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Mysteries of Sleep

Season 47 Episode 4 | 53m 26s

From fruit flies to whales, virtually every animal sleeps. But why? Why do we need to spend nearly a third of our lives in such a defenseless state? Scientists are peering more deeply into the sleeping brain than ever before, discovering just how powerful sleep can be, playing a role in everything from memory retention and emotional regulation to removing waste from our brains.

Aired: 02/25/20 | Expires: 03/30/22
National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extra
Amid the revolution’s advance, Marie Antoinette struggles to support Louis’s rule.
Marie Antoinette deals with personal grief.
As the public trial begins, events quickly spiral out of Marie Antoinette and Louis’s control.
Marie Antoinette overhauls her image, and the King and Queen find happiness.
At 23, Nureyev fled Russia to seek asylum in Paris.
Rudolf Nureyev performs a solo in Swan Lake.
The relationship between Rudolf Nureyev and legendary ballerina Margot Fonteyn.
Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom.
The people of Paris openly protest against Marie Antoinette as she protects her unborn child.
Meet the hippo, crocodile and lion families navigating the dry season in Katavi National Park.
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