Sleep

### Cold Open #1:

"In today's fast-paced world, it's hard to find enough hours in the day to get everything you need done. So what do you do? Stay awake and more and sleep less. What's the big deal, right? Well, that sleep you're missing out on could be the difference between success and failure. As it turns out, sleep might be the most important thing you do all day for your brain and body. So what exactly happens in your brain when you sleep? And more importantly, are you getting enough of it? We're about to hit the snooze button and as we put the subject of sleep to bed."

### Cold Open #2:

"What is sleep? Sleep is basically taking your body and brain into the repair shop. When you snooze, chemicals wash away toxins and waste products, tissues repair themselves, and energy stores are replenished. In this special episode of Brain Games, we're going to see what happens when we prevent this process from occurring."

## Games

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Sleep Lab: The Experiment

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For the next 36 hours, 3 volunteers will put their sleep to the test. No sleep. Will it be done? And no coffee.

These volunteers will be put through rigorous testing throughout the night. Memory, Reaction Time and Motor skills will be put to the test.

### Game #1: Hour 1

1 Hour in, let's test their memory. Remember 10 words. How many will they remember along with you?

Result: After the volunteers played the motor skills test, the three perform about average, remembering around half the words. The reaction time test will come soon, but for our volunteers, they once again perform about average.

### Game #2: STOP!

It's time to test your reaction time. Yell stop when you see an object, and try to yell it out before it hits the red lines.

Result: If no objects crossed the line, you've got superhuman reaction time. if 1-3 objects, you're good. If 4-6 objects crossed, you're average. Catch up on your sleep and don't get behind the wheel if any more cross. Driving while sleep deprived is similar to driving with alcohol, and the only remedy is to get some shut-eye.

### Sleep Lab: Alertness Test

After the halfway point, what will happen when our volunteers hold an egg by a string?

Result: While 2 out of 3 of our volunteers are able to hold the egg, the other crumbled.

So: After going without sleep for a long time, your brain shuts down areas that are considered non-vital to survival. The reason one of the volunteers failed may also have to do with eating. If you eat a heavy meal, the more tired you get. This volunteer has also begun to micro-sleep. These are tiny flashes of sleep that force your body to rest and are almost impossible to resist.

### Game #3: Spot the Change

Spot the change after a micro-sleep(flash).

Result: While you may or may not have noticed the change but imagine a different situation.

So: Imagine if you were driving, and the change you didn't notice, was a car. You'd crash! Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

### Game #4: Sleep Test

Answer questions and see if you need more sleep.

Result: If you answered yes to at least two out of three, you may need to get more sleep.

### Sleep Lab: Alertness Test #2

The same test, but with 34 hours without sleep.

Result: Two out of three fail.

### Sleep Lab: Hour 34(Motor Skills)

How will the tests go?

Result: The motor skills test shows a significant drop.

So: While bouncing a ping-pong ball may be easy, it takes a lot of energy to actually do it. Your perception of time or depth may be affected by lack of sleep.

### Game #5: The Clock

Count to 10, with a clock on screen, but close your eyes.

Result: While the sleep-deprived volunteers either overestimate or underestimate, you may have done better or worse.

### Sleep Lab: Reaction Time #2

Will reaction time be affected?

Result: Everyone's time holds steady.

Why: Despite being sleep-deprived, their reaction times are fine. But that doesn't mean driving is any safer.

### Sleep Lab: Memory

Memory should be effected by sleep, right?

Result: Shockingly, the volunteers all beat their baseline test scores.

So: Short-term memory is not always impaired. Long-term memory is impacted, however. With a high level of will and determination, they were able to do better.

### Sleep Lab: Conclusions

While the results from the sleep lab test are specfic to our volunteers, your lack of sleep can go away. While one long nap won't do it, adding an extra hour or two can help.

### Game #6: Sleep or Awake

Which cards are sleeping, and which are awake.

Result: Well, you're just dreaming.

## List of Experts

* Sara Mednick
* Eric Lecelrc(Illusionist, Guest)