Welcome to the intriguing world of sleep science, where contestants compete to achieve the best night’s sleep. Hosted by Vanessa Hill, this unique reality show combines the thrill of competition with the science of sleep. Judges Dr. Ali Mattu and Trace Dominguez are on hand to evaluate the contestants’ sleep quality and offer insights into improving sleep habits.
Our contestants, Mitchell Moffit from AsapScience and Donna from PsychIRL, bring their unique sleep challenges to the competition. Mitchell struggles with mild sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops briefly during sleep. Donna, on the other hand, finds it hard to sleep due to anxiety about her work and success.
As the contestants settle into the sleep lab, they are monitored using advanced technology to assess their sleep patterns. The judges observe their sleep behaviors, noting how quickly they fall asleep and the quality of their sleep stages. Mitchell and Donna’s sleep is analyzed based on how long it takes them to fall asleep, the amount of deep sleep they achieve, their restlessness, and their performance on wake-up tests.
Dr. Ali and Trace provide valuable insights into sleep science. They discuss the benefits of sleeping in the nude for better thermoregulation and the importance of a consistent sleep routine. They also highlight how stress and anxiety can disrupt sleep and suggest strategies like exercise and meditation to improve sleep quality.
After a night of observation, the contestants undergo a series of wake-up tests to evaluate their alertness and mood. These tests include reaction time, memory recall, and mood assessment. The results offer a glimpse into how restful their sleep was and provide a baseline for improvement.
Kati Morton, the resident therapist, offers personalized advice to help Mitchell and Donna improve their sleep. For Mitchell, she suggests creating a bedtime ritual and using a dense pillow to prevent rolling onto his back, which can exacerbate sleep apnea. For Donna, Kati recommends focusing on positive memories to calm her mind and reduce anxiety before sleep.
After the first night, the contestants receive their sleep scores. Despite their challenges, both Mitchell and Donna manage to achieve a decent amount of sleep, though much of it is light sleep. The scores reveal room for improvement, and the contestants are motivated to apply the advice they’ve received for the next night.
This sleep competition not only entertains but also educates viewers on the importance of good sleep hygiene and the science behind restful sleep. By following the contestants’ journey, we learn valuable tips and techniques to enhance our own sleep quality. Whether you’re a worrier like Donna or dealing with sleep apnea like Mitchell, there’s always room to improve and enjoy a rejuvenating night’s sleep.
Track your own sleep for a week using a sleep app or a wearable device. Record your sleep duration, quality, and any disturbances. At the end of the week, analyze your data to identify patterns or issues. Reflect on how your findings compare to the contestants’ experiences in the sleep lab.
Based on the insights from the judges and therapist in the article, develop a personalized sleep improvement plan. Include strategies such as establishing a bedtime routine, managing stress, and optimizing your sleep environment. Share your plan with a classmate and discuss potential challenges and solutions.
Pair up with a classmate and take turns role-playing as a sleep consultant and a client. As the consultant, provide advice based on the article’s insights, such as the benefits of thermoregulation or stress reduction techniques. As the client, present your sleep challenges and ask questions to deepen your understanding.
Work in small groups to design a simple experiment that tests a sleep-related hypothesis, such as the effect of screen time on sleep quality or the impact of a consistent bedtime. Outline your methodology, predicted outcomes, and how you would measure success. Present your experiment design to the class.
Keep a sleep journal for two weeks, noting your bedtime, wake-up time, and any factors affecting your sleep. Reflect on how your habits align with the advice given in the article. Write a short essay on what you’ve learned about your sleep patterns and any changes you plan to implement.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
**Vanessa:** In the first two nights of our sleep competition, we saw Greg and Melissa battle it out under the covers. What is he eating? Is that a cookie? I’m hoping to see Greg make some improvements. With orange-tinted glasses… Wow, everything has changed! (laughter) …and a weighted blanket. Oh my gosh, you look dead. Yeah, it worked! Melissa proceeded to the final. Melissa, your score from night two of Sleeping with Friends is… Ninety! Oh, my God! One lucky contestant will join her, as we head back to bed for the second round of Sleeping with Friends. I’m your host, Vanessa Hill, and I’m joined by our judges, Dr. Ali Mattu and Trace Dominguez. What do you think tonight has in store for us?
