They dance, they even sing. But only on scene. Im not allowed to sing in my house since my children were born. The triple threat cast takes our david muir into the making of into the woods. Meryl, you do a witch really well. I do a bitch, too. But first, the nightline five. At jcpenney, get an extra 10 off with coupon when you spend 25 or more. Sweaters for the family. Handbags, sleep wear for the family. Jingle all the way to the big jingle sale. Jcpenney. When it fits, you feel it. Its time to drop your penalties for underwearness. A cause to support the over 65 Million People who may need the trusted protection of depend underwear. Show them theyre not alone and show off a pair of defend. Get a free sample at underwearness. Com. Good evening. Its the surprising Common Thread thought to be behind some of the worst disasters in recent memory. Sleep deprivation. Nearly half of all americans arent getting enough and the consequences can be serious. Tonight, new evidence that even if you seem wide awake, your brain might tell a different and potentially dangerous story, as abcs Ron Claiborne found out firsthand. Reporter it was the first time we had seen tracy morgan walking. How is your recovery coming, and im fighting every day. Reporter since the traumatic accident that left the 30 rock star critically injured when kevin roper crashed into his limo. An alleged cause of the accident . Lack of sleep. A criminal complaint says roper had not slept in more than 24 hours. He pled not guilty to criminal charges. The accident caused a moment of recognition in our sleep deprived nation, where experts say we now get two hours less sleep every night, leading to increased rates of diabetes, cancer and, of course, sometimes fatal accidents. Its a tragedy that ben howard and his daughter know all too well. I got a call from my friend telling me that there had been a serious accident, right here on the side of the road, my family died. I lost my wife, my son and my daughter because someone was behind the wheel who had not had enough sleep. Reporter this accident is one of 100,000 reported automobile crashes attributed to sleep deprivation that occurs every year. A driver crossed all of these lanes, all four lanes of traffic, where they hit the car headon. We came to understand that this person had worked for a medical facility and that theyd been up for a very long time. It was drowsy driving. Reporter according to nat geos new series with the National Institutes of health, 40 le of adults are sleep deprived. We tend to be really really good that infants, babies around children get enough sleep. Once we become adults, that falls by the way side. Most adult americans need to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every single night. A tired driver, thats the primary cause of that horrific tour bus crash that killed 15 people. Reporter and the consequences that result from too little sleep can be catastrophic, as the nat geo doc points out, experts believe that sleep deprivation may have played a role in the Exxon Valdez Oil spill. The three Mile Island Nuclear meltdown. And, most recently, in the dramatic derailing of a chicago train. According to the National Traffic safety board, the conductor admitted to falling asleep. It is far from ideal for someone to be operating heavy machinery or driving a car or a bus when they are sleep deprived. It is driving while sleeping that is especially harrowing. You fall asleep for just a few seconds, sometimes would even realizing it. I volunteered to be the guinea pig in an experiment to see how i would be affected driving without enough sleep. Im going to be up all night. First, i stay up for 32 consecutive hours. Hi, claiborne. Then i traveled to the institute outside boston where they study the effects of sleep deprivation on driving. I was hooked up to a device that tracks eye movement. I feel okay now. But not great. Then, i started driving on a closed track. With a researcher sitting next to anyway could step on an emergency brake. Im feeling pretty worn out. Soon, i was becoming sleepier and sleepier. It became a struggle to keep my eyes open and just to hold my head up. Before long, i was experiencing microsleep. I look like a normal awake driver, but what you cant tell is that my brain is actually asleep. About half an your, it became more obvious. I had fallen asleep at the wheel and driven completely off the road. That was not good. I soon realized i just couldnt go on. Im done. Put it in park. Reporter good idea. It was just too dangerous. That was tough. Back in the lab, dr. Sizer showed me just what was going on inside my brain while i was driving. This is evidence that youre falling asleep. Reporter see how these lines are becoming more jagged . Thats sleep coming on. And these lines show my blinking is getting slower what about when i drove off the road . We could see it coming. Reporter looking at the chart here, how long was my microsleep in this one episode . So, in this one episode, were talking about one, two, three, four, five or six seco s seconds. Reporter what was most shocking, dr. Sizer said, i fell asleep, i microslept, 21 other times. You had dozens of times where your eyes began rolling around. Reporter i didnt remember a single time. Just think what could have hatched if i was on the open road. But beyond this, there are less obvious risks to your health that can be caused from lack of sleep. Alzheimer alzheimers, obesity, heart disease, cancer and even death. So, with our health on the line, how do we get enough sleep . Take a good look at your bedroom. Pinpoint issues that may be disrupting your sleep environment. So, this could be anything from noise to light to temperature. People need to unplug from all their electronic devices. Ideally, an hour before they close their eyes and go to sleep. As a society and a culture, we need to stop looking at sleep like a luxury and start viewing it as a necessity. Reporter but with all the distractions and stress of modern life, thats easier said than done. For nightline, im Ron Claiborne in new york. The full documentary sleepless in america is Available Online at natgeotv. Com. Next, rosie perez reacts to a haunting scene from her film do the right thing. Which was eerily similar to the tragic reality for eric garner. Later on nightline, meryl streep on why she finally said yes to playing a witch in into streep on why she finally said yes to playing a witch in into the woods. , cough mike . Cough if you can hear me. Dont even think about it. I took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. Yeah. But what about mike . He has that dry, scratchy thing going on. Guess what . cough it works on his cough too. What . Stop, dont pull me spoiler alert she doesnt make it only mucinex dm packs 2 medicines in one pill to relieve wet and dry coughs for 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. [do more than ever before with reimagineit. Uickbooks. Make any place your place of business with it. Get paid faster with it. Run payroll with it. Sync this stuff with that stuff with it. Turn on only what you need with it. Sample from our smorgasbord of apps with it. Take in the big picture with it. See your finances in a whole new way with it. This is your business on intuit quickbooks. Run with it. Celebrate whats new, the bigger, better menu at red lobster with more of what you love try our newest woodgrilled combination maine lobster, extra jumbo shrimp, and salmon so hurry in and sea food differently. vo rescued. Ed. Protected. Given new hope. During the subaru share the love event, subaru owners feel it, too. Because when you take home a new subaru, we donate 250 dollars to helping those in need. Well have given 50 Million Dollars over seven years. Love. Its what makes a subaru, a subaru. Tonight, many still protesting the decision not to indict the Police Officer involved in eric garners death. It also turns out that in spike lees film do the right thing, an uncannily similar screen played out on the screen 25 years ago. The mu views breakout star rosie perez talked to my coanchor juju chang for our weeklong look at race, justice in america. Reporter its a chilling morality tale involving police mortality. A deadly choke hold. A race riot. That tragic scene from do the right thing, which debuted 25 years ago, is eerily similar to what was captured on cell phone video in the final moments of eric garners life. Director spike lee went to cut a scene from the movie with garners struggle with police. The extended chokehold, the gasping for air. When do the right thing reporter rosie perez, now a cohost of abcs the view, back then, an unknown actress. When i first saw the video, which is horrific, literally watching a man die over and over, do the right thing just popped into my head. 1980s in new york city just flooded, flooded me from head to toe. Reporter when you see the choke hold used 25 years ago in do the right thing and then a choke hold being used in the garner case what goes through your mind . Fear. As a person of color, fear. Because it doesnt only pertain to young africanamerican boys. It pertains to a lot of people of color. I myself knew when i was younger, if a police came your way, just shut up, dont make any moves. Yes, officer, no, officer. And i still feel that way. Reporter in her film debut, rosie delivered a raw performance as spike lees fiery girlfriend. Dont be telling me what kind of mother i am. Reporter speak played a deadbeat dad and delivery guy for sals pizza, who ultimately incites the race riot with this defiant act. The film put the 32 yeerlyear producer, director and oscarnominated writer on the map in 1989. Over the years, its cultural significance only growing. Now taught in schools and part of the National Film registry. House was it right there. Reporter we went back this afternoon to that corner in brooklyn with the actor who played the illfated radio a rahim. He throws the garbage can into the window. First time it bounced right off. Reporter it did . Yeah, then it stuck in the window. Like, come on, spike get it together, man reporter put a little elbow grease in there. Third times the chairman. Reporter there you go. His boom box recently sold at auction for more than 9,000. In the movie, hid loud music irritates his italian neighbors and a street fight erupts. 