>>> OUR FOUNDER BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

AND THIS YEAR WE'LL HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUND WITH ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> I'M DR. FREDERIC BERTLEY.

WELCOME TO QED WITH ME, DR. B.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE.

>> TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SLEEP HEALTH.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HUGH NUTRITION AND EXERCISE ARE PILLARS OF HEALTH, BUT SLEEP HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.

WHY DO WE NOT PRIORITIZE OUR SLEEP HEALTH MORE?

>> IT IS ALL A BALANCE.

WE GO THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND THEN OUR ADULT LIFE.

AND WHAT DO WE DO, WE SACRIFICE SLEEP WHICH IS SOMETHING WE REALLY SHOULDN'T.

>> LATER IN THE SHOW WE'LL EXPLORE HOW DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME INCREASES DISORDERS.

BUT FIRST, HOW DOES SLEEP AFFECT THE BRAIN?

>> SLEEP IS CRITICAL FOR BOTH MENTALLY AND LEARNING.

I SPOKE TO DR. MATT WILSON AT M.I.T.

WHO STUDIES WHY WE SLEEP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

DR. WILSON, THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT SLEEP, BUT YOUR RESEARCH FOCUSES ON MEMORY.

WILL YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU DEFINE MEMORY?

>> MEMORY WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN COGNITION, WE REALLY THINK OF IT AS SOMETHING MORE THAN STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL.

IT IS REALLY HOW WE LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE.

AND SO ONE WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT, WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PREDICT THE FUTURE.

WE WANT TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.

WE'VE DONE THINGS IN THE PAST AND WE WANT TO LEARN FROM THEM, SO WHAT MIGHT YOU DO.

YOU GO THROUGH THE WORLD, NOTE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED, WHEN I SAW THIS, I SAW THE LIGHT TURN RED, I SAW THE CAR STOP.

WHEN I GOT BACK HOME, YOU REVIEW THE NOTES AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT ALL MEANT.

>> SO CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE WAY YOU DISCOVERED THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MEMORY AND SLEEP IN YOUR OWN RESEARCH?

>> SCIENCE IS OFTEN ABOUT UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY.

YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING, YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T EXPECT AND YOU THINK, GEE, THAT IS KIND OF ODD.

I WAS DOING EXPERIMENTS ON THE BRAIN.

AND I WAS STUDYING THE BRAIN AREA CRITICAL FOR MEMORY FORMATION AND PROCESSING OF EXPERIENCE.

SO I WAS INTERESTED IN FIGURING OUT WHAT IS DOING ON IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS WHEN THERE ARE MEMORIES OF SPACE.

SO IT PUT RATS IN THE MAZE, HAVING IT RUN AROUND AND THEN RECORDING BRAIN ACTIVITY IN THE RATS AS THEY DO THIS TO TRY TO SEE WHAT A MEMORY LOOKS LIKE.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE ACTIVITY OF INDIVIDUAL NEURONS, BRAIN CELLS.

WE RECORD THOSE BY PUTTING IN THE ELECTRODES.

SO I HAD DONE THIS EXPERIMENT.

THE RA FINISHED WITH HIS MAZE RUN.

AND I'D PUT THEM IN A LITTLE HOLDING AREA AND I COULD HEAR BRAIN ACTIVITY IN THE RATS.

I COULD LISTEN IN JUST LIKE YOU TUNE IN YOUR LITTLE AUDIO AMPLIFIER.

BUT INSTEAD OF TUNING TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION, I TUNED INTO THE HIPPOCAMPUS STATION.

I WAS LISTENING TO BRAIN CELLS.

YOU HEAR THIS LITTLE POP, UPON, POP, POP.

CELLS FIRING.

VERY DISTINCT STIFF SOUND.

LIKE YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUSIC AND STATIC.

SAME THING ARE WITH BRAIN ACTIVITY.

SORT OF THE MUSIC OF THE BRAIN.

SO I'VE TAKEN THE ANIMAL OFF AND HE IS JUST KIND OF RESTING AND I HEAR THIS POP, POP, POP.

AND I'M DOING MY BUSINESS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR BRAIN ACTIVITY THAT SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE THE ANIMAL IS RUNNING.

