Sleeping is normal function and something we all need to do every day. It’s a must because of the effect sleep has on our quality of life. In spite of importance of sleep, it’s something most people take for granted without giving it a second thought. The only people who seem to have any real knowledge about the sleeping process are the ones who are having difficulty getting the amount and quality of sleep they need.
Without becoming overly concerned about the importance of a good night’s sleep, sleep does contribute to other aspects of our lives and affects us in many ways. As a case in point, here’s 8 crazy facts about sleep that you probably don’t know about.
Table of Contents
1. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation occurs when someone goes without sleep long enough for sleep deprivation symptoms to kick in. For the average individual, seventeen straight hours without any sleep will start the onset of said sleep deprivation symptoms. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the ability to focus and can results in serious accidents, especially when driving or flying.
2. Snoring Data
If you have ever wondered whether you are the only person in American who stores at night, you’ll be happy to learn that as many as 90 million Americans have a significant snoring issue. Many of these people count their snoring as the primary reason they can’t get a good night’s sleep.
3. Dozing Off
If you have a habit of suddenly dozing off in front of the television, there’s a good chance you were suffering from some level of sleep deprivation at the time. This is also true of people who can fall asleep within 5 minutes of going to bed.
4. The Longest Recorded Period of Sleep Abstinence
Have you ever wondered how people can go a full day or two without sleep and still have the ability to function reasonably well? The longest period of sleep abstinence ever recorded was 11 straight days.
5. Eyes Wide Open
It is possible for a human being to sleep for a few minutes at a time with their eyes wide open. Some people with good equilibrium have to ability to sleep with their eyes wide open while standing in an upright position.
6. Sleep Deprivation is a Killer
We all have a great deal of concern for people who at risk of starving to death because of lack of food. Did you know sleep deprivation has the capacity to kill you long before you would die of starvation?
7. The Midday Lull
Have you ever noticed that your mind and body seem to start dragging at sometime during the middle of the day? Experts say that the ordinary person’s body clock is programmed to want sleep at around 2:00 pm every day. This phenomenon has a little bit to do with position of the sun and the amount of time the individual is awake before they get their “second wind.”
8. Forgetting Dreams
A big part of getting a good night’s sleep includes spending an adequate amount of time in the dreaming phase of sleep. No matter how much time you spend dreaming, experts say you will only remember about 50% of what you dreamed about when you awake.
