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Insomnia

Understanding sleep loss.

Do you find it difficult to get a good night's sleep? If so, you are not alone. According to the US National Institutes of Health, between 6 and 30 per cent of adults suffer from insomnia, or lack of restorative sleep. Since the establishment of sleep medicine a century ago, we have learnt a lot about what causes sleeplessness. And yet - as the never-ending proliferation of sleep aids demonstrates - its prevalence remains high. Persistent lack of sleep can have serious consequences for your health and yet some writers, and other creatives, seem to welcome it. Franz Kafka famously claimed that if he couldn't pursue his stories through the night, they would "break away and disappear". Iszi Lawrence discusses the past and present of research into insomnia, and its hold over our imagination with scientists, writers and World Service listeners.

Release date:

50 minutes

On radio

Sat 26 Oct 2024 11:06GMT

Broadcast

  • Sat 26 Oct 2024 11:06GMT

Do you find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep?

Do you find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep?

The next Forum programme is about insomnia and we would love to hear your experiences.

Podcast