SOUNDS LIKE HE'S GOTTEN UP AND HE IS RUNNING AROUND.

I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED SO I TURNED TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THE RAT IS NOT RUNNING AROUND THE ROOM, HE IS JUST CURLED UP AND HE IS ASLEEP.

AND I'M LISTENING TO BRAIN ACTIVITY DURING SLEEP THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE HE IS RUNNING.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE ACTIVITY, IT TURNS OUT HE IS IN REM SLEEP, ONE OF THE STAGES THAT WE EXPERIENCE DREAMING IN.

SO I'M THINKING, HEY, THAT IS PRETTY INTERESTING.

THIS RAT IS DREAMING AND THE SOUND OF THE BRAIN ACTIVITY DURING DREAMING IN RATS SOUNDS LIKE THE RAT IS RUNNING.

SO THAT KIND OF KICKED IT OFF.

ANDLOOKED AT IT, AND IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE PLAYING BACK THE PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY THAT OCCURRED WHEN THEY WERE RUNNING IN THE MAZE DURING SLEEP.

>> ARE YOU SAYING YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THE RAT IS SEEING WHILE ASLEEP?

>> THAT IS THE ASTONISHING PART.

WHEN YOU GO IN AND YOU REPORT BRAIN ACTIVITY, YOU SEE THESE PATTERNS OF BRAIN ACTIVITY THAT OCCUR WHEN THE ANIMAL IS RUNNING AND THEY REOCCUR.

IT IS KIND OF LIKE YOU LOOK AT A TELEVISION SCREEN AND YOU SAY IS THIS A PICTURE OF DR. B.

BUT WHEN YOU GET UP REALLY CLOSE, IT IS JUST A PATTERN OF DOTS.

LITTLE PIXELS.

SO IT IS JUST THE PATTERN OF PIXELS TURNING ON AND ON THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE, YOU CAN SEE AN ENTIRE IMAGE.

IT IS THE SAME IDEA WHEN YOU RECORD IN THE BRAIN.

EVERY PIXEL IS LIKE A BRAIN CELL.

AND SO IT IS NOT JUST MEMORY APPEARS THAT REAPPEAR DURING SLEEP, IT IS THE SEQUENCE OF THEM.

THEY ARE REPLAYING LIKE SHORT LITTLE MOVIES IN THEIR HEAD.

SO I'D SAY YES, THEY ARE DREAMING.

AND WE CAN RECONSTRUCT OR FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THEY ARE DREAMING ABOUT AND EVEN WHAT IS IT THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY SEEING WHILE THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE DREAMS.

SO IT IS JUST SORT OF THE MARVEL OF THE BRAIN THAT IT PRODUCES THESE PATTERNS THAT WE CAN GO IN AND DECIPHER THE CODE.

>> WHERE DOES THE RESEARCH GO FROM HERE AND WHAT ARE THE NEXT BIG QUESTIONS YOUR LAB IS TRYING TO ANSWER AND THE FIELD IN GENERAL?

>> IN THE END THE QUESTION OF SLEEP IS REALLY KIND OF THE QUESTION OF WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE US, RIGHT, WHAT DEFINES US.

WE'RE DEFINED BY OUR EXPERIENCE.

KIND OF WHAT WE REMEMBER, BUT ALSO HOW OUR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT WE REMEMBER INFLUENCES THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.

AND ULTIMATELY WE BELIEVE THAT SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT PROCESSING GOES ON DURING SLEEP.

I KIND OF REFER TO IT AS THE WISDOM.

WE SORT OF THINK ABOUT WISDOM IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING DIRECT EXPERIENCE.

WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG, MAYBE YOU DO THINGS, YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU THINK MAN, A I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT AGAIN.

IT IS CALLED LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE.

SO THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY MAKE GOOD DECISIONS WITHOUT HAVING TO SUFFER PAINS OF POOR DECISION MAKING, THAT IS WHAT MAKES SOMEONE WISE, WHAT MAKES A BRAIN EFFECTIVE.

IT HAS A GOOD MODEL.

THAT IS WHAT SLEEP IN A SENSE IS TRYING TO DO.

