Science with Sam: Why can’t we stay awake indefinitely?

We spend one-third of our lives asleep, but why is it so essential? In this episode, we explain the science of sleep and why we can’t stay awake indefinitely.

For something we spend so much time doing, we still don’t really know what sleep is for. It’s clear that we need it. Our ability to perform tasks and make decisions is greatly impaired by a lack of sleep, as anyone who has had a restless night will attest. But it’s not just humans who are so reliant upon shut-eye. Animals need sleep too, even birds that fly continuously for months. So what’s sleep for?  And why can’t we stay awake indefinitely? In this episode of Science with Sam, the first in the new series, …