Documentary explores serious consequences of sleep deprivation

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Caption: "When we deprive ourselves of sleep, there are some very very serious consequences," says Jennifer Gardy, host of While You Were Sleeping. (Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)

Audio | The Current : Documentary explores serious consequences of sleep deprivation

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In parts of sleep, the brain is at least as active and maybe more active than it is during waking. - Robert Stickgold, cognitive neuroscientist
As Shakespeare says, we are such stuff. As dreams are made on.
For some a good night's sleep has become something we can only dream about.

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Caption: Sleep is about much more than letting our bodies recharge, says sleep researcher. (General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

But as the scientific research continues to grow, it's becoming more and more apparent that getting our sleep is about much more than simply recharging our energy stores and that the time may have come to re-think sleep.
...men tend to have more action-based dreams, whereas women's tend to be a little more subtle as opposed to the I'm Flying! - Jennifer Gardy, host of While You Were Sleeping
It's a topic that (external link)CBC TV's the Nature of Things (external link)will tackle this Thursday March 10, 2016, in While You Were Sleeping.

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Caption: Sleep is "our brains cleaning themselves out," says documentary host Jennifer Gardy. (George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images)

Guests in this segment:

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How do you make sure you get enough sleep? What happens if you don't?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Karin Marley.