9-5, no reason at all. The only thing preventing that is lack of awareness on this very important topic.

[@andrewheffel928]

Great presentation, really good advice. Sleep is more than rest for the body and brain. The brain works all night, figuring out things from the day before. When faced with a big decision, often the best thing to do is "sleep on it," and the answer will come in the morning. I have heard of scientists working on complicated problems for months, and the answer comes to them in a dream.

[@anonymousbosch9265]

People say I look very young for my age and at 40 I appreciate this and have always attributed to my respect for proper sleep, a respect I learned in the military due to the misery and downright violent behavior I displayed after going long periods with little or no sleep

[@ParaditeRs]

I use to work 10:30 Pm to 8-9:00 Am as a shelf stocker at a local grocery store. While doing that work I also attended the local community college. Needless to say it didn't go well. I was forced to decide between sleep and homework/studying. I only managed to pass 3 out of 4 classes, chemistry being the one I failed to complete because so much studying was required and I just fell behind. I have since quit that job and continue to take classes and quitting that job was one of the best decisions I've made in some time.

[@Vicvines]

what is interesting is that if you took the chem class again, you would probably pass. Sleep is important for studying. I told another commenter on here that sleeping is the best way to study for an exam. It is the most important activity you can do. If you had to choose between studying a lot and getting 5 hours of sleep, or studying a little and getting 8-9 hours of sleep, the 8-9 hour option would be the best option. And this is for everybody who has ever taken a test. EVER. Humans are the exact same in the sense that sleep is vital to our cognitive functions.

[@TheFreedomWriting]

***** thats why im becoming a doctor; working my butt off for 8 years, then relax for the rest! My friends have done it recently. Booking patients all in 2 days a week for 12 hours both days then taking it easy the rest. Just the way im gonna follow up on it;already half way there :D

[@natjobo3555]

He is so adorable😭

[@Cressy4851]

Joel? Lol.

[@Cressy4851]

Same though.

[@fitnesspoint2006]

You need to get out more.

[@cryora]

He seems like a nice guy

[@Worldhistory_urdu_hindi]

call jhonny sins

[@system2thinker659]

That was one of the best TED Talks I've heard. It seems like so many presenters are talking but nothing is being said. This guy was on point every single sentence and it resonated immensely!

[@sherrynelson1935]

In the early eighties when I was a young adult I could not pay my electric bill and spent 2 months without electricity. I began to go to sleep at dusk and awake shortly before sunrise every day. That was almost the only time in my life I slept so perfectly. Although as a small child I had very good sleeping habits that changed. The stability in my life in general was also disrupted. I went from top of class to bottom. I did not sleep properly and it affected my life in profound ways. I have learned to manage myself a bit. But I still do not sleep properly much of the time. I believe it is due to a combination of a rebellious nature, life instability and finally the stress of working odd hours because my position does not allow for selective work hours. I am thankful just to be employed.

[@tanxiao7562]

I can't sleep at night, I am actually afraid to go to bed at night around 12pm ,because I know I am going to lay on bed twist and turn and couldn't fall asleep until 3 or 4am and wasting my time worrying about my future, will I be rich, can I keep my job,can I achieve my dreams, can I have a better relationship.... etc. then I am extremely tired when I wake up 7 am to go to work and face the unfriendly busy dirty busy dirty traffic mean cheap pollution environment no hope world ,no friends, no one I like ,no loved ones, no support world, no one I have common interest world , this thing have been troubling me for 10 years, I am afraid to go to doctor, cause I am afraid if the doctor can't solve this problem for me who is going to help me. I am watching this 2 am at night, cause I can't sleep.

[@TG47GRG]

張添湖 We all know the answer, but we can't act on what we know.. Simply put, make a habit of sleeping early..

[@tanxiao7562]

Taktuk Taktuk thanks 😀

[@cuscof2]

From your description sleep is only one of your issues. More than anything you need a change of life and lifestyle, your sleep pattern will fix itself once the others are taken care of.

