News imageWhat in the World, What in the World, Struggling to fall asleep? Listen to this!

What in the World

What in the World

Struggling to fall asleep? Listen to this!

17 July 2025

13 minutes

Available for over a year

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

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk

WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6

Presenter: Iqra Farooq

Producers: Emilia Jansson, Josh Jenkins and Julia Ross-Roy

Video Journalist: Jem Westgate

Editor: Verity Wilde