The Enigma of Sleep

Sleep disorders are not the best bedmates and for some patients sleep becomes a fight for their very existence. The sleep research specialists focus simply on giving the sick much needed rest, pleasant dreams and enough strength. The documentary focuses on several people whose lives have changed because of sleep. An ex-boxer unwillingly fell asleep in the middle of the ring during a fight. A talented young painter creates his best pieces while lingering between dream and reality. He too never knows when he will fall into a deep sleep. A family from Italy suffers from a genetic sleep disorder. The family members cannot fall asleep, even after taking strong sedatives, and they die from exhaustion. The doctors aim to find the cause of a sudden muscle collapse, which condemns the patient to a whole day of exhausting sleep and to find out why a patient’s body rejects beneficial sleep and kills itself through complete exhaustion. Patients who actually find their sleep painful attend specialized clinics and are connected to cables and sensors as they slowly fall asleep so that the experts can start their work. (Academia Film Olomouc)