[@alexipeck4201]

Try Melatonin

[@tanxiao7562]

Brian Bixby 😃

[@lmeza1983]

Now makes sense why most of the people act really stupid, 5 hrs of sleep, alcohol and tabaco. In third world countries like Mexico the 50 hrs shift per week is really bad because they want you work more but in reality you do less since most of the time you think about sleeping and actually not being there.

[@freddyferrillo9704]

Oh okay, whatever you say dude. 50 hour work week ain't only in Mexico. Do you live in the US? We work 60 hours here in the states sometimes. Thats how a person gets ahead. The ot builds up and makes a huge difference in your check. It's called work. And it pays off. Try it some time when you fall into the reality realm. It has nothing to do with 3rd world countries, where they barely work at all. Where do you come up with these theories. Have you ever worked more than 40 hrs in a week? I have. For months at a time. It's called being a man and putting effort into your profession. Try it some time. It pays off. I know, i do it all the time. But you can't be a weak-minded lazy libtart and expect everything to be handed to you without putting in the effort and time. People like that are parasites to society. Period. I hope you ain't one of them?

[@Pintuuuxo]

Thank you so much Russel and TED. I slept very poorly for the last 30 years. It is truly a daily fight to get some good hours of sleep. Good luck to you all.

[@Thanh_Thien]

I think your situation is absolutely threatening. Maybe you are sufferring from a kind of mental illness such as depression. So visitting a doctor, I think, is a good thing you should do.

[@laylapolk1233]

Never been happier since I quit my overnight job. I did it for 3 months. In order to get test during the fay I had to sleep in the bathroom when I got off because it was the only room with no windows. I gained aeight rapidly and it didn't go anywhere even after I changed my diet to fruits and salads and staying away from carbs.

[@PartridgeAves]

Lots of information packed in a single 20 min video. That's what we need

[@cutifat]

Wow! One of the most informative talks on TED! So much to learn, and I'm glad I almost always sleep very well, albeit pretty long. Much obliged, Professor Forster.

[@BeautifulRose16]

Watching this at 5am... I haven't been to bed yet :(

[@salarfazel4652]

how are you now ?

[@MrNichium]

salar amir haha...they fell asleep...whoot whoot

[@465marko]

+Ruth E. naughty

[@mohanishtikekar1418]

Your DP says how you may be looking at 5am... 😅

[@CariagaXIII]

I blame the high demand either Work , School , Social or technology. too much of either one of them or more will reduce sleep. for me personally i spend to much time on technology :/

[@alan6877]

school is my problem

[@TomEbbsjamasteroids]

sleep debt is hard to pay back...I'm twenty...and I've pushed mine too far that I fear that my skin feels like it's tightening around my body, my whole body is reverting to shutdown and I always feel numb.

[@noahway13]

TED is finally getting better at showing the charts.

[@jamestucker6084]

This video is depriving me of sleep

[@MiguelMartinez-xb5bv]

I'm watching this at 2 in the morning

[@TuriyAbsolute]

Miguel Martinez 3:46 here. I win.

[@Gill_consumes]

4

[@CiubyX]

Gill 8:40

[@joeyharrison5218]

5:03am

[@lucasmironne3578]

this is not a contest you know?

[@jessicap2388]

Watching this video in 2019. I recently watched Matt Walker's TED talk, as well -- and yikes! Both are great and really get me (well, scared to be honest) thinking. I think we need a follow up TED talk about not just how to get to sleep (e.g.cool temperature -- which literally never works for me BTW -- dark room, no lights before bedtime, etc.) because the scope of the problem is so much bigger. "No tech 30 minutes before bedtime " is not typically an option for me.... when I am often falling asleep in bed, on my couch, or at my desk, doing work for classes or my job at my computer or on my phone. What about those of us who take our jobs home with us and have professional development we are required to maintain? Our education and our work never ends. What about parents? Their jobs never end. How can these people possibly get enough sleep? It's not as simple as turning out the lights and creating that perfect environment, even though we know we need 8 ish hours (plus or minus). How are we supposed to get all of our responsibilities done AND get adequate sleep....? Both are just not possible in today's society, unfortunately. I think that's the larger problem we need to address.

