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40 Facts about Sleep
I don't know what is true and what is false on here, but I thought it was well worth posting
40 FACTS ABOUT SLEEP YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW...
(OR WERE TOO TIRED TO THINK ABOUT)
-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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year
- One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development of bad habits from having sleep disturbed by young children.
- The continuous brain recordings that led to the discovery of REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep were not done until 1953, partly because the scientists involved were concerned about wasting paper.
- REM sleep occurs in bursts totalling about 2 hours a night, usually beginning about 90 minutes after falling asleep.
- Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur (but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep phases. It's possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually dreamless.
- REM dreams are characterised by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery - obsessively returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for example.
- Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process is analagous to watching a film
- No-one knows for sure if other species dream but some do have sleep cycles similar to humans.
- Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.
- Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.
- Dreams may not serve any purpose at all but be merely a meaningless byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations - sleep and consciousness.
- REM sleep may help developing brains mature. Premature babies have 75 per cent REM sleep, 10 per cent more than full-term bubs. Similarly, a newborn kitten puppy rat or hampster experiences only REM sleep, while a newborn guinea pig (which is much more developed at birth) has almost no REM sleep at all.
- Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.
- British Ministry of Defence researchers have been able to reset soldiers' body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36 hrs. Tiny optical fibres embedded in special spectacles project a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise) around the edge of soldiers' retinas, fooling them into thinking they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots during the bombing of Kosovo.
- Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.
- The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.
- The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in one in 6 fatal road accidents.
- 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.
- The "natural alarm clock" which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.
- Some sleeping tablets, such as barbiturates suppress REM sleep, which can be harmful over a long period.
- In insomnia following bereavement, sleeping pills can disrupt grieving.
- Tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake. The light turns off a "neural switch" in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.
- 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.
- A night on the grog will help you get to sleep but it will be a light slumber and you won't dream much.
- 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.
- Humans sleep on average around three hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and baboons, all of whom sleep for 10 hours.
- Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode.
- 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.
- Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep
- Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hrs) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For the average adult aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal
- 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.
- 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.
- Diaries from the pre-electric-light-globe Victorian era show adults slept nine to 10 hours a night with periods of rest changing with the seasons in line with sunrise and sunsets.
- Most of what we know about sleep we've learned in the past 25 years.
- As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults.
- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.
- The extra-hour of sleep received when clocks are put back at the start of daylight in Canada has been found to coincide with a fall in the number of road accidents.
40 FACTS ABOUT SLEEP YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW...
(OR WERE TOO TIRED TO THINK ABOUT)
-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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year
- One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development of bad habits from having sleep disturbed by young children.
- The continuous brain recordings that led to the discovery of REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep were not done until 1953, partly because the scientists involved were concerned about wasting paper.
- REM sleep occurs in bursts totalling about 2 hours a night, usually beginning about 90 minutes after falling asleep.
- Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur (but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep phases. It's possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually dreamless.
- REM dreams are characterised by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery - obsessively returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for example.
- Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process is analagous to watching a film
- No-one knows for sure if other species dream but some do have sleep cycles similar to humans.
- Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.
- Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.
- Dreams may not serve any purpose at all but be merely a meaningless byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations - sleep and consciousness.
- REM sleep may help developing brains mature. Premature babies have 75 per cent REM sleep, 10 per cent more than full-term bubs. Similarly, a newborn kitten puppy rat or hampster experiences only REM sleep, while a newborn guinea pig (which is much more developed at birth) has almost no REM sleep at all.
- Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.
- British Ministry of Defence researchers have been able to reset soldiers' body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36 hrs. Tiny optical fibres embedded in special spectacles project a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise) around the edge of soldiers' retinas, fooling them into thinking they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots during the bombing of Kosovo.
- Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.
- The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.
- The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in one in 6 fatal road accidents.
- 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.
- The "natural alarm clock" which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.
- Some sleeping tablets, such as barbiturates suppress REM sleep, which can be harmful over a long period.
- In insomnia following bereavement, sleeping pills can disrupt grieving.
- Tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake. The light turns off a "neural switch" in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.
- 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.
- A night on the grog will help you get to sleep but it will be a light slumber and you won't dream much.
- 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.
- Humans sleep on average around three hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and baboons, all of whom sleep for 10 hours.
- Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode.
- 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.
- Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep
- Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hrs) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For the average adult aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal
- 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.
- 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.
- Diaries from the pre-electric-light-globe Victorian era show adults slept nine to 10 hours a night with periods of rest changing with the seasons in line with sunrise and sunsets.
