The dream academy

Does the world have a sleep problem? We explore how different cultures sleep, and the research being done to improve how we rest. Insomniac Sean Allsop goes on a mission to find out how the world sleeps and asks - are we in a global sleep crisis?

A third of the world’s population reportedly struggles with sleep. Sean goes into a sleep science lab in the Netherlands, spends time on call at a sleep helpline and explore the evolution of sleep to understand why.

(Photo: A woman lies in bed on her front with her head on a white pillow, looking to the side and up at an alarm clock on a side table. Credit: Alamy/PA)

Producer/presenter: Sean Allsop
Ailsa Rochester: Editor
An Audio Always production for BBC World Service