[@vtheb1299]

This is perhaps the best talk I've ever seen on the internet. Finding this gem makes social media worth it.

[@PetterssonRobin]

What a charming man. Seems to be really witty and warm at heart. I'd love to have him in the family, as an uncle or something.

[@ramoncollet]

Mr. Foster really delivered a well constructed and instructive talk! I very much enjoyed it!

[@teddissac8155]

ought to watch this through the end but as suggested I better off to sleep since it's 2am now...

[@heavymeddle28]

Sleep is probably my favorite thing to do

[@scottross1715]

Adore dreaming, and getting 100% comfortable. Sweet Dreams to You All 🐞

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

I LOVE sleep!! It is one of my favorite of the basic needs. Eating is also top notch pass time. But sleep, that's the best. Oh, & taking a big dump in the morning. That is like the trophy for having a good nights sleep.

[@amonraii7273]

0:56 looking back at the ripe old age of 90, I'll be assured that at least 32 years of that life was spent doing something I don't regret doing. I will then die with a smile on my face

[@kravetzpm]

In some special operations courses I've seen where I work, after three days of sleep deprivation, people start to have hallucinations. Dangerous hallucinations.

[@PlasmaBurns]

Reality is a nice place to visit but I wouldnt want to live there 24/7 - yay sleep.

[@inox1ck]

Lol. They used to say you loose 35%of your life sleeping but they forgot dreaming is sometimes better than reality. Some dreams give you feelings you can never achieve in life, at least for me :) Just a decent example there are places from childhood that I dream about , in the dream although they don't look the same the feeling of nostalgia gets off the scale. But if I visit the real place that looks the same it's still nice but the feelings are not so intense.

[@inox1ck]

Z3R0 G805T by that rule virtual reality is reality as well:) Of course you get the idea, dreams fit well to what we call VR

[@dreambeliever5150]

@Z3R0 G805T Who says there are external sources when your awake.. It all happens in your head. But you perceive my comment to be real.. Weird eh. Keep on dreaming.. All we can do.

[@BetterBlue]

Good one.

[@JanischMaximilian]

dream believer Yeah but under any reasonable epistemological framework it is fair to say that your perception is "influenced externally" when awake...

[@crotchet1586]

Reminds me of Stephen Fry for some reason!

[@exym969]

Glad that I'm not alone on this one! I almost begged that he say CAPABLE like fry LOL

[@GordonGarvey]

Posh accent of course

[@danielgriffith8911]

This was really fascinating. I have heard the popular scientific theory is the first one Russell mentions, basically. And what they have discovered is that the brain actually shrinks when you are in REM sleep! This allows more room between the brain and the skull for blood flow to occur. When we are awake, or brain produces more waste chemicals than can be quickly and continuously excreted. This buildup of what are essentially toxins cause the physical experience of being VERY tired. When we sleep, the increased bloodflow allows for quick waste removal.

[@thiagosgatti]

Russel, i'm from Brazil and here we have a man stoic and compromissed to human desenvolviment neurocientist called Eslen Delanogare. A podcast with you and him can be a divisor of waters for most of us who knows how great can be our lifes with balance. Amazing TED! Informative and Entertaining.. Come to Brazil

[@toddbacon6738]

There is a sad thing about the sugestion given by this man. As i do believe what he is saying, in this world for a lot of people you need to work so much to pay the bills. The government a long time ago calculated how much time a person can work in a given day but have just enough time for enjoyment. How can you get enough sleep?

[@mohinidamle4122]

OOxford Univеrsity Rеveals: Quick Insomnia Curе => twitter.com/6b32c5ac996d61862/status/804614583075733505 Whу dooо we slеep Russell Foster

[@toddbacon6738]

I apologize, i didn't watch the video because it is titled "Insomnia." I sleep like a baby most times, and i would think i sleep to much, because i am un-employed, but i strongly believe that to sustain sanity and to stay in a positive frame of mind, we must have comfortable, non- threatening sleep.