25 years ago, what were we to learn from radio rahi ms death . In a lot of tragic situations, theres more than one source of blame. You have to get along with one another. People dont want you playing muse nick the store, dont go in there blasting your box, man. You might not get killed. But at the same time reporter thats radio rahim talking. But he shouldnt have gotten killed. Reporter if you had a young radio sitting right here, what would you say to that young black man . Dont go looking for trouble. Just use your common sense. I understand about youth. Just be aware that it can get dangerous real quick. Reporter bill nunn is pained by the parallels between the fictional portrayal and the case of eric garner, the father of six from staten island. For me, im just getting a little tired of these poor mothers, you know, grieving their sons and children. Reporter and yet all those years ago, do the right thing had been inspired by the real life case of michael stuart, a young graffiti artist who died of asphyxiation in police custody. Life imitating art, yeah. We kind of did a thing about a moment in time that had happened. It wasnt the first moment and it hasnt been the last. Reporter in the stewart case, three officers were acquitted, but only after being indicted for criminally negligent homicide, assault and perjury when the citys medical examiner found stuart had been strangled. What really is so striking to me is that we are going backwards. At least there was an indictment. Reporter there was a day in court. There was a day in court. And we were robbed of that. I do not understand for the life of me how the grand jury could not rule for an indictment. Reporter but rosie says she also grew to understand the complexities of being a cop when her cousin became one. The first thought wasnt, oh, were so proud of you, we were like, oh, my gosh, you could be shot and killed. You know, to understand that Police Officers put their lives on the line for us, you know, an immense amount of respect was built inside my heart for all of them. Reporter president obama sprazed spike lee as an artist who hold as mirror up to society. If he were to hold up that mirror today, what would he say . Unfortunately a lot of the same things. Unfortunately. And it breaks my heart. This is a great nation. We have our blemishes, but this is a big one. Were all americans here, you know . Why cant we just get along, like a person once said . Reporter rodney king once said that. One thing i still believe that love is stronger than hate. And i think thats why we will prevail. Reporter for nightline, im juju chang in new york. Next, emily blunt sings at home. In the shower, in the car. Meryl streep not so much. Im not allowed to sing at home. But the cast of into the woods wasnt afraid to sound off to our david muir. Curling up in bed with a Favorite Book is nice. But i think women would rather curl up with their favorite man. But heres the thing about half of men over 40 have some degree of erectile dysfunction. Well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. And remember, you only take it when you need it. Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Ask your doctor about viagra. Whaoh wow t . hello, humans. Focus on me focus on the guard. Dont tell anyone what youve seen in here. Have you seen whats in there . They have intel. This is where it all changes. Which means its timeson for the volkswagen signthendrive event. For practically just your signature, you could drive home for the holidays in a germanengineered volkswagen. Like the sporty, advanced new jetta. And the 2015 motor trend car of the year allnew golf. If youre wishing for a new volkswagen this season. Just about all you need is a finely tuned. Pen. Get zero due at signing, zero down, zero deposit, and zero first months payment on select new volkswagen models. Or a helping paw ater, Everyone Needs a helping hand, so mattress discounters good deed dogs is raising money to help train Assistance Dogs for wounded veterans. Veteran i live independently because of what all it provides for me. And its huge theres a lot of wounded, ill, and injured out there just like myself, who just maybe need a little bit of help. Tag you can lend a helping paw