**Dr. Ali:** I just wanna see some nice, relaxing sleep. I mean, even if our contestants don’t get there, everyone watching at home can learn how to have a rejuvenating night of sleep.
**Trace:** For me, I’m hoping to see new sleep aids. Are they gonna help people have a better night’s sleep? I’m really excited to find out.
**Vanessa:** We will find out shortly. Let’s meet our new contestants.
**Mitchell:** My name is Mitchell Moffit, and I’m from AsapScience. The other half of Greg. I’ve had a variety of sleep issues throughout my life. I grind my teeth, I toss and turn, but my biggest issue is I have a bit of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is actually when you stop breathing in your sleep for maybe ten seconds at a time. I’m honestly really excited because I have a science background, using different techniques and technologies on myself. I think that’s gonna be an awesome insight into my brain and life.
**Donna:** Hi, my name is Donna. I run a YouTube channel called PsychIRL, where I explain trending topics in a very psychological way. My sleep issue is that I feel like my success is very proportional to my work. So instead of just trying to fall asleep, why not get up and just try to go do some work? It’s pretty bad. If I had the choice of never sleeping at all with no side effects, I would not be sleeping. I’m heading to the sleep lab because I need help with my sleep issues.
**Vanessa:** Welcome to the sleep house, where you’ll compete to achieve the best night’s sleep. Mitch, did you ever think you’d be on a reality show about science?
**Mitchell:** Um… I didn’t think I would, but this is basically my dream come true, combining my two loves, science and reality!
**Donna:** Nervous. But great, because we get to sleep. (laughter) Are you hoping to have some sweet dreams while you’re here?
**Mitchell:** Oh yeah, that’s the plan.
**Vanessa:** Mitch, do you have any sleep problems you’re hoping to tackle?
**Mitchell:** Uh, yeah. I’m a bit of a little freak in the middle of the night. (laughter) Sometimes I… I have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, so I often wake up, like, gasping for air. I mean, I don’t like to think I snore, but certainly my partner says that I am an annoying breather at night.
**Vanessa:** Donna, you’ve said that you’re an anxious sleeper?
**Donna:** Yeah, it’s so hard for me to fall asleep because I will not go to sleep or feel sleepy until I am satisfied with the amount of work I have done. So you’re gonna see probably me tossing and turning all night.
**Vanessa:** So we have the worrier and the snorer here… (laughter) …going head-to-head in our sleep competition!
**Mitchell:** Yes! Here for the science drama!
**Vanessa:** Our contestants will be scored based on four criteria: how long it takes them to fall asleep, how much deep sleep they get, how restless they are overnight, and on a series of wake-up tests. For the next two nights, you’ll be snoozing and snoring your way through your baseline measurement, and then on night two, we’ll see if you improve. And you’ll have the opportunity to test out the latest in sleep aid technology. Mitch and Donna, it’s time for your first night’s sleep. Please make your way to the bedrooms. Off you go!
**Mitchell:** Alright!
**Donna:** Let’s do it! Donna seems like a fairly determined person to me, so I know she’s here to win. So I think I have my competition cut out for me. So I get into the room, and… There are cameras all over the place, there’s this sort of mirror fixture on the roof that is like a spaceship… I mean, I’m a little worried to just be, like, filmed. (laughter) And just be exposed for potentially the snorer or bad sleeper I am. But I’d rather find out I’m bad at sleeping than never know. So at least there’s a chance to improve.
**Donna:** My bedroom routine is washing my face, brushing my teeth, and trying to go to sleep. I’m feeling so nervous because… I know I’m so bad at sleep. I’m super worried that the stress I’m feeling is going to make my sleep issues ten times worse. Mitch looks like a great sleeper. But I’m really competitive, so I’m determined to win.
**Vanessa:** While the contestants are dimming their lights, the judges are turning on our night vision to observe their sleep. It’s our first time in the sleep lab watching Mitch and Donna.