[@toddbacon6738]

I am thinking of my own thing...i will see.

[@MrMadalien]

What a great thing to watch at 12:30 to then sleep 6 hours and realize I should have slept longer.

[@stefanbschneider]

Great talk. It'd be interesting to hear if there is any science about afternoon naps. Like whether it's better to nap in the middle of the day or try to stay awake and then go to bed earlier.

[@kronoscamron7412]

Sleep is our own connection to the higher self. we get alot of guidance from sleeping,reprocess memories,solve conflicts,regulate body functions,make important decisions,get longivity and transcend the physical dimension but I can't really sleep much for some reason,wish I can.

[@AirFouly]

one of the very few ted talks that has "wowed" me throughout the whole time. I mean the majority of ted talks is great, but talks like this one I consider the icing on the cake. Great job Mr Foster!

[@koilamaoh4238]

I've been testing out sleep deprivation several days on, quite interesting how the body reacts. Watching your lucid dreams unfold before you in wake life, quite weird at times when you are in a drunken type of haze. Breaking 10 days, now thats hard. You'll start seeing what the matrix is.

[@scruggs6633]

I can't go for more than like two days, I've fallen asleep standing up lol

[@hastingsroofing]

@@scruggs6633 I use to work so many hours that I'd fall asleep standing up on a lift 110 feet in the air. My boss would slap my stomach and scream, "wake up!". I'd be asleep again within minutes

[@dreambeliever5150]

I say every morning when i go into work. "Why am i here again, I was having such a good dream... Ah well back to this one"

[@curtisbenoit20]

@Terran TAING no he got his profile pic at random .

[@shpared2]

"Sleep is for the weak" -Patrick Starfish from Spongebob Squarepants

[@WORKERS.DREADNOUGHT]

N.B. starfish - no brain.

[@BGdroopy]

Gianni Rosenkranz Patrick is a savage 🤙🏽

[@RaptorFPV]

Seriously? That´s what they teach the youngest? Damn (o_O)

[@withastickangrywhiteman2822]

I really want the sleep be defeated without bearing too much of consequences. A lot of people rather playing game than sleeping. I found a way to play during sleep. you can use a novel reading software to read novels during sleeping, you will have dreams about that novel, very funny, and the story would be different with the novel.

[@automaticreply]

That's why I slept all week!

[@minghuigu4369]

total of 32 years in sleep as a normal person. the function of sleep: 1.restorvation. 2.energy conservation. less convincing. 3.menmory consolidation the drawback of lacking sleep: raising risks of many kinds of disease(obesity, diabetes, stress...)and car accidents... tips to get enough sleep: 1.reduce light exposure. 2.turn off electronic devices. 3.avoid coffee and other stimuli. some myths about sleep. the relation between sleep and mental illness.

[@rachelbarnes4414]

I work in hospality and the long hours, ridiculous shifts and nightwork destroys everyone in the industry but their mins 30's. Almost everyone I know at work has a drinking or drug problem and has aged dramatically

[@VisitorOf22]

"Sleep. Those little slices of death. How I loathe them." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

[@YepX]

We get less sleep partly due to the Greed of people and because of this a vast majority of stores and bushiness require late shifts messing with sleep.

[@Vicvines]

well not just greedy stores and businesses. My mom is a nurse in the neo-natal intensive care unit. That is basically where the premature and very sick infants go. She worked the night shift for 30 years. I consider it a heroic sacrifice on her part because those babies needed to be looked after 24/7. So there was no way that she could just not go in to work. She works days now and her mood and energy is much better, thank God.

[@confederatehunter3300]

Patrick But someone has to do that job. Sick babies don’t take the night off. Heroes like your mom make sacrifices for people every night so they can get a good nights rest.

[@iknowyoureright8564]

@15:06 “what’s the last thing most of us do before going to bed?” I dont want to say,...........................but it rhymes with tank!!!!

