Amazing Facts About Sleep Probably You Didn’t Know!

#1 If you think sleep is over rated, you need to take a look at these facts... But before you do, turn off the light and close my blinds please...

#2 He's No Rip Van Winkle

The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

#3 Meow.. It's Just A Cat Nap

It's impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it.

#4 If You Don't Fall Asleep Quickly You're Deprived

Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

#5 New Baby? Forgetaboutit!

A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.

#6 Kids Ruin Everything

One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development of bad habits from having sleep disturbed by young children.

#7 Rem Is Bizarre (Not The Band)

Two types of Dreams, REM(Rapid Eye Movement) dreams which are characterized by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams which are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery obsessively returning to a suspicion e.g you left your mobile phone somewhere.

#8 Do You Dream In Color?

Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process is analogous to watching a film.

#9 Smaller Brains Need Less Sleep (Yes, You Judy!)

REM sleep may help developing brains mature. Premature babies have 75 per cent REM sleep. Similarly, a newborn kitten, puppy or rat experiences only REM sleep.

#10 Noises Can Ruin Your Sleep AND Your Day

Exposure to noise at night can suppress immune function even if the sleeper doesn't wake. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.

#11 The Colder The Better For Snoozing

To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain's sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That's why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. The blood flow mechanism that transfers core body heat to the skin works best between 18 and 30 degrees. But later in life, the comfort zone shrinks to between 23 and 25 degrees one reason why older people have more sleep disorders.

#12 Sleep Deprivation Is The Same As Being Drunk Or High

After five nights of partial sleep deprivation, three drinks will have the same effect on your body as six would when you've slept enough.

#13 You Sound Like A Drunk Seal

Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep.

#14 Get Yourself A Breathe Right Strip!

Ten per cent of snorers have sleep apnoea, a disorder which causes sufferers to stop breathing up to 300 times a night and significantly increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

#15 Women Love Sleeping More Than Men. Wimps.

Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

#16 I Blame Steve Jobs!

Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.

#17 You can Sleep When You're Dead

Feeling tired can feel normal after a short time. Those deliberately deprived of sleep for research initially noticed greatly the effects on their alertness, mood and physical performance, but the awareness dropped off after the first few days.