**Dr. Ali:** I’m excited to see some new folks.
**Trace:** I am pumped.
**Dr. Ali:** Donna’s taking off her glasses. She is going in the middle of the pillows…
**Trace:** Uh-huh.
**Dr. Ali:** …which is a little interesting to me.
**Trace:** It is, because you kind of miss out on the meaty part of the pillow when you do that. (laughter)
**Dr. Ali:** The meaty part?
**Trace:** The pillow meat.
**Dr. Ali:** Got it. (laughter) She looks so cozy. I wish I could be among that many pillows right now. No offense to the two of you, but that seems a lot better. Our first night with Mitch. Will half of AsapScience sleep better than the other half? Will one of them fall asleep ASAP? (laughter) It looks like he’s a shirtless sleeper. I hope he’s wearing more.
**Dr. Ali:** There actually is science to support sleeping in the nude. You can thermo-regulate better; it also adds a number of other benefits in terms of airing out certain parts of your body that don’t always get aired out, which is good for both men and women. And if you have a partner, you can initiate some late-night time. (laughter)
**Trace:** I’m the one who has to wake him up in the morning, so I do hope that he has something else on under there.
**Dr. Ali:** Mm-hmm. She seems pretty still now.
**Trace:** Mm-hmm.
**Dr. Ali:** We can see, oh! On her EEG, here, yes! So she’s in light sleep; she has just entered sleep. That was very quick! It only took her…
**Trace:** So fast.
**Dr. Ali:** …12 minutes to enter the first stage of sleep, which is great! Oh! Wow! Okay. He fell asleep in 16 minutes?
**Trace:** That’s a pretty good time to sleep.
**Dr. Ali:** If you fall asleep too quickly, that’s not a good sign because it indicates that you’re exhausted, or you may have some other underlying condition, and if it takes too long, obviously that’s bad as well because it predicts a bad night’s sleep. Donna hasn’t spent much time in deep sleep tonight. Donna did tell us that sleeping is a chore to her.
**Vanessa:** Yeah. If you’re experiencing stress or anxiety, and it’s interrupting your sleep, it helps to keep a strict routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. During the day, set time for exercise and meditation. Two things that can help you sleep more soundly. When it’s getting close to bedtime, dim the lights to get in the mood for sleep. Building a sleep routine is the most effective first step to managing any stress affecting your quality of sleep.
**Dr. Ali:** A nice sleep routine, that’s what we’re looking for here.
**Trace:** That’s right. Her and Mitch are having really similar evenings. It’s almost like they’re sleeping in sync with each other. What is Mitch doing here?
**Dr. Ali:** He got out of bed!
**Trace:** He’s standing up! I’m glad to see that he’s wearing underwear.
**Dr. Ali:** We can confirm he is not nude. (laughter) Yeah. You can look at Donna’s EEG and see she’s in REM sleep right now. Her brain is almost as active as when she’s awake. She might be having some dreams there.
**Trace:** Mm-hmm. Is his mouth open? Is his leg up in the air?
**Dr. Ali:** It’s not quite a snore, more heavy breathing.
**Trace:** Interesting. We can see that yes, he’s in deep sleep. He has some really slow waves there.
**Dr. Ali:** Sleep is a lot more active. Wow! So much is going on all the time!
**Trace:** It really mirrors a lot of the discoveries that have been made about your brain when it’s asleep.
**Dr. Ali:** Look at us, bringing it all together. (laughter) In the sleep lab!
**Vanessa:** Good morning!
**Mitchell:** Good morning.
**Donna:** Good morning, Vanessa.
**Vanessa:** So, I have a panel of wake-up tests, which we hope will measure how restful and restorative your night’s sleep was.
**Mitchell:** Okay.
**Vanessa:** Great! So, your first test is a reaction time test. When you see a number come up on this screen, just tap it as fast as you can.
**Mitchell:** Okay.
**Vanessa:** Off you go.
**Mitchell:** Wow!
**Vanessa:** You have the reaction time of a 20-year-old!
**Mitchell:** Oh my goodness! Thank you, Vanessa!
**Vanessa:** Your average reaction time is 430 milliseconds. So, our next test is a memory test. I’m going to read out ten words, and then I’ll have you recite them back to me. Let. Herb. Song. Black. Live. Soar. Drop. Gull. Crab. And dish.