[@e6bwhiz]

I'm watching this falling asleep and those cuts to the bright white diagrams are blasting my eyes. Can't even look at them. Well heck.

[@davidkatuin4527]

well ,I think why we sleep was not address, rather the focus was on the effects of sleep. dreaming is probably the most important reason for sleep. I have read about the aspect of learning as a reason for sleep as he mentioned but I don't think that is what they are actually observing.the cycles of sleep we're not mentioned.

[@salahudeenmahmood4306]

Who else sleeps to skip time

[@shinwariification]

very informative, thanks for rejecting the philosophy of early to bed early to rise ;) and the quote at the last was amazing

[@DoctorYammy]

Surprisingly, school drills the fact that we have to sleep; yet, the amount of work that needs to be done completely ruins that. I am speaking as a 3rd year pre-medical student, and 3 a.m. is an early night...

[@sssscoolguy]

What are you doing at KZbin then ;)

[@DaveJohnsonsuvam]

lol

[@Cepheid_]

Same, just pulled an all nighter last night.

[@jaymeselliot8181]

damn, there is a lot to know. This guy got a bit frantic at the end when he noticed his time was running, and started talking all fast. I love it when there is passion in a person's voice.

[@anarsalayev2114]

Up at 2 watching this when I have to wake up at 9 (not so bad). Foster's over-all presentation is just great; of course the content, but also his stage-presence. "This is donated by a social-scientist, and they said they didn't know what it was and indeed how to use it," fucking perfect.

[@sueannmunter3922]

Have sleepless nights over and over again? You can have good nights sleep within the next 2 weeks by using sleeplesshelp.com/ guides.

[@sempiternalscintilla9611]

luckily I wake up before my alarm has a chance to go of and I almost always have because the sun wakes me earlier.

[@h0len]

I live in Norway, so if I were to try that i'd wake up at 11am xD

[@FullFledged2010]

Yep same here.

[@adhdfitgirl]

That is so healthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it! you would love my channel

[@littleweirdo96]

The irony of the fact that I'm watching this whilst very sleep deprived, haven't slept all night in the past two days :/

[@RayneingASMR]

I see the exponential increase in the asmr/relaxation/meditation content on youtube of the past 5 years as a response to a sleep deprived, mentally unwell and extremely fast pasted and frantic society that we live in nowadays

[@AreolaGrande94]

Ugh... I have since puberty only needed a couple of hours of sleep at a stretch in a 24 hour period to function. For some reason that's all I manage, give or take an hour. Almost all of that sleep, per the neurologist I saw when I was 15, was REM... meaning I don't get any deep sleep at all. It hasn't severely affected my life I don't think (then again I know no different), although I do sometimes get 'sleep attacks' during the day (I'm not narcoleptic, just get supremely tired for brief periods once in a while). Wish we knew more about this and why this is.

[@TheMaxinfiniti]

Would it be wrong to point out the bags under his eyes?

[@guitarj3570]

Maybe he is tired

[@harrynac6017]

@madelaine smithe I have one eye with and one eye without bag.

[@lisabevans2639]

You're behind the times. #45 changed all that.

[@Kobethornton1234]

@madelaine smithe can you say that in English please

[@Kobethornton1234]

@madelaine smithe lol

[@ronex6211]

Wow, nearly fell asleep watching this, he did a good job.

[@TheDjango55]

+ronex6211 made my day :P

[@samione]

Watching at 6 am. I need to sleep or I'll go crazy very soon.

[@HarpoSpoke]

He did not dispel the idea that sleep is a negative thing which would be best eliminated from our lives. He fully explained WHY we need it. But sleep still sucks. We still spend a 3rd of our lives lying down doing nothing interesting or productive. And our lives are SHORT so that's a horrible thing. We should still try to find a way to cure the need for sleep. That will be a huge benefit to our species.

