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We are learning more about sleep every day. Scientists and researchers are now realizing that lack of sleep is fast becoming a major issue. Trouble is, they still haven’t figured out the sleep process entirely. What we do know, is that every mammal needs sleep to function.
The world is suddenly full of amazing sleep information, so for a bit of light heartiness I thought it was time for some amazing sleep facts.
41% of people sleep in the fetal position
Pain tolerance is reduced by sleep deprivation
Sleep experts have discovered a direct link between people’s favourite sleeping position and their personality
1 out of 50 teenagers still wet the bed
Within 5 mins of waking up, 50% of your dream is forgotten, Within 10 mins, 90% is gone
You would die from sleep deprivation before food deprivation. It takes 2 weeks to starve but only 10 days without sleep would kill you
Those born blind experience dreams involving, emotion, sound, smell & touch instead of sight
When dolphins sleep, only half their brain shuts down, the other half stays awake to help with breathing cycles
High earners get the best sleep (+$60,000) (unsurprisingly)
Sleeping on your front can aid digestion
Humans are the only animals that can willingly delay sleep
Ideally, falling asleep at night should take 10-15 minutes
1 in 4 married couples sleep in separate beds
Upto 15% of the population are sleep walkers
“Hypnic Jerks” is the sensation of falling when half asleep
Parasomnia is a term that refers to unnatural movements during your sleep (some people have even committed crimes during this phase)
Divorced, widowed and separated people report more insomnia
60% of healthcare professionals do not feel they have enough time to have a discussion with their patients about insomnia during regular visits
The body never adjusts to shift work!
Snoring is the primary cause of sleep disruption for approximately 90 million American adults, 37 million on a regular basis
The longest sleeping Mammal is the Koala Bear at 22 hours a day, just beating the Brown Bat at 20 hours a day.
The shortest sleeping Mammal is the Giraffe at 2 hours a day, just beating the Roe Deer at 3 hours a day
Dreaming is normal, people who do not dream generally have personality disorders
We only dream about faces we have already seen, whether we actively remember them or not
Sleep makes you more attractive
Sleep saves the economy $93 billion per year
People who don’t get enough sleep, naturally increase their appetite and usually put on weight
Scientists still don’t know if animals dream during REM sleep, as humans do
According to results of NSF’s Sleep in America poll, 36 percent of Americans drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving
Some sleeping pills and sleep aids suppress REM sleep which can be unhealthy over a period of time
You may find it difficult to fall asleep if the temperature of your room is too high
People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even knowing it
Humans spend one third of their lives asleep
The first CPAP machines for sleep apnea were made from vacuum cleaners
Drinking Caffeine during the day can affect how you sleep at night
Elephants can sleep whilst standing up
Snoring occurs only in non REM sleep
The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in 1 in 6 fatal road accidents
In general, carbs make you sleepy while protein makes you more alert
A snoring partner wakes his non snoring partner an average of 20 times per night, with an average sleep loss of one hour a day
In Greek mythology, Hypnos was the god of sleep
Sexsomnia is the act of engaging in sexual activity whilst asleep
65% of Americans lose sleep because of stress
Patients with Erectile Dysfunction (ED) are twice as likely to suffer from sleep apnea
We usually spend more than 2 hours each night dreaming. We dream at least 4 to 6 times a night
Sleep deprived rats live only 3 weeks compared to their normal 2-3 years life span
Over 2 million children suffer form sleep disorders
Studies show that less sleep (6 hours or less) can lead to higher inflammatory proteins in the blood
There are at least 84 identified sleep/wake disorders
Heart disease, diabetes and obesity all been linked to chronic sleep loss
A snail can sleep for 3 years
The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days & 24 minutes
Alcohol actually makes you feel worse than better
A newborn baby causes 1,055 hours of lost sleep for parents
The fear of sleep is called Somniphobia
Tiredness peaks twice a day, at 2 pm and 2 am (It’s why your sleepy after your dinner)
Sleeping less than 7 hours each night can reduce your life expectancy
Some deaf people make sign language in their sleep
Many Tibetan monks sleep upright
Dysania is the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning
Half of pilots surveyed admitted to falling asleep while flying a passenger plane
Cats sleep upto 70% of their lives
Cows sleep for less than 4 hours per day
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human error sleep deprivation
Women need an extra hours sleep at night compared with men, and not getting it may be the reason why women are more susceptible to depression than men
As a group, 18-24 year olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults
Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%
Exposure to noise at night can suppress human function even if the sleeper doesn’t wake
The “natural alarm clock” which enables people to wake up when they want is caused by a burst of stress hormone adrenocorticotropin
Sleep deprivation produces higher levels of corticosterone, a stress hormone, and fewer brain cells are produced
Certain types of eye movement during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in your dreams
Humans sleep on average around 3 hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and baboons, all of which sleep for 10 hours per night
Lack of sleep can lead to AHDH like symptoms in kids, doctors report
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