**Mitchell:** Oh my gosh. (laughter) I feel like I’ve already forgotten all of them!
**Vanessa:** Soar, gull, crab… Herb… Song… Dish.
**Mitchell:** Uh…
**Vanessa:** Black.
**Mitchell:** Shoot! (laughter) What else was there?
**Vanessa:** Your time is up.
**Mitchell:** Ugh!
**Vanessa:** You received a score of six for the memory test, which isn’t ideal.
**Mitchell:** Okay.
**Vanessa:** So you scored eight. Our final morning test is a mood test. You’ll circle the amount that you feel the different emotions. Lively? Definitely not today. I feel, like, relatively happy. Drowsy? Hmm… Yeah, definitely a little bit. That concludes your morning testing!
**Mitchell:** Okay, great!
**Vanessa:** Upstairs we have our resident therapist, Kati Morton, who’s gonna give you some tips to help you sleep better.
**Mitchell:** Hope it helps!
**Kati:** Yes!
**Vanessa:** Alright, let’s do it!
**Kati:** Hi!
**Mitchell:** Hi, I’m Kati.
**Kati:** Hey, Kati, I’m Mitch. (both): Nice to meet you! How was your sleep last night?
**Mitchell:** Um, I think it was an okay sleep, actually. I wouldn’t say full night.
**Kati:** Okay. So that’s kind of like normal when you’re at home?
**Mitchell:** I have mild sleep apnea, so sometimes I wake up gasping for air. So far as I know, it’s mostly when I’m on my back.
**Kati:** Do you have a routine that you do?
**Mitchell:** I try to deal with the schedule around it, but I don’t know that I’m always good with that.
**Kati:** So what I’d like you to try out tonight is to start a ritual. Give yourself, like, 30 minutes no devices, and then I’d like you to get as dense of a pillow as you can find, and put it against your back.
**Mitchell:** Okay.
**Kati:** So that we don’t get into that… (snores)… that sleep apnea feeling.
**Mitchell:** Great. To stop rolling over.
**Kati:** Yes.
**Mitchell:** Okay! Yeah! No, I should do that. ‘Cause yeah, as of now, it’s more like my partner having to be like, “Uh, shut up!”
**Kati:** He’s like, “Roll over!”
**Mitchell:** Then I’m annoyed, ’cause I’m like, “Why’d you wake me up?! I was sleeping!”
**Kati:** So maybe that will prevent that. We’ll see how it goes.
**Mitchell:** Let me know.
**Kati:** Okay, amazing. Yeah, I’m excited. Tonight I’m hoping to try out all the advice that Kati gave me.
**Kati:** Hi, I’m Kati.
**Donna:** I’m Donna. (both): Nice to meet you. How was your sleep last night?
**Donna:** Ooh, okay. So last night, I think I slept about three to four hours of sleep.
**Kati:** Did you struggle to fall asleep from the beginning?
**Donna:** The thought of the process of trying to sleep gives me anxiety, kind of.
**Kati:** Something that I would encourage you to do when those thoughts start swirling, I want you to go back to a favorite memory that you have. If you can’t come up with a good memory, you can actually just make one up, and pretend that you’re… In your head, you’re telling it to me in as much detail as possible. Use all of your senses, and by the time we’ve focused our brain on that good memory, all that ruminating should stop.
**Donna:** Thinking of a memory seems like a lot of work, and so that also gives me anxiety, of like, “Oh no, I’ve gotta do this just to fall asleep.”
**Kati:** It sounds like a lot of worried thoughts in general.
**Donna:** Yeah.
**Kati:** Immediately when I’m like, “Let’s try this.” You’re like, “Well, what if it doesn’t work?” We’ll give it a try.
**Donna:** Okay.
**Kati:** I think that’ll be really beneficial. And if not, I have a lot of other tricks up my sleeve, so don’t worry.
**Donna:** Okay.
**Kati:** As much as you can, don’t worry.
**Vanessa:** Donna and Mitch, thanks for sleeping with us last night.
**Mitchell:** Thanks for having us. (laughter)
**Vanessa:** Mitch, how many hours do you think you slept for last night?
**Mitchell:** I mean, it was kind of tough ’cause I felt I was coming in and out. It felt like maybe five or six hours, but it could’ve been less, could’ve been more.
