What in the World - Struggling to fall asleep? Listen to this!

Download Struggling to fall asleep? Listen to this!

Do you find yourself tossing and turning for hours whilst struggling to fall asleep? Or are you out like a light the minute your head touches the pillow? Genetics and environment can play a big part in how easy (or not) you find sleeping.

BBC science journalist Caroline Steel tells us more about what happens to our brains when we sleep and what exactly happened when she visited a sleep lab for a BBC documentary. Medical doctor and sleep expert Dr Jonathan Tham gives us his top tips on getting a good night’s sleep.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emilia Jansson, Josh Jenkins and Julia Ross-Roy
Video Journalist: Jem Westgate
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Thursday, 17th July 2025.

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