“J’ai peur du sommeil comme on a peur d’un grand trou, Tout plein de vague horreur…” In his phenomenal ‘Les fleurs du mal’ (‘Flowers of Evil’), Baudelaire promenades through the darkness of the night and with his characteristic gloomy brush, paints sleep as ‘a great hole’ that he fears. This myth surrounding sleep as a […]
Category Archives: Sleep
May
30
You’re getting sleepy: Brain mechanisms of anesthesia and natural sleep
posted by Susan Lubejko
[En español] “Take a deep breath and count backwards from 10…” “10…9…8…7….” If you are one of the many people that have had surgery under general anesthesia, you may remember these words from your anesthesiologist, beginning the countdown yourself, then probably ….nothing. When you awoke later, you were already out of surgery and in a […]
February
22
Conscious in Dreamland: The Neuroscience of Lucid Dreaming
posted by Barbara Spencer
I do a lot of weird things while sleeping. I talk, walk, and experience vivid dreams, all without conscious awareness. Despite the fact that my dreams are often absurd, I don’t question their content while I’m in them. (Oh, I’ve been hired to make a documentary about Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and his […]
October
19
To sleep, perchance to roam
posted by Barbara Spencer
You jolt awake, sensing a presence in your room. Heart racing, you open your eyes and the figure comes into focus. Her glassy eyes seem to stare right through you. You sigh thinking, “not again,” and take your sleepwalking child back to bed. In the middle of the night, I go walking in my […]
April
27
Half Asleep
posted by megkirch
Sleep, though one of my greatest joys in life, is frustratingly unproductive. As much as I love to curl up in bed, close my eyes and flip the off-switch on my consciousness, the realization that I spend 24-33% of my day just staring at the backs of my eyelids is exasperating. Imagine the possibilities if […]
January
12
Dosing Dopamine to Regulate Rest
posted by kkiritah
Sleep is great. We all do it (sort of), and the fortunate among us can look forward to getting some sweet slumber every night. But sometimes, something better comes along. A new video game, Netflix series, or Tinder date might be so captivating that even late into the night, our body’s need for sleep seems […]
August
13
Things that go Bump in the Night: the Perils of Misplaced Paralysis
posted by nkoblesky
Sleep is a beautiful thing. As soon as your head hits your pillow, your brain and body kick a number of essential processes into gear. Growth hormone is released, making you taller(1). The immune system is bolstered, protecting you from disease and infection(1). Memories are consolidated, making damn sure that you remember every word of […]
August
14
Let’s Talk About Sleep
posted by kkiritah
Oh no. It’s 4am, and I’ve done it again. Ugh. I’ve waited until the last minute to write my NeuWriteSD post, and now it’s 4am. And I haven’t slept since 5am yesterday morning. Ugh. As you might imagine, I’m feeling pretty terrible. Not only because of the guilt (since I was supposed to have this […]
