In 1621, Robert Burton published The Anatomy of Melancholy. It was the first attempt in the modern western world to understand and categorise causes, symptoms and treatments of that universal human experience.

In this episode, writer Amy Liptrot finds out more about the effects of sleep and music on our mood. Like many new parents, sleep deprivation has been a challenge for Amy since the birth of her son, while music and singing has taken on new meaning with its potential to soothe and lift the mood.

Colin Espie, Professor of Sleep Medicine at Oxford University, offers insights into how issues with sleep can affect mood. It’s long been acknowledged that sleep problems can be a symptom of depression, but can they also be a cause? Robert Burton, is in no doubt.

Recently, Amy has discovered singing as a new way to lift her spirits. It is a remedy that Burton champions. She rejoins the singing group which was a lifeline in the early baby days to talk to Liz Powers about why singing in close harmony can have a calming, restorative effect.

Nearby, at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, singing is being taken to the wards as a mood-booster for staff and families and children who want to join in. We hear from staff about what it means to them.

As Burton drew on the writing of others and made a patchwork of texts within his Anatomy of Melancholy, each episode ends with a modern-day contribution for a new and updated Anatomy of Melancholy.

In this episode, Liz Powers offers Everybody Hurts by R.E.M..

Simon Russell Beale brings the voice of Robert Burton to life with extracts from The Anatomy of Melancholy.

Presenter: Amy Liptrot
Reader: Simon Russell Beale
Producer: Ruth Abrahams
Series consultant: John Geddes

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 Show less