**Vanessa:** Donna, what about you?
**Donna:** Man, I remember going to bed at eleven, and then looking at my watch, and it was four.
**Vanessa:** You think you were awake between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.?
**Donna:** I don’t know! That’s what I… Yes? (laughter)
**Vanessa:** Okay. Mitch, let’s take a look at you first.
**Mitchell:** Okay. I feel really nervous. (laughter) I look like an alien! Okay, lots of tossing. Oh, okay, little shot. (laughter) Great! I look so tired, oh my God. There was nothing too crazy shocking. At least I wasn’t, like, fully sleepwalking or anything.
**Vanessa:** Well, our judges spent all night reviewing your footage…
**Mitchell:** Okay…
**Vanessa:** …and our EEG data reveals that it took you 16 minutes for your brain to fall asleep.
**Mitchell:** Oh, that’s not bad at all.
**Vanessa:** But, while you were asleep, your restlessness score was on the higher side, so this did hurt your overall sleep score. In total, you were asleep for 7 hours and 9 minutes, but…
**Mitchell:** It wasn’t a lot of deep sleep.
**Vanessa:** Yeah, you were actually in light sleep for a lot more of the night. And you report waking up a lot and remembering that; this is probably why. Mitch, out of 100, your score for night one is… 65! (laughter)
**Mitchell:** Okay, so it’s a pass, right? Sixty is a pass.
**Vanessa:** Well, that brings us to you, Donna.
**Donna:** Oh no, I’m cringing. (laughter) I’m checking for Mitch, he might be…
**Vanessa:** You never know. (laughter) Gotta get the pillows perfect.
**Donna:** It’s like you’re having a pillow fight with yourself.
**Mitchell:** I know! (laughter) Building a little fortress. (laughter)
**Vanessa:** Oh my gosh. My heart’s still pounding. My hands for some reason are sweaty. Our brain station EEG revealed that it only took you 11 minutes…
**Donna:** No.
**Vanessa:** …to enter the first stages of sleep.
**Donna:** No, I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you.
**Vanessa:** Our data showed that you actually slept for 7 hours and 26 minutes.
**Donna:** What?!
**Mitchell:** Wow!
**Donna:** What?!
**Vanessa:** I know that you don’t think that you’re falling asleep at night, but that could be because you’re in light sleep, and you’re remembering a lot. It could be a lot of things. Just remember, you are falling asleep. Relax.
**Donna:** At the same time, like Mitch, most of your sleep was shallow; you didn’t get a lot of that deep, rejuvenating sleep. Donna, your score from night one is… Eee… Ah! Oh! …68!
**Mitchell:** You beat me! (laughter)
**Donna:** Wow, we were so close!
**Mitchell:** It is so similar, too…
**Donna:** Yeah.
**Mitchell:** …in terms of light sleep and deep sleep.
**Vanessa:** How do you feel?
**Donna:** Um, great, because I beat Mitch. (laughter)
**Mitchell:** It ain’t over, girl!
**Vanessa:** Well, going into night two, I can reveal a twist in our scoring. You’re not actually competing against each
Sleep – A natural state of rest during which the body and mind are inactive, allowing for recovery and rejuvenation. – To enhance your cognitive performance, it’s crucial to prioritize adequate sleep each night.
Quality – The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something. – Researchers have found that the quality of sleep can significantly affect overall health and well-being.
Anxiety – A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. – Managing anxiety through mindfulness techniques can lead to better sleep quality.
Competition – The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. – In the context of sleep studies, competition between different sleep interventions can reveal the most effective methods for improving rest.
Habits – Regular practices or routines that are hard to give up and often performed unconsciously. – Developing healthy sleep habits, such as maintaining a consistent bedtime, can enhance sleep quality.
Patterns – Repeated or regular ways in which something happens or is done. – Identifying sleep patterns through tracking can provide insights into how to improve sleep quality.
Insights – The capacity to gain an accurate and deep understanding of someone or something. – Gaining insights into your sleep behavior can help tailor strategies to improve your rest.
Routine – A sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. – Establishing a calming bedtime routine can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep.
Tips – Pieces of advice or useful information. – Following expert tips on sleep hygiene can lead to noticeable improvements in sleep quality.
Improve – To make or become better. – Implementing relaxation techniques before bed can improve your sleep quality from night one to night two.
