What all happens during sleep? And what happens if we skip a night altogether or cut our rest short on a regular basis? We look at this nightly activity from the perspective of psychology, medicine, education, transport and corporate management. You’ll find out if you’re more of an early bird or a night owl, how many hours you need to sleep or what dreams can or can never bring. Together, we’ll reflect on the negative and positive effects of technology on sleep and try to figure out if we are or will ever be able to replace sleep in any way.
The course is open to anyone who would like to learn about sleep, no previous knowledge is required. During each topic we will critically compare and discuss the different approaches or theories I will present. The goal is to introduce you to topics related to sleep, encourage you to think about it, and perhaps even infect you with a fascination for the complex phenomenon that sleep is.
Tentative course schedule:
1) Functions of sleep
2) The necessary length of sleep, chronotypes and their impact on society
3) Sleep disorders and treatment options
4) Dreams and different approaches to them
5) Sleep hygiene, the use of technology and the future of sleep