too. Give at mattressdiscountersdogs. Com or any mattress discounters. Mattress discounters good deed dogs helping dogs help people. Youve been part of this family for as long as i can remember. And you just mean so much to all of us. The holidays wouldnt be the same without your crescent rolls. We got you a little something. We got you jeans. Its about time. Pipin hot pillsbury crescent rolls. Make your holidays pop [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. Everything has to be just right. Perfection is in the details. Pillsbury cookie dough. Make the holidays pop [instrumental music] the hotly anticipated film into the woods is based on a series of wellknown kids stories. But this twisted fairy tale is also decidedly grown up. And thats just the way the Academy Awardwinning cast likes it. Heres abcs world news tonight anchor david muir. My song was up first. Reporter meryl streep on what its like to sing through a movie. Stay with me reporter but there was Something Else this time. She finally said yes to the role of the witch. Meryl, you do a witch really well. I do a bitch, too. No, but i had resisted playing a witch for a long time, because i was offered three witches when i turned 40 in one year. And i thought, oh this is how its going to go. Reporter but this time was different. Meryl with the lead role in into the woods. A musical with a mashup of fairy teams with dark twists and turns. The entire cast back together with us for the first time. The fear of singing, still fresh. Really, how frightening was it to think youre going to be singing your way through the entire movie . I think its quite scary and i always sang privately. Reporter like in the shower . In the shower, in the car. What is it about the woods reporter now, about to sing in front of the world in the famous mu call, which might be easier than singing in front of meryl. Trying to be in front of meryl streep and pretend like completely normal. Shall we start, meryl, why dont you . That was really not fair. Meryls entire opening song is all live. Go to the woods. Reporter a muz call with very modern tests for the actors. The prince. I was raised to be charming, not sincere. Reporter and the witch, who is also a mother at heart. We asked meryl about one of her lines. I was just trying to be a good mother. Which i can relate to. Reporter and theres a very modern cinderella. I think you should go. Reporter do you revel in this notion youll define cinderella. Oh, jesus. No, but thanks for that. Reporter you dont necessarily need the prince in the end. No offense to the prince. I mean, i dont even have a name. Im cinderellas prince. Reporter tracy ullman playing mother to jack and the bean stalk. You have a slightly different way of showing being a protective mother. How many times you smacked the kid around. I know. Reporter and christine baranski, cinderellas evil stepmother. And the wretched daughters of yours. They are very scary modern. They are obsessed with fashion magazines and, oh, she looks fabulous, oh, my gosh. Reporter and it turns out emily blunt, whose character yearns for a child, was actually pregnant herself while filming. Those dips with the prince, deep into the woods a scene where i get seduced you have to add 25 pounds to that. And i said, to get in a deep lunge kid, im coming down. Reporter and it was blunt who played the insufferable assistant in the devil waerls prada. A pattern we couldnt help but notice. Now you play the bakers wife to meryls wichl. And shes vile to me. We couldnt play people who liked each other. Reporter and for meryl streep, even more today, deep consideration before every role. Now, at this point in my career, i really think, hard, about what am i putting out into the world . Is this hurting or is this helping . In some way. Reporter are you still singing in the kitchen . Im not allowed to sing in my house. Ive not been allowed to sing at my house since my children were born. Reporter we asked meryl about her children, all now artists, too. All three of my daughters are wonderful people and my son is a fabulous person. Everybody is loved in equal measure. Reporter always the dutiful, equal mom. Dolling it out on the sidewalk, too. Get a scarf, darling. Im worried about all this area. For nightline, im david muir in new york. Our Parent Company disney brings you into the woods in movie theaters on christmas day. Thanks for watching abc news. Youve been part of this family for as long as i can remember. And you just mean so much to all of us. The holidays wouldnt be the same without your crescent rolls. We got you a little something. We got you jeans. Its about time. Pipin hot pillsbury crescent rolls. Make your holidays pop [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. Everything has to be just right. Perfection is in the details. Pillsbury cookie dough. Make the holidays pop