Click on a word or part of a phrase to learn more.
Scroll through the captions and click 
to skip to a caption.
Play video to start
Sleep is so important.
Sleep
is
so
important
We need it to live.
We
need
it
to
live
And when we can't sleep, we're desperate for help.
And
when
we
can't
sleep
we're
desperate
for
help
[Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter]
Body
Stuff
with
Dr
Jen
Gunter
But lately, our fascination with sleep feels as if it's taken on an urgency.
But
lately
our
fascination
with
sleep
feels
as
if
it's
taken
on
an
urgency
Do a quick internet search for sleep and you'll find a slew of articles
Do
a
quick
internet
search
for
sleep
and
you'll
find
a
slew
of
articles
about how to make your sleep perfect.
about
how
to
make
your
sleep
perfect
New gadgets, fancy alarm clocks,
New
gadgets
fancy
alarm
clocks
stay away from blue light.
stay
away
from
blue
light
There are lots of services, products and advice columns
There
are
lots
of
services
products
and
advice
columns
that tell us we're sleeping wrong.
that
tell
us
we're
sleeping
wrong
Not enough,
Not
enough
no quality sleep, wrong position.
no
quality
sleep
wrong
position
Even worse, you might find scary messaging
Even
worse
you
might
find
scary
messaging
claiming that if you're not sleeping right
claiming
that
if
you're
not
sleeping
right
your life is going to be shorter
your
life
is
going
to
be
shorter
you're going to get all kinds of diseases.
you're
going
to
get
all
kinds
of
diseases
One of the biggest worries we have about our sleep
One
of
the
biggest
worries
we
have
about
our
sleep
is that we're not getting enough
is
that
we're
not
getting
enough
and that anything less than seven hours a night
and
that
anything
less
than
seven
hours
a
night
means that we’re doomed to bad health
means
that
we’re
doomed
to
bad
health
everything from high blood pressure to Alzheimer’s disease
everything
from
high
blood
pressure
to
Alzheimer’s
disease
But there are two flaws with this kind of messaging.
But
there
are
two
flaws
with
this
kind
of
messaging
The first flaw is that it's not completely accurate.
The
first
flaw
is
that
it's
not
completely
accurate
Seven to eight hours of sleep,
Seven
to
eight
hours
of
sleep
while recommended for adults, is just an average
while
recommended
for
adults
is
just
an
average
And while messages have to be simplified for health communication to the public,
And
while
messages
have
to
be
simplified
for
health
communication
to
the
public
sometimes important nuances get lost.
sometimes
important
nuances
get
lost
So yes, it's true that not getting enough sleep in the long term
So
yes
it's
true
that
not
getting
enough
sleep
in
the
long
term
is associated with health problems like cardiovascular disease,
is
associated
with
health
problems
like
cardiovascular
disease
diabetes and depression.
diabetes
and
depression
But fixating solely on seven to eight hours
But
fixating
solely
on
seven
to
eight
hours
ignores the fact that there's a range of sleep that people need.
ignores
the
fact
that
there's
a
range
of
sleep
that
people
need
The duration of a good night's sleep can be different for different people.
The
duration
of
a
good
night's
sleep
can
be
different
for
different
people
Some adults need eight, but some are just fine on six.
Some
adults
need
eight
but
some
are
just
fine
on
six
The second flaw with this kind of doomsday messaging
The
second
flaw
with
this
kind
of
doomsday
messaging
is that it can be counterproductive,
is
that
it
can
be
counterproductive
especially for people who do have trouble sleeping.
especially
for
people
who
do
have
trouble
sleeping
For instance, in 2019
For
instance
in
2019
it was estimated that 21 percent of adults in the US
it
was
estimated
that
21
percent
of
adults
in
the
US
were wearing sleep tracking devices.
were
wearing
sleep
tracking
devices
And that number is probably growing.
And
that
number
is
probably
growing
And I get it.
