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How to Be a Better Human

Body Stuff: Do you really need 8 hours of sleep?

How to Be a Better Human

TED

Personal Growth, Self-help, Self-improvement, Education, Chris Duffy, Better Human, Interviews, Emotional Awareness

4.1 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2022

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We all know a good night’s sleep is essential, but for many people, sleeping well (or falling asleep at all) can be difficult and even stressful– and there’s no shortage of tales about what prevents people from catching their ZZZs. In this episode, Dr. Jen digs into ``how to sleep'' culture– from blue light blockers to sleep hygiene enthusiasts, to the 8 hours a night rule to… witches?! Don’t sleep on this episode–because it might just have you skipping the melatonin supplements and rethinking sleep rituals –before jumping into bed for a well-deserved snooze. This is an episode of Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. To hear more episodes on the lies we're told (and sold) about our personal health, follow Body Stuff wherever you're listening to this.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Ted Audio Collective. better human is coming back at the end of June and I'm so excited for our new

0:13.6

season to premiere. I cannot wait for you to hear these amazing conversations

0:17.0

we've been having with people like tech writer Kevin Roos and comedian Maeve Higgins

0:22.0

and so many other brilliant incredible people about how to be a better human and be a little less terrible in our everyday lives.

0:28.0

For now though, today we have an episode from another Ted Audio Collective podcast for you.

0:34.0

This one is body stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter.

0:37.7

I think that Jen is able to, in a really scientifically accurate way, break down so much of what is going on in health and medicine

0:46.4

and what's going on in the research around our bodies and what we should be worried about and what we should be about, and what we need to pay more attention to.

0:53.6

I just think she does it in an incredible way. And this episode is a perfect encapsulation of that.

0:58.3

This is an episode for anyone who is stressed that they might not be getting enough sleep, which is literally every single person I've ever met.

1:05.6

So enjoy it and to find more episodes like it you can follow body stuff wherever you're listening to this.

1:12.4

I'm looking at my bedside table and I have one, two, I have three eye masks.

1:18.0

I have some melatonin, I have some Zalpadem in case of emergencies I have a bag full of earplugs. I fear to not

1:28.4

be a great sleeper. This is our editor Sarah. Lately I wake up in the middle of the night and I lie in my bed and I think, am I sleeping?

1:36.1

Am I sleeping now?

1:37.1

Should I be sleeping?

1:38.1

I should be sleeping.

1:39.1

Am I sleeping?

1:40.1

The anxiety can absolutely take over and then it's like a rock rolling down a hill.

1:46.1

So why did you start worrying about your sleep?

1:49.1

You know what might have started me getting stressed out about sleep a little bit?

1:53.3

I had, like many people, a Fitbit, some number of years ago,

...

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