Most of what we know about sleep has only been discovered in the last 25 years, but it's safe to say that we've caught up very quickly since then. Every day we learn more and more about sleep. Read our list of 22 of the most interesting and surprising facts about sleep that you may not know.
12% of people dream entirely in black and white
Before color television made its debut, only 15% of people dreamed in color. Now things are the other way around, and only some older people dream in black and white. If you're not convinced, you can read more here.
Giraffes only need 1.9 hours of sleep per day, while the brown bat sleeps an average of 19.9 hours per day
Its only competitor is the African elephant, which sleeps an average of 2 hours a day. See the figures for other animals here.
The record for the longest time without sleep is 11 days
It happened in 1964 with Californian student Randy Gardner in a completely intentional experiment. When he was 17, he stayed awake for 11 days and 24 minutes, breaking Tom Rounds' previous record by 2 hours of wakefulness. The experiment was documented by Stanford sleep researchers, while his health was continuously monitored.
During the experiment, it was found that no damage to the body and its functions was observed, no matter how absolutely contraindicated, as much as cognitive and behavioral changes, as well as inconsistency in moods. Concentration and short-term memory problems, paranoia, and hallucinations were also among the effects of sleep deprivation. When Randy was asked why he stopped the experiment, he replied that he didn't remember what he was doing or why. After the experiment, he caught up on 14 hours of sleep, after which his daily life returned to normal, but he suffered from insomnia for weeks.
Dysania - the condition where you can't get out of bed in the morning
Certainly, most of us find getting out of bed in the morning a challenging task, but for those suffering from dysania, it is many times harder.
The sensation of falling while half-asleep and the subsequent sudden awakening is caused by the rapid relaxation of the body and the brain's confusion that you are falling - which is why it does everything it can to wake you up
No one is completely sure why it happens, but it is clear that it is not related to a worsening health condition. However, these manifestations can be more frequent with increased stress, more caffeine, or physical activity close to bedtime. It occurs more often in young people and decreases as we get older.
1 in 4 married couples sleep in separate beds
While we can't help with your partner's snoring, we can help you sleep better according to your individual needs. In cases where you have different preferences for mattress firmness, mattresses with double core technology are an excellent solution. Two individual cores are combined in one shared cover, which have different firmnesses on each side. By flipping one core, you can choose to sleep on a softer surface, while your partner sleeps on a firmer one.
Those born blind also have dreams. The sensation includes emotion, sound, smells
What dreams are like for the blind depends on whether they were born that way or lost their sight at a certain point in their lives. The latter dream with colorful images, while the former feel, hear sounds, or perceive smells and tastes.
Pain tolerance decreases if sleep is consistently insufficient
This study suggests that cutting sleep in half also reduces our pain tolerance, although it's not 100% certain why this happens.
Sleep experts have found a direct link between preferred sleep positions and personality traits
For example, those who sleep in the fetal position may appear more rigid, but deep down they are sensitive souls.
Humans are the only mammals who deliberately delay their sleep
Think about yourself: have you ever followed a routine – going to bed and waking up at the same times? These consistent patterns make falling asleep and waking up significantly easier, and you're guaranteed 7-8 hours of sleep every day.
People with higher incomes sleep significantly better
We would certainly be calmer with more. But do the popular 5 am club (those who wake up at 5 am) get enough hours of sleep?
Cats spend two-thirds of their lives sleeping
This will not be a surprise to cat "parents." Your mattress is also their bed. Or your computer keyboard.
We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping
Obviously, this also depends on a person's age, but overall, we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. To ensure quality sleep, it's important to choose the right mattress and pillows.
It is not uncommon for deaf people to use sign language in their dreams
There are many cases where parents of deaf children, or a deaf person's spouse, observe the use of sign language during sleep.
Parasomnia is a term that encompasses unnatural movements during sleep, such as sleepwalking or sleep eating
But there are also not-so-innocent cases of committing crimes while experiencing parasomnia.
It is estimated that about 15% of the population are sleepwalkers
And the myth that you shouldn't wake someone who is sleepwalking is not true.
Sleep deprivation can lead to a fatal end faster than food deprivation
Neither is good for you, but insomnia will lead to more "damage." We often think that if we cut sleep by even 1 hour, we gain 1 hour more productivity and time to get tasks done. The reality, however, is that even small "portions" of consistent sleep deprivation have a big impact on our health, mood, cognitive abilities, and productivity.
Imagine you start fasting (long periods without food and short intervals to eat). After 7 days, you'll probably feel hungry, maybe a little physically weak, and somewhat thinner. But overall, you'll be fine.
But what happens if you don't sleep for a whole week – as we saw from the experiment with California student Randy, you'll find it difficult to function.
Within 5 minutes of waking up, you forget 50% of what you dreamed
According to Freud, dreams are a reflection of the thoughts and feelings we suppress, and upon waking, the brain wants to "get rid" of them as quickly as possible. However, the more likely theory is that we use our brains much more when we wake up, and that's why we quickly forget our dreams.
41% of Britons sleep in the fetal position.
The study by Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of SAAS, found that the fetal (baby) position is dominant, along with 5 others.
Ideally, falling asleep should not take more than 10-15 minutes
But if you fall asleep in less than 5 minutes, there's a high probability that you are chronically sleep-deprived.
Sleeping on your side can aid digestion
It also helps with heartburn, reduces snoring or sleep apnea.
Fear is not the primary emotion when dreaming nightmares
The most common emotions are sadness, anger, confusion, disgust, frustration, or guilt.
Leave a comment