Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young "for their discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms, " the committee said, which are guided by biological clocks and drive the waking and sleeping cycle.

WSJ: Six U.S.-Born Scientists Win Asian Prize

Obesity increases the chances of developing sleep apnea, a condition that combines choking and waking in an exhausting, sometimes life-threatening cycle.

NEWYORKER: Up All Night