Sleep is one of the most important functions for daily life and continued health throughout the lifespan, yet it is one of our least understood behaviors. Our scientific understanding of sleep has evolved from thinking of it as a simple cessation of consciousness to realizing it is a complex neural behavior that is easily affected by everything from light exposure to diet and exercise. One of the most powerful ways of affecting sleep, for good or bad is through sound, as hearing is the only sense that remains highly active through most stages of sleep. In this talk, Alex and his guest, neuroscientist and author Dr. Seth Horowitz, will examine the interactions between sleep and the auditory system, and how sound can be a powerful stimulus for both sleep interruption or induction and maintenance of healthy sleep patterns.

A biological overview of the global sleep network

How sound and hearing interact with sleep

Sound as a masker for sleep interruption

Structured sound and music to induce and maintain sleep