Intro: Welcome back to another episode of Ask a Scientist. I'm Tanisha Nicole here with doctor Mariska Brown from the National Heart, lung, and Blood Institute at NIH to talk about sleep and health. 
 
TN: Doctor Brown is sleep about more than just rest?

MB: So the science tells us that sleep is not only for the brain, it's for the entire body. Sleep is a necessary requirement for overall health and well-being, and is equally as important as nutrition and physical activity when it comes to preventing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. 
 
TN: How so? 
 
MB: There is a central clock or a timekeeper in the brain that works with other clocks and the rest of your body, and these clocks should all be synchronize in order to maintain health. 
 
TN: What if they aren't? 
 
MB: When these clocks are disrupted, which happens when you are chronically sleep deprived or in the presence of a sleep disorder, this can result in a significant risk to health. 
 
Outro: For more on sleep science, visit NHS lobbying nih.gov.