Nat Geo Unveils 'Sleepless in America'

National Geographic Channel plans to expose the health consequences of sleep deprivation and what keeps Americans up at night in a television event, Sleepless in America on Nov. 30 at 8 p.m., the network announced today.

Nat Geo has partnered with The Public Good Projects and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to bring forward the dangers of sleep deprivation in America, through the science of sleep by the nation's leading researchers.

“Chances are you didn’t sleep enough last night. Lack of sleep is a surprisingly serious public health issue, and it’s essential to enlighten the public before the problem becomes unmanageable,” said John Hoffman of The Public Good Projects.

Produced by The Public Good Projects for NGC, John Hoffman is executive producer and director, Alexandra Moss is executive producer and Jon Bardin and Tomek Gross are producers. Michael Kovnat is an executive producer, Lynn Sadofsky is vice president of production, Noel Siegel is senior vice president of production and development and Tim Pastore is president, original programming and production for National Geographic Channel.

Scientists will delve into the health consequences, including diabetes, heart disease and depression, as well as the reason behind why we sleep.

“Feeling tired is only one consequence of getting poor quality sleep,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D in a release. “NIH-funded research has helped illuminate a wide array of health challenges stemming from chronic sleep problems. Researchers have uncovered links between poor sleep and health issues ranging from obesity to cardiovascular disease to mental health disorders.”

The special will also dig deeper into our society's failure to prioritize sleep and what is really behind America's sleeplessness, from the light bulb to work schedules.

To find out more about Sleepless in America, click here.