- Most of what we know about sleep we've learned in the past 25 years.
- As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults.
- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.
- The extra-hour of sleep received when clocks are put back at the start of daylight in Canada has been found to coincide with a fall in the number of road accidents.
Views: 53
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Christine C on
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I thought it was pretty interesting...
Rock Hinkle said:Wow that is alot of info.
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Permalink Reply by 99 on
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How to Improve Your Sleep
SLEEP PROBLEMS are nothing new. As early as the fifth century B.C.E., a servant at the court of Persian King Ahasuerus recorded that one night “the king’s sleep fled.”
Today millions of people have difficulty sleeping well. According to Brazilian sleep specialist Rubens Reimão, an estimated 35 percent of the world’s population suffer from insomnia. Dr. David Rapoport of the New York University Sleep Disorders Center described sleeping badly as “one of the most serious epidemics of the turn of the century.”
To make matters worse, many insomniacs suffer in ignorance. According to researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, as few as 3 percent of sufferers are correctly diagnosed. Many simply accept sleeping badly as part of life and resign themselves to spending their waking hours feeling irritated and drowsy.
Nighttime Drama
Tossing and turning for hours, with your eyes wide open, while everyone else is sleeping peacefully is a most undesirable experience. Still, sporadic insomnia lasting a few days is not uncommon, and it is generally related to stress and the ups and downs of life. When insomnia becomes chronic, however, emotional or clinical disorders may be involved, and it is important to seek medical help.—See the box above.
Could you be suffering from a sleep disorder? If after filling out the questionnaire on page 9, you conclude that you do have sleep problems, there is no need to despair. Recognizing the need for help is half the battle of curing a sleep disorder. According to Brazilian neurologist Geraldo Rizzo, 90 percent of insomnia sufferers can be treated successfully.
However, for appropriate treatment to be given, it is important to know exactly what is causing the insomnia. A medical examination called a polysomnogram has contributed to the diagnosis and treatment of many sleep disorders.—See the box below.
One of the most common causes of chronic insomnia among adults is related to snoring. If you have ever slept near someone who snores, you know that this can be extremely uncomfortable. Snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), in which the closure of the throat temporarily prevents a sleeper from sucking air into his lungs. Initial steps in treating OSAS include weight loss, avoidance of alcoholic beverages, and avoidance of muscle-relaxant drugs. Specialists may also prescribe specific medication or the use of dental appliances or a continuous positive airway pressure machine.
In more severe cases, surgical correction of the throat, jaw, tongue, or nose may be necessary in order to make it easier for air to enter and leave during the breathing process.
Children can also suffer from insomnia. The signs of sleep deprivation may appear at school—poor scholastic achievement, irritation, lack of concentration—perhaps leading to a wrong diagnosis of hyperactivity.
Some children fight sleep, preferring to sing, talk, or listen to someone telling stories—anything instead of going to bed. This may just be a ruse to get parental attention. In some cases, however, a child may be afraid to sleep because of frequent nightmares related to horror movies, violent news programs, or quarreling in the home. By promoting a peaceful and loving atmosphere at home, parents can help to avoid these problems. Obviously, medical advice should be sought if symptoms persist. Without a doubt, a good night’s sleep is as important for children as it is for adults.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
For many centuries it has been known that a good night’s sleep does not happen by chance. Sleeping well depends on a series of factors beyond just controlling anxiety and stress. These are known collectively as sleep hygiene.
Effective sleep hygiene amounts to a way of life. It includes getting regular exercise at the right time of the day. Exercise during the morning or afternoon can help one to be drowsy at bedtime. But working out close to bedtime can interfere with sleep.
Exciting films or engrossing reading material can also have a stimulating effect. Before going to bed, it may be better to read something relaxing, listen to soothing music, or take a warm bath.
Experts say that you can teach your brain to associate bed with sleep by lying down only when you really mean to sleep. People who eat, study, work, watch TV, or play video games in bed may find it harder to fall asleep.
Preparing the body for restful sleep also involves watching your diet. While alcoholic drinks make a person feel drowsy, they can actually impair sleep quality. Coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, and cola-based drinks should be avoided at night because they are stimulants. On the other hand, small quantities of mango, sweet potato, banana, persimmon, palm cabbage, rice, bean sprouts, or nuts stimulate the production of serotonin and can thus be sleep-inducing. A word of warning: Eating a heavy meal late at night can be as harmful to sleep as going to bed on an empty stomach.
