© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Why Do We Have to Sleep

Season 3 Episode 48 | 7m 54s

Why do we sleep? We spend a third of our lives in slumber, but science has yet to determine exactly why we have do it. Here’s a look at how sleep works, why we’re not getting enough sleep, what happens if you DON’T sleep, and an idea about where sleep came from in the first place.

Aired: 09/27/15
Extras
Appraisal: Ub Iwerks "Steamboat Willie" Drawing, ca. 1928
Appraisal: Chicago Bears Memorabilia, ca. 1923
The beloved Mystery! series will debut its last season starting on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 9/8c.
Explore the life and legacy of notable Black scholar and civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois.
Travel to Nebraska where artists find rural life peaceful and inspiring to their creative work.
See how a Wisconsin dairy farm turns cow manure into an energy source.
Discover how Farm Stay vacations are giving city kids a chance to discover rural America.
On Farm to Fork, fun with fungi and a special recipe for pasta.
It’s like a visit to Holland! Discover an Oregon farm growing acres and acres of bright tulips.
Saving America’s rural heritage one board at a time. Meet Pennsylvania’s “barn saver.”
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • Be Smart Season 13
  • Be Smart Season 12
  • Be Smart Season 11
  • Be Smart Season 10
  • Be Smart Season 9
  • Be Smart Season 8
  • Be Smart Season 7
  • Be Smart Season 6
  • Be Smart Season 5
  • Be Smart Season 4
  • Be Smart Season 3
  • Be Smart Season 2
  • Be Smart Season 1
How thousands of tiny brains, obeying simple rules, solve problems no individual can understand.
Joe visits a flavor lab to uncover how our senses shape our taste.
Here is the REAL science about "alpha males."
How did the mass extinction of the dinosaurs play out, moment by moment?
Think traits like eye color or tongue-rolling are simple genetics? Think again.
Why is the Martian sky red by day… but blue at sunset?
Is autism really on the rise—or are we just recognizing it more?
Seedless fruits are delicious, convenient… and completely unnatural.
What does randomness really mean? And why your digital life depend on it?
Why do we have different blood types? And why do we have blood at all?