Lions, fossils, safaris, and…sleep? Yes, National Geographic, the organization long known for showing wildebeests mauled on the African plains has switched gears for a two-hour documentary called “Sleepless in America.”
According to Washington Post reporter Emily Yahr, the new film recently aired on National Geographic TV, and is a collaboration by NatGeo, National Institutes of Health and The Public Good Projects. “The gist: Everyone is tired,” writes Yahr. “No one gets enough sleep. And then this: Chronic sleep deprivation could have irreparable damage to your health.”
Call it a shift of gears for the venerable organization, but it’s yet another sign that the sleep issue has permeated the popular culture. “Sleep right now is one of those conversations that’s long overdue,” says Army Surgeon General Patricia Horoho in the film. “But it’s getting the national attention that it needs.”
According to Yahr, the documentary is “packed with anecdotes and interviews with experts who urge the need for change and more scientific research to help an increasingly sleepless culture. If you missed it, Sleepless airs again Dec. 7 at 9 a.m.”
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