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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