Just as important as our presleep routine is the environment in which we sleep. A pleasant temperature, a dark and noise-free room, and a comfortable mattress and pillows are an invitation to a good night’s sleep. In fact, with so much comfort, it may be hard to get up the next morning. But remember, staying in bed longer than necessary, even on the weekend, can disturb your sleep pattern and make it harder for you to sleep the following night
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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Interesting facts.
I love trivia and find these tidbits to be useful in understanding some of the world around us.
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Permalink Reply by Jan on
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Thanks, Christine, for posting these fun facts. And I also enjoyed the above article on sleep hygiene-- something I probably should take care of sooner rather than later ;-)
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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on
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I love knowing this kind of stuff. Thanks, Christine.
I have another one to add: my dentist told me the only way you can tell if someone's asleep is to watch for swallowing. She said people don't swallow when they're sleeping. I wonder if PAP treatment has an effect on this.......
Has anyone else ever heard that???
Susan McCord :-)
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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http://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-people-with-narcolepsy.html
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition wherein a person experiences excessive sleepiness during the daytime. Narcolepsy is characterized by rapid eye movement sleep disorders and random spells of sleep during the day. A person suffering from narcolepsy experiences drowsiness at inappropriate and unusual times of the day and an excessive sleepiness at any time of the day. The nighttime sleep of narcoleptic people is of a disturbed nature and characterized by frequent awakenings.
A deficiency of protein-producing neurons in the brain or certain other genetic disorders can cause narcolepsy. Narcoleptic individuals should consult sleep specialists for the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Research reveals that there are around 3 million cases of narcolepsy in the world today. Let us look at some famous people who suffered from narcolepsy.
Famous People with Narcolepsy
Harriet Tubman: She was an African-American abolitionist who was a slave by birth. She devoted her life to the abolition of slavery and strove all her life for the establishment of equality in society. While helping a slave escape from torture, Harriet Tubman met with an accident in which her head was severely injured. Following this injury, she began having seizures and spells of unconsciousness. She often used to fall asleep without warning. Probably, she was a narcoleptic. You might like to know more about this humanitarian through the timeline of Harriet Tubman.
Harold M. Ickes: Born no September 4, 1939, Harold Ickes went on to become an active politician. He worked in presidential campaigns and served as an advisor to David Dinkins’ campaign as the mayor of New York City. He was the famed deputy Chief of Staff for the White House. He is believed to be suffering from narcolepsy. It is said that he faces difficulties in concentrating on his job and uses medication to stay awake at work.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden: She was an American science fiction editor, essayist and fanzine writer. Born on March 21, 1956, she was brought up in Arizona. She served as a managing editor and later as a consulting editor to Tor Books. She is known for her weblog, in which she handles a variety of subjects. She was narcoleptic and was undergoing the Cylert medication for quite some time.
Jimmy Kimmel: Born on November 13, 1967, Jimmy Kimmel went on to become a television host and comedian. Apart from being a television personality, he is also a bass clarinet player. Best known for hosting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, co-hosting ‘The Man Show’ and famed for producing popular shows like ‘Crank Yankers’; Jimmy Kimmel is, sadly, a narcoleptic.
Aaron Flahavan: He was an English football player, who has played for Portsmouth since 1994. Before beginning a professional career, he played for the youth team of Southampton. Reportedly, he had experienced blackouts during matches, which indicated narcolepsy. He died an untimely death in a car accident.
Nastassja Kinski: She is a German actress of international acclaim. She was regarded as a sex symbol in the 1970s and the 1980s. Starting as a model, she went on to become a Golden Globe winning actress for her film ‘Tess’. She suffers from narcolepsy.
These were some of the famous narcoleptics. What is inspiring about them is that they have managed to continue with the pursuit of their careers, in spite of this illness called narcolepsy that can disorient a person’s life.
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page 9
[Box on page 9]
SLEEPINESS TEST
How likely are you to doze off in the situations mentioned below? Using the following scale, circle your answers, and then add up your total score.
Would never doze
Slight chance of dozing
Moderate chance of dozing
High chance of dozing
a Sitting and reading
b Watching TV
c Sitting inactive in a public place, such as
at the theater or a meeting
d As a car passenger for an hour without a break
e Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol
f Lying down to rest in the afternoon
g Sitting and talking to someone
h In a car, while stopped in traffic
Score …………………………………………………………
Score Results
1-6: No need to worry
7-8: Within the average
9 and over: Seek medical advice
[Credit Line]
Based on The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, by Stanford University, California, U.S.A.
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Permalink Reply by Rock Conner RRT on
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Thanks Christine!
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