A new podcast episode digs into the start of research on sleep and its effects on the body—and the questions still puzzling scientists.

Almost a century ago, the origins of sleep science research began at the University of Chicago with the opening of the world’s first sleep laboratory. Since then, sleep science has evolved into a multi-disciplinary field—with scientists focusing on diagnosing the causes of sleep disorders , how sleep affects our metabolic health, and improving methods for good sleep hygiene .

But at the core of sleep science, one fundamental question remains: Why do we sleep?

In this episode of the Big Brains podcast, Esra Tasali, director of the University of Chicago Sleep Center; and Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy, explain their work:

You can read the episode transcript here .

Source: University of Chicago

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