Prospect Podcast

The Prospect Interview #134: The global crisis of sleep, with Barbara Speed

It's become somewhat of a trend to warn of a "global sleep crisis." But where's the science backing that up?

June 16, 2020
article header image
CBD oils, meditation apps, and memory foam mattresses—our obsession with getting the perfect night’s sleep is stronger than ever. But is the race to get more shut-eye actually making us more exhausted? Journalist Barbara Speed recently wrote an essay on the global sleep industry for Prospect, and unpacks the false science and bad assumptions that are stopping us from getting the proper rest we need.

She joins outgoing deputy editor Steve Bloomfield to talk about why she was drawn to going behind the sleep industry, why she’s no longer bothered about getting in her nightly eight hours, and the tech industry’s insidious war on our waking brains.

You can read Barbara’s essay on sleep here.





Find all episodes of the Prospect Interview here