SO YOU COULD SAY WHERE AM I GOING, WHERE IS THE RESEARCH GOING, IT IS ULTIMATELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE GAIN WISDOM, HOW THE BRAIN ULTIMATELY IS ABLE TO BUILD THESE MODELS THAT ARE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS IN THE WORLD.

>>> IN THE SPRING AND FALL, WE MOVE OUR CLOCK EITHER FORWARD OR BACK.

EITHER WAY THEY ARE A PAIN ESPECIALLY THAT ONE WHERE WE LOSE AN HOUR SLEEP.

BUT WHY ARE WE STILL MOVING OUR CLOCKS TWICE A YEAR?

>> IT ACTUALLY STARTED OFF TO HELP US SAVE ENERGY.

THERE ARE SOME STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT YOU CAN SAVE ENERGY FROM DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, BUT NOW WE LIVE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY WHERE WE'RE WORKING 24/7 REGARDLESS OF THE AREA CODES OR TIME ZONES.

SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, IT IS ACTUALLY IMPACTING OUR SLEEP PATTERNS AND THAT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL ON OUR HEALTH.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I SPOKE TO A LEADER IN THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE ON THE EFFECTS OF JUST LOSING ONE HOUR DUE TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

SCIENTISTS COLLECTED A LOT OF DATA ON SLEEP LOSS DUE TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

IT IS JUST AN HOUR, BUT THE DATA SHOW REAL BIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES TO CHANGING OUR SLEEP PATTERNS.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE DATA TELL US AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOSE JUST ONE HOUR OF SLEEP?

>> WHEN WE SWITCH IN THE SPRING, YOU LITERALLY CHANGE THE CLOCK ON THE WALL.

BUT THE TIME THAT YOUR BODY IS WAKING UP AND GOING TO SLEEP, THAT DOES THAT CHANGE BECAUSE OUR BODY IS CONNECTED TO THE TIME CLOCK.

AND THAT CONNECTION DOESN'T CHANGE.

SO WHEN YOU TRY TO MAKE LIVING THINGS DO THINGS AT A TIME WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT, IT IS HARD.

THAT IS WHY PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH LARGER ANIMALS LIKE COWS, THEY REALLY STRUGGLE AND THAT IS WHY THEY DON'T LIKE IT.

WE KNOW THAT LOSING THAT ONE HOUR OF SLEEP HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF HEART ATTACKS AND BNORMAL RHYTHM OF THE HEART.

AND THAT PUTS PEOPLE AT A HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING STROKE.

SO NOT A SURPRISE OBVIOUSLY.

SO THE IDEA THAT CHRONICALLY SLEEP DEPRIVED AND YOU TAKE ONE MORE HOUR AWAY FROM THEM, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS INCREASED MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.

AND INCREASE OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK.

AND THE LIST GOES ON.

THE STOCK MARKET TENDS TO LOSE MONEY AFTER THE SPRING SWITCH.

AND SO SUPPOSEDLY THIS ONE HOUR OF LOSS OF SLEEP, YOU KNOW, IS NOT JUST ONE HOUR.

IT IS MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT.

>> SO HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE OUR BODIES PHYSICAL LOGICALLY TO CHANGE FROM A SLEEP PATTERN STANDPOINT?

>> ABOUT A WEEK.LOGICALLY TO CHANGE FROM A SLEEP PATTERN STANDPOINT?

>> ABOUT A WEEK.

ABOUT SEVEN DAYS IT RECAPTURE THAT ONE HOUR.

BUT IT DOES MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE TIME ZONE.

AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE WORK.

WE DO KIND OF RECOVER FROM THAT WITHIN A WEEK.

THE CHRONIC PROBABLY DO NOT FOR MONTHS.

>> ANY OTHER LONG TERM MEDICAL IMPLICATIONS FROM SLEEP DISRUPTION?

>> PEOPLE CHRONICALLY SLEEP DEPRIVED DO POORLY IN GENERAL.

IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK FOR OBESITY AND DIABETES AND INCREASE OF HEART ATTACKS.

>> SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT CAN IMPACT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.

BUT DOES AGE PLAY A ROLE HERE, IS THERE AN AGE THAT ADJUSTS FASTER OR SLOWER TO SLEEP DISRUPTION?