[@pseudopixzie]

I like to not watch tv but I have the tv on because listening to the voices or music or characters makes me sleepy.. I turn away from the tv and close my eyes.. after about 25 minutes I'm fast asleep! I get roughly.. 6-7 hours of sleep on week days and around 8-10 hours of sleep on weekends

[@adamfreed2291]

Wait people think teenagers are lazy? Holy crap I literally only get about 3 hours of sleep a night because I am constantly either at school, at an extracurricular of some sort, or doing homework from 6:30 AM to about 3:30 AM. And people call that lazy?! Also I need help.

[@jameswhite3415]

Adam Freed Not you the people who dont have extracircular activities or study ect

[@christiansaxin3274]

So you are experiencing time backwards?

[@ArnavSinghVEVO]

@@christiansaxin3274 lmao

[@100akerwoods]

It is funny how some people do not believe that a average kid in HighSchool who actually does all their homework can take up to 4-5hours... It really does and that is half the reason why I lose so much sleep. I am pretty much wasting my time half of what I learn I will forget because I am sleep deprived

[@rogeriopenna9014]

what, Challenger was because of tiredness and lack of sleep? how about being about an O ring of rubber that had never been tested in freezing conditions, and Challenger being launched on a RARE freezing day in Florida? And the lack of testing and not allowing the mission to be postponed being about politics?

[@cariejohnston5053]

Someone still overlooked it. They had to hire Feynman to figure out where they messed up

[@damianford7483]

The sun was tired. Its been going a solid few billion years, it can sleep on Florida for a day.

[@VladR1024]

@@cariejohnston5053No, you're wrong, do some research on it. It was merely wilfully ignored, not overlooked. Sleep had nothing to do with it.

[@ayeshanaveed7786]

The professor is way more eloquent and his content is absolutely to wow on! Amazingly explained!

[@AngelaMStovall]

Don't bother to watch this, even though he is great, as it was published in 2013 and since then science has answered this question. Well at the end he does talk about some very interesting things regarding insomnia and mental health. So the original hypothesis of the scientists that eventually answered the question, basically states that sleep is a requirement of the brain so to further study this they put monitors on the brains of mice (very overly simplified of course) and found that the brain actually shrinks by about 5% when we sleep! They tied this with the fact that the brain is separated from our lymphatic system so during the day our immune system is repairing our cells down in our bodies but we have the blood brain barrier that "overly (sometimes lol)" protects the brain so our immune system cannot clean the plaques and other things from the brain until we go to sleep then the brain shrinks allowing the spinal fluid to flow up around our brains cleaning it. Amazing! This is proven now but we could not have figured it out before until the technology was invented that allows us to monitor a live brain in that way! I love science!

[@GsBBoyDan]

Watching this after being awake for 24 hours. lol

[@jackdubs25]

Dang I need to watch this for a quiz tomorrow and here I am dozing off

[@brodeurheaton]

same here, but for an exam. I think my prof completely plagiarized this guy, I knew everything she said sounded familiar

[@notinterested8452]

I FELL ASLEEP WATCHING AND MISSED THE WHOLE PRESENTATION.

[@helen1163]

Very funny!

[@flawmore]

*I wasn't tired when I was supposed to go to sleep to get my 8 hours. It's way better now, and these things helped me the most:* 1, Exercise during the day. Being physically tired helps. ALOT. 2, Don't drink coffee in the evening (caffeine has a half-life of 4-5h so what he said about lunch is correct) If you must.. less is better. 3, Don't mess upp the rythm by alternating late and early evenings during the week days. 4, If you know you're going to read or watch netflix in bed before sleep - count this in and go to bed even earlier. 5, Keep dark, keep cool. 6, The blue light from screens are fooling the brain that it's daylight. Use the blue light filter that softens the light (99% of phones/pads have this) 7, Brush your teeth a little while before bed, not 1 minute before, but... 30? 8, Don't be hungry when you are trying to fall asleep.

[@MrCmon113]

Most importantly don't *try* to fall asleep.

[@danielsharma3044]

for most of the part of the videos i felt proud like yeah i value my sleep ..i fuckn leave my classes for sleep ! that was really motivating

[@crowbartender]

I should be sleeping but I find this too interesting. Oh the irony.

