This episode is a little bit different from a regular Moment of Um. It’s a story that is specially designed to help you relax. Research shows that using your imagination to picture scenes in a story helps the brain to shake off all the thoughts from the day and cruise into a nice rest. As you listen, take some deep breaths and give your brain a little imagination vacation.

Lots of people talk in their sleep, especially kids!  Have you ever heard anyone babbling away in the middle of the night?  Or maybe someone has told you that you do it?  Sleep talking is totally normal, but why do we do it?  We asked sleep specialist Chris Winter to help us find the answer.

Got a question that you’ve been dreaming about? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll search through the night for the answer.

Whales are some of the biggest animals on the planet, and they often migrate incredible distances. But how fast can they go? Like, let’s say a whale swam from California to Japan – how long would that take? We asked science writer and whale expert Vicky Stein to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s whaley hard to figure out? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll ba-LEAN into finding the answer!

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real you thought it actually happened? Our brain can cook up some really vivid images while we sleep, complete with sounds and even emotions. So how do we tell the difference between dreams and real life? We asked dream researcher Tore Nielsen to help us find the answer.

Got a question that you’re dreaming about? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact – we won’t snooze on finding the answer! 

Lots of people love a good cuddle. Whether it’s snuggling with a teddy bear, or cozying up with family – cuddles can make folks feel safe and comfortable. But why is that? Why do people cuddle? We asked brain expert India Morrison to help us find the answer.

Got a question snuggled up in your noggin? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll wrap you up in a satisfying answer!

Have you ever used a Polaroid camera? It’s a special kind of camera that takes physical photos almost instantly. As soon as you snap the button, a little piece of paper pops out of the bottom of the camera – and in just a couple minutes, a photo appears on the paper! So how does it work? We asked chemistry expert Josie Nardo to help us find the answer.

Got a question, but can’t picture the answer? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help find the answer in a jiffy!

Ballet dancers inspire us with their grace, twirls, and leaps. But how do they stand on their tip-toes? We asked contemporary ballet dancer and choreographer Penelope Freeh to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s keeping you on your toes? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pointe you to some answers!

Have you ever seen a dinosaur fossil from millions of years ago and wondered how scientists figured out the age of those big ol’ bones? Us too! So we asked paleontologist Jingmai O’Connor to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s absolutely petrifying? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help excavate the answer!

Have you ever been really thirsty on a hot day? Nothing beats that thirst better than a cold glass of good old H2O. We can’t live without it! Water quenches our thirst, but does it tickle our taste buds? Does water from different places taste different? We asked Martin Riese to help us find the answer.

Are you thirsting for knowledge? Send your questions to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll pour you a nice tall glass of facts.

Have you ever gotten a new toy or pair of sneakers and noticed there’s a little white paper packet inside the box filled with tiny clear balls? It’s called silica gel. But what is this stuff? And why are the little packets labeled “Do not eat?” We asked science professor Mark Lorch to help us find the answer.

Got a question that’s left you high and dry? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll offer up a fresh answer!