>> BIOLOGICALLY, OLDER PEOPLE TEND TO HAVE WHAT WE CALL ADVANCED SLEEP PHASE WHICH MEANS THAT THEY TEND TO GO TO BED EARLY AND WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING.

JUST NATURAL FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER.

PEOPLE YOUNGER TEND TO HAVE A DELAYED SLEEP PHASE WHICH MEANS THAT EVEN IF THEY TRY, THEY ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FALLING ASLEEP EARLY IN THE NIGHT.

AND A HARD TIME WAKING UP EARLY.

THAT IS WHY TEENAGERS STRUGGLE WAKING UP IN THE MORNING AND GOING TO SCHOOL AND PERFORMING WELL ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLIER CLASSES IN THE DAY.

>> SO THE BIG DEBATE, STANDARD TIME OR DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, IF WE MOVE TO ONE OR THE OTHER, WHICH ONE AND WHY?

>> AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE HAS A STATEMENT THAT SPRINGTIME IS MUCH BETTER YEAR-ROUND THAN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

AND THAT IS JUST BETTER IN SYNC WITH OUR INTERNAL CLOCK.

AND THAT IS JUST TRUE.

JUST A FACT.

WHEN WE GO TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, IT REEKS HAVOC WITH PARTS OF OUR SOCIETY.

>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUR EXPERTISE, WHAT CAN WE DO THEN TO INCREASE OUR SLEEP HEALTH.

>> REALIZE AS A SOCIETY THAT IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, A HEALTHY DIET AND EXERCISE, SLEEP IS ALSO A PILLAR OF HEALTH.

AND NOT ONLY YOU NEED TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP.

AND SO WHAT WE RECOMMEND IS AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP AND LONGER FOR YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS LIKE KIDS AND TEENAGERS.

FIRST THING IS OPEN THE WINDOW BECAUSE YOU NEED MORE TIME.

PEOPLE NEED SLEEP SO THAT THEY CAN MEET THEIR SOCIAL NEEDS AND THAT SHOULD PUT THEM ON NOTICE THAT LOSING SLEEP IS NOT JUST LOSING ONE HOUR OR TWO HOURS.

IT IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

>>> IT IS SO INTERESTING THAT CARDIAC EVENTS ALONE INCREASE EVERY YEAR AFTER DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME.

I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT HE SAID THAT IT IS BEST TO GET UP WITH THE SUNRISE AND GO TO BED WITH THE SUNSET.

>> IT ALLIES OUR BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE SUN.

EACH OF US IS UNIQUELY DIFFERENT.

AND SO TO EXPLORE THAT BETTER, I SPOKE TO A DOCTOR AT NORTHWESTERN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

YOU STUDY CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND THEIR CONNECTIONS TO SLEEP DISORDERS.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM CYCLE?

>> CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ARE WHAT WE CALL INTRINSIC RHYTHMS.

THEY EXIST IN EVERY CELL OF YOUR BODY ALMOST.

MORE RECENTLY WE NOW KNOW THAT THESE RHYTHMS ARE GENERATED AT A GENETIC OR MOLECULAR LEVEL.

SO HOW FAST YOUR INTERNAL BIOLOGICAL CLOCK TICKS IS DETERMINED BY YOUR GENES.

AND IT HAS REALLY BEEN AMAZING THESE LAST COUPLE YEAR, WE'RE BEGINNING TO REALIZE THE IMPACT OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ON ALL ASPECTS OF OUR HEALTH BECAUSE IT AFFECTS EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY.

AND OF COURSE IT ALSO REGULATES THE TIMING OF SLEEP AND WAKEFULNESS AND ALSO WHAT WE WILL CALL WHEN YOU CAN SLEEP AND REALLY REGULATING YOUR OPTIMAL ABILITY TO SLEEP.

>> SO WHAT ARE SOME COMMON FACTORS YOU SEE IN PARTS THAT DISRUPT THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM?

>> IT IS REALLY A MODERN ERA ISSUE.

ONE OF THE STRONGEST TIME GIVERS SYNCHRONIZING AGENTS IS THAT OF THE LIGHT/DARK CYCLE AND ALSO OUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CYCLE.