[@matthewpoulsen2148]

Oh the Irony of watching this video at 3:00am!!

[@Mataiodragon]

I'm listening to this at 3:30am when I should be asleep :/

[@mrressa1054]

the emojis😕

[@JoeNoshow27]

When he mentioned the need to turn off the TV, put down the smartphone and avoid light before bed, I knew that while his advice would no doubt enlighten and aid a small portion of individuals, it would also prove largely ineffective. I don't mean that in a condescending way. It's just the reality of human nature. Unfortunately, adequately educating people about the consequences of their behavior isn't enough to effectively rectify it. Our emotions evolved to function in a world that is very different from what it is today. And I think we'd do well to acknowledge and accept that, so that we can determine pragmatic means of addressing our maladaptive behaviors.

[@lisabayliss1]

Fantastic, eloquently delivered.

[@IQTheRapper]

Didn't he say that teenagers in general are biologically predisposed to stay up late and wake up late? Then later he said that this is a precursor for mental illness. With that line of logic doesn't that mean that all teenagers are at risk for mental illness with inadequate sleep? Forgive me if I am mistaken, for I am working only with the information provided.

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

idiot.

[@IQTheRapper]

@@SugaryPhoenixxx Thanks person

[@IQTheRapper]

What are your thoughts on the matter? Please keep in mind that I'm not a well educated scientist as some of the viewers are and I was doing my best to connect the dots as I saw them. Based off of your comment it seems that I missed something which led to you assuming I am an idiot.... I would love to be corrected and learn something from this. Thank you!

[@dickjohnson8695]

Mr. Foster said that not getting enough sleep is a precursor for mental illness. Staying up late and going to bed late does not necessarily mean not getting enough sleep. If a teenager goes to bed at 1 am and sleeps till 10 am they have gotten 9 hours sleep. I see where you’re coming from but I would watch the talk again to clear the misunderstanding up.

[@TheSimonScowl]

@@IQTheRapper wrote " it seems that I missed something which led to you assuming I am an idiot." It seems he's a jackass; not necessarily an idiot.

[@benjamin123456is]

I am a 14 year old boy and i was wondering about if it was good for me to get between 8 and 9 hours of sleep. It sounds like it is but i could increase it :D

[@stellarartist]

8 hours is a minimum at your age.

[@atomm4675]

8 is enough, any more and it becomes a negative impact.

[@beresrobert4262]

Well now you're ~18,but you should sleep as much as your body needs,not how much the intenet tells you

[@Shyhalu]

I call bs on the shift worker day/night clock. I sleep better during the day than I do at night. If anything - our clocks are adaptable.

[@joaosousa4946]

not true, buy a watch that can record your sleep, i dont remember the name now, and it will tell you how many hours of deep sleep youve had and light sleep, the neurological enforcement of connections is made during the deep sleep part, and guess what: i bet you get way fewer deep sleep hours than of light sleep

[@jonesy1589]

True, very much adaptable, we can change our human clocks to sleep at different times of the day, obvs can take a little while to get the brain to sleep at a different time

[@Mark-jv9ni]

I'm one of those people who doesn't like sleeping because there's so much things to do in life that makes sleeping irrelevant but at the same time it feels so good.

[@frankgiancola7]

At the age of 18 I began having trouble sleeping and at 32 realised I had diabetes and began smoking weed and drinking to sleep. At 40 I removed one food from my diet and became glycemic ( low blood glucose ). Still couldn't sleep. A couple years ago brought my glucose levels up by quitting drinking and sleep like a baby now. My high glucose levels directed me to drinking and my low glucose levels directed me to quit drinking which then made me finally sleep normally. Theres a very small area between the 7 and the 5 ( glucose levels ) which is optimum for sleep...anything above or below that will cause sleep disorders and I'm probably the only one that knows this. Looking back now my sleep disorder began way before I realised I had diabetes. At 40 became glycemic until 53. I wasn't able to sleep for 35 years. If I had gone to the doctor I wouldn't be here writing this. Love your video and I hope this helped.