We all know the importance of sleep, but what happens if we literally can’t? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies breaks down how long a world full of sleepy people could function.

From memory loss to hallucinations, sleep is keeping all our brains working and our bodies functioning. Without it, we would surely die, but what might happen before we do and has tech found solutions to life without sleep?

This episode features Derk-Jan Dijk a expert in sleep and Professor at the University of Surrey, and Dr Sophie Bostock an educator dedicated to the science of sleep and performance.

An ITN production for BBC Radio 4