ALSO WHEN WE EAT.

ALL OF THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT IN KEEPING OUR INTERNAL CLOCK IN SYNC WITH THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH, DAY/LIGHT CYCLES BUT ALSO OUR SOCIAL CYCLES.

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE GETTING TOO MUCH LIGHT AT NIGHT, NOT GETTING ENOUGH LIGHT DURING DAY BECAUSE WE'RE IN ZOOM MEETINGS ALL DAY, THAT WILL DISRUPT YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AND ALSO EATING LATE AT NIGHT.

BUT MANY BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS OF MODERN SOCIETY CAN DISRUPT OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.

AND THAT IN TURN CAN ALSO DISRUPT SLEEP AND THEN WHEN YOU DISRUPT SLEEP, YOU CAN ALSO THEN NEGATIVELY AFFECT MULTIPLE AREAS OF YOUR HEALTH.

>> GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS PROMISING NEW RESEARCH YOU'RE WORKING IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SLEEP DISORDERS.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THEM AND PARTICULARLY THE TIME SIGNATURE TEST?

>> WE THINK THAT CIRCADIAN MEDICINE WILL BE THE NEXT FRONTIER OF MEDICINE.

AND WE ESTABLISHED A CLINIC AND WE'RE ABLE FROM A PERSONAL PATIENT STANDPOINT TO LOOK AT THE TIMING OF YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM.

SO YOU SAY HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS IN MY BODY.

AND SO WE DEVELOPED THE TIME SIGNATURE TEST.

BECAUSE SO MANY FUNCTIONS OF OUR BODY ARE RHYTHMIC.

WE CAN WITH ONE OR TWO BLOOD TESTS TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT TIME IS THIS YOUR BODY.

SO WE LOOK AT BASICALLY HOW MANY RHYTHMS ARE EXPRESSED AROUND THE SAME TIME.

AND KNOWING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WE CAN SAY I THINK I KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS IN YOUR BODY.

SO IT IS REALLY A PRACTICAL WAY WHERE WE CAN THINK OF ADOPTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE IN THE CLINIC WHERE YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CIRCADIAN PROFILE JUST LIKE YOUR HEART RATE BE PART OF YOUR MEDICAL WORKUP.

POOR SLEEP IS A RISK FACTOR FOR MANY OF THE COMMON MODERN DISEASES INCLUDING SOMETHING LIKE ALZHEIMER'S OR METABOLIC DISORDERS LIKE OBESITY.

WE CLEARLY NEED TO DO MORE STUDIES TO LOOK AT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP QUALITY OR DURATION, WOULD THAT CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE.

>> IS THERE A TIME DIFFERENCE PER PERSON IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH SLEEP THEY NEED AND IS THERE A DIFFERENTIATED SIGNATURE IN DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT REALLY CONTROLS THAT OR ARE THEY SEPARATE?

>> SOME OF US ARE OWLS, RIGHT?

AND NATURALLY THEIR SLEEP WOULD BE LATER AND THEY WOULD WANT TO WAKE UP LATER.

WHERE AS WE GET OLDER, WE TEND TO BE MORE EARLY TYPES.

SO THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE QUALITY, TIMING AND AMOUNT OF SLEEP WE'RE ABLE TO GET ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE TO WAKE UP AT A CERTAIN TIME IN THE MORNING TO GET TO WORK.

THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN WHAT WE CALL CHROMO TYPE.

AND THERE ARE INDEED SOME INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE AMOUNT OF SLEEP THAT ONE MAY NEED.

BUT ON AVERAGE FOR GENERAL POPULATION, IT WILL BE ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP.

>> WHERE DO YOU HOPE THAT RESEARCH GOES IN THE FUTURE?

>> I HOPE THAT THE RESEARCH THAT WE DO WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM OF WHY PEOPLE HAVE INSOMNIA, FOR EXAMPLE.

WHY THEY HAVE TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP OR STAYING ASLEEP.

WHAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS, WHAT DOES THEIR ENVIRONMENT LOOK LIKE.