And
I
get
it
It's fascinating to see how much sleep you've gotten each night
It's
fascinating
to
see
how
much
sleep
you've
gotten
each
night
and to know what part of your night was spent in deep sleep or dreaming.
and
to
know
what
part
of
your
night
was
spent
in
deep
sleep
or
dreaming
But having all of that sleep data
But
having
all
of
that
sleep
data
is causing some people to become obsessed with it
is
causing
some
people
to
become
obsessed
with
it
so much so that it’s leading to a condition some call orthosomnia:
so
much
so
that
it’s
leading
to
a
condition
some
call
orthosomnia:
a preoccupation with the constant need to achieve perfect sleep.
a
preoccupation
with
the
constant
need
to
achieve
perfect
sleep
And this condition, ironically, is causing more sleep problems!
And
this
condition
ironically
is
causing
more
sleep
problems
Now orthosomnia might be an extreme example
Now
orthosomnia
might
be
an
extreme
example
but the anxiety of not getting enough sleep
but
the
anxiety
of
not
getting
enough
sleep
is keeping some of us up at night.
is
keeping
some
of
us
up
at
night
So here's what some experts are saying.
So
here's
what
some
experts
are
saying
Stop fixating on the number
Stop
fixating
on
the
number
because that can lead to unrealistic expectations of sleep.
because
that
can
lead
to
unrealistic
expectations
of
sleep
According to Dr. Colleen Carney
According
to
Dr
Colleen
Carney
a psychologist and the head of the Ryerson University Sleep Lab
a
psychologist
and
the
head
of
the
Ryerson
University
Sleep
Lab
the basic questions you should ask yourself are:
the
basic
questions
you
should
ask
yourself
are:
Do I feel reasonably well-rested during the day?
Do
I
feel
reasonably
well-rested
during
the
day
Do I generally sleep through the night without disturbances?
Do
I
generally
sleep
through
the
night
without
disturbances
Or, if I wake, do I fall back asleep easily?
Or
if
I
wake
do
I
fall
back
asleep
easily
Can I stay awake through the day without involuntarily falling asleep?
Can
I
stay
awake
through
the
day
without
involuntarily
falling
asleep
If your answers are yes to all three,
If
your
answers
are
yes
to
all
three
you probably don't need to worry about your sleep.
you
probably
don't
need
to
worry
about
your
sleep
And if you're struggling with your sleep,
And
if
you're
struggling
with
your
sleep
instead of buying expensive blue light filters
instead
of
buying
expensive
blue
light
filters
or fancy sleep trackers,
or
fancy
sleep
trackers
try talking with your doctor to make sure there aren't any medical conditions
try
talking
with
your
doctor
to
make
sure
there
aren't
any
medical
conditions
that need to be explored first.
that
need
to
be
explored
first
Then try evidence-based recommendations
Then
try
evidence-based
recommendations
laid out by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
laid
out
by
the
American
Academy
of
Sleep
Medicine
What's really cool is that there's a highly effective therapy
What's
really
cool
is
that
there's
a
highly
effective
therapy
called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I,
called
cognitive
behavioral
therapy
for
insomnia
or
CBT-I
It doesn’t have any medications involved.
It
doesn’t
have
any
medications
involved
And it has a really low failure rate.
And
it
has
a
really
low
failure
rate
Talking speed
Your daily language practice
Stay up to date with topical vocabulary and the latest in politics and culture.
Click ?
for definitions and explanations
Click 
to skip back to the previous caption
to skip back to the previous caption
You're closer to breakthrough moments than you realize - keep pushing!
These features are available only to paying subscribers
Slow the playback rate.
Sometimes native speakers talk very quickly. Catch every word by reducing the speed of the video.
Your own teacher.
If you are unsure of any word or phrase then the AI assistant can help you understand.
You might also like these videos
If you enjoy using our custom video player, why not join thousands of subscribers who have signed up to our free weekly lessons?