PBS Explores Why We Need to SleepBy Norman Chan PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien (not the Engineer in Star Trek) interviews researchers, animal trainers, and meditation gurus about why humans need to sleep. Why is it that some animals don't need to sleep much at all while others have to take regular snoozes to function? For example, Dolphins actually sleep hemispherically, meaning the halves of their brain alternate resting while the other half automate live-preserving tasks.