AND TAKING ALL OF THIS AND PERHAPS EVEN USING HIGH TECH MULTISENSOR TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO ARRIVE AT A PERSONALIZED PROFILE OF YOUR SLEEP.

WHAT IS SLEEP HEALTH IN AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEN USING THAT INFORMATION TO TARGET THERAPIES SO THAT IT IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALSO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR THERAPIES BECAUSE WE CAN PERSONALIZE IT AND INDIVIDUALIZE IT.

AND BE MORE STRATEGIC IN THE WAY WE LOOK AT AND TREAT SLEEP DISORDERS.

>>> SO DR. WILSON, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW SLEEP IS PARAMOUNT FOR SO MANY REASONS.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET A RESTFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP?

>> I KNEW THIS QUESTION WAS COMING.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT I THINK PEOPLE STUDY THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE REALLY BAD AT BECAUSE I THINK THEY ARE REALLY -- BECAUSE YOU ARE SO BAD AT IT, IT SORT OF DRAWS YOUR CURIOSITY.

I'M A TERRIBLE SLEEPER.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH, THAT GETTING GOOD SLEEP IS VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU SHOULD BE GETTING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A GOOD SEVEN, EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP.

SO THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, I WOKE UP ABOUT 5:00 AND I WENT TO BED AROUND MIDNIGHT.

AND I KNEW, YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT REALLY ENOUGH.

IF I WANT TO BE AT MY BEST GAME FOR DR. B, I SHOULD GET AT LEAST ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF.

SO I PUSHED MYSELF, GOT ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS BENEFICIAL, RIGHT?

YOU ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ON.

I THINK IT WAS HELPFUL.

IT A WOULD-BE THE ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE.

AND I THINK THE COMMON STRATEGIESBE THE ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE.

AND I THINK THE COMMON STRATEGIES ARE GENERALLY PRETTY GOOD.

MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS.

GET INTO A ROUTINE.

YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN DIMINISH AROUSAL SIGNALS.

COULD BE SOUNDS.

COULD BE ANY LIGHTING IN THE ROOM.

THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS.

AND THEY CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR SLEEP.

AND ONE THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT IT IS NOT THE AMOUNT REALLY, IT IS THE QUALITY.

IT IS GETTING GOOD QUALITY SLEEP.

I'M NOT A GREAT SLEEPER, BUT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.

>> WELL, YOU KNOCKED IT OUT YOU HAVE THE PARK TODAY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> MY TAKEAWAY IS THAT SLEEP HEALTH REALLY NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR US.

SO DR. B, WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD ADOPT?

>> I THINK HEARING FROM THESE EXPERTS UNDER SCORES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE GET SLEEP AND WITH REGULARITY.

SO IMPORTANT NOT JUST GENERAL THINGS BUT OUR COMPLETE TOTAL HEALTH PICTURE.

AND THAT IS QED WITH DR. B.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>>> I HAVE TO ASK, I'M HOLDER OF AN M.D.

AND PHD., HOW DO YOU GET YOUR BEST SLEEP?

>> I REALLY PRIORITIZE MY SLEEP AS MUCH AS I POSSIBLY CAN.

BUT I REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE SEVEN HOURS.

I ALLOW MYSELF AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS OF TIME IN BED AS CONSISTENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND I AM AWARE THAT I SHOULD GET LIGHT DURING THE DAY AND I TRY TO DO THAT.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT I GET PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS MUCH AS I CAN.

I DIM MY LIGHTS OUT A BIT ABOUT TWO TO THREE HOURS BEFORE I GO TO BED.

I STOP EATING TWO TO THREE HOURS BEFORE I GO TO BED.

AND I PREPARE FOR BED.

SO I REALLY THINK THAT IT IS TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SLEEP ENVIRONMENT AND PRIORITIZING THAT.

I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO THAT EVERY DAY, BUT I TRY TO DO IT AT LEAST CONSISTENTLY FOUR TO FIVE DAYS PER WEEK.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING IS PROVIDED BY -- >> CARES ABOUT S.T.E.M.

BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON BATTELLE BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THIS YEAR WE WILL HIT A GOAL OF 1 MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUND WITH EVIDENCE ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURES.

>> AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY WOSU-TV, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY