Free Thinking

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with artists and thinkers in debates and interviews.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with leading artists and thinkers in extended interview and debate.

Free Thinking: Sleep

Sleep

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Sleep

John Gallagher gets sleeping tips from research pioneers and early modern history

Kenneth Miller's new book traces research into sleeplessness. And Diletta De Cristofaro considers how contemporary authors are writing the sleep crisis.

Sleep science pioneer Nathaniel Kleitman descended into a cave in 1938 to investigate the nature of our sleep cycle. 
The experiment was not a success. 
And while it may not have yielded much evidence - a thrilling news report detailing the subterranean sleep project caught the public imagination. 
It's one of the stories told in a new book by Kenneth Miller tracing the history of research into sleeping patterns and the impact of sleep deprivation which takes in figures including Pavlov, Joe Borelli, William Dement and Mary Carskadon.  John Gallagher talks to Kenneth Miller and to - Dr Diletta De Cristofaro about how contemporary writers are dealing with our fraught relationship with a good night's sleep. 
Professor Sasha Handley is an expert in the approach to sleep of early modern people - and we consider if they have any tips to help us now. 
Dr Emily Scott Dearing discusses Turn it Up - a new exhibition at the London Science Museum which explores the soothing sounds - and surprising power of the lullaby. 

Producer in Salford: Kevin Core

Radio 3's evening programmes include Night Tracks and Night Tracks mixes presented by Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Hannah Peel, Unclassified on Thursday evenings with Elizabeth Alker and six hours of music Through the Night - all available to listen at any time on BBC Sounds 
Mapping the Darkness by Kenneth Miller is out now 
Dr Diletta de Cristofaro is an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University and is working on a project Writing the Sleep Crisis  https://www.writingsleep.com/
Sleeping Well in the Early Modern World is a project run at Manchester University by Professor Sasha Handley  https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/sleeping-well/
It includes a series of public events at Ordsall Hall near Salford Quays. 
Turn it Up an exhibition about music which was at Manchester Science Museum opens in London's Science Museum and includes a section about sleep and music.   

The BBC Philharmonic Concert at Bridgewater Hall on Saturday October 28th takes us from dawn to dusk in a programme of music by Finnish composers and in London on the same evening Hannah Peel presents a 4 hour concert of Night Tracks Live at Kings Place.   Both will become available on BBC Sounds and broadcast on Radio 3.
You can find a Free Thinking Festival lecture about the need to sleep from Professor Russell Foster available on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08hz9yw

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

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