Welcome to Planet Sleep. I'm your host Josh, and in tonight's episode, I'm going

to be whisking you off to the magical Amazon rainforest, one of the most truly unique and

beautiful living organisms on the planet. Before we go though, I want you to take a minute

to relax and just breathe. Hopefully you can find somewhere, you can lie down or just

sit and be quiet for just a little while. My hope is to relax you and put you into a peaceful

slumber by the end of the episode.

Alright, now that you've taken a few deep breaths, you've found somewhere to relax.

Let our journey begin. In the heart of South America, December approaches, without snow,

but heavy rain. In this vast garden of life and death, a droplet cascades from the canopy

of a curling wimba tree. And here the sweltering flora of the Amazonia wraps inside a

heavy blanket of humidity, chased by the coming rainfall of convergent seasons, assured

by the far-off roll of the thunder. The Amazon rainforest experiences on average

108 inches of rainfall per year. With this vast amount of water combined with the rainforests

warm climate year round, the biodiversity of the Amazon exceeds that of any other location

on the planet. 390 billion trees exist here. 30 million people reside here. And 2,000

various species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have made the Amazon rainforest

their home. It is commonly believed that one in ten of every single species on earth lives

within the magical Amazon rainforest. Although in solitude within this vast rainforest, you are

not alone. The plumes of birds dash beams of colors above. The microcosmic world of insects

churned the ground below. And with the eyes and ears of each creature attuned to the shifting

winds, the rainforest prepares for its rainy season. A giant Kumaru tree stands among the

luxuriant growth of the forest, one that is stood for decades. And although this rainforest

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