Ira Glass

To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what.

This is Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. So much is changing so rapidly right now with President Trump in office. It feels good to pause for a moment sometimes and look around at what's what.

To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

To try and do that, we've been finding these incredible stories about right now that are funny and have feeling and you get to see people everywhere making sense of this new America that we find ourselves in. This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.

As early as I remember, I was afraid to go to sleep. This began when I was six. My Uncle Lenny went off to Vietnam. And that opened up this chapter in my life where I was obsessed with death.

As early as I remember, I was afraid to go to sleep. This began when I was six. My Uncle Lenny went off to Vietnam. And that opened up this chapter in my life where I was obsessed with death.

I was scared that Uncle Lenny was going to be killed, but more than that, his absence underscored the fact that someday, no matter what, I was going to be drafted, and I'd have to go to Vietnam, and I'd be killed. And there was nothing that I or anybody I knew could do to stop that. I knew I was going to be killed because I was chubby and I was terrible at sports. I could barely run half a block.

I was scared that Uncle Lenny was going to be killed, but more than that, his absence underscored the fact that someday, no matter what, I was going to be drafted, and I'd have to go to Vietnam, and I'd be killed. And there was nothing that I or anybody I knew could do to stop that. I knew I was going to be killed because I was chubby and I was terrible at sports. I could barely run half a block.

On TV, war seemed to involve a lot of running. There was crouching, there was shooting, but there was a disturbing amount of running. So I was six, and I knew I was going to die, and my mom and dad couldn't help me. Nobody could help me. I'd be dead forever. Galaxies would spin, humans would travel to other worlds, and I would miss all of that.

On TV, war seemed to involve a lot of running. There was crouching, there was shooting, but there was a disturbing amount of running. So I was six, and I knew I was going to die, and my mom and dad couldn't help me. Nobody could help me. I'd be dead forever. Galaxies would spin, humans would travel to other worlds, and I would miss all of that.

Nobody would remember me or anybody that I had ever known. Forever. And I'd lie awake at night, scared to fall asleep. Because sleep seemed no different than death. You know? You were gone. Not moving, not talking, not thinking. Not aware. Not aware. What could be more frightening? What could be bigger? And here was the weird part of it, I thought, when I was a kid.

Nobody would remember me or anybody that I had ever known. Forever. And I'd lie awake at night, scared to fall asleep. Because sleep seemed no different than death. You know? You were gone. Not moving, not talking, not thinking. Not aware. Not aware. What could be more frightening? What could be bigger? And here was the weird part of it, I thought, when I was a kid.

Somehow, every night, all the adults, all my relatives, every teacher, everybody who I ever heard of headed off for bed like this was no big deal. Complete annihilation. No big deal. For those of us who fear sleep, there is a lot to fear. And that's what we're going to talk about on today's radio show. It's a survey of this altered state. This altered state where we're vulnerable and just gone.

Somehow, every night, all the adults, all my relatives, every teacher, everybody who I ever heard of headed off for bed like this was no big deal. Complete annihilation. No big deal. For those of us who fear sleep, there is a lot to fear. And that's what we're going to talk about on today's radio show. It's a survey of this altered state. This altered state where we're vulnerable and just gone.

Having dreams where anything at all can happen. Not in control of our own bodies. Listen to what happened to this woman, Denise.

Having dreams where anything at all can happen. Not in control of our own bodies. Listen to what happened to this woman, Denise.

As Denise got older, this paralysis has happened more and more. And sometimes when she's lying there, paralyzed and awake, she hallucinates. She sees family members who aren't there, or she hears them. And sometimes they're mad at her. Though the only time all this happens to Denise is when she takes a nap during the day.

As Denise got older, this paralysis has happened more and more. And sometimes when she's lying there, paralyzed and awake, she hallucinates. She sees family members who aren't there, or she hears them. And sometimes they're mad at her. Though the only time all this happens to Denise is when she takes a nap during the day.