Table of Contents
Fancy reading some facts on sleep?
Here are forty-eight facts on sleep you may not have known.
Sleep World Record
The world record for the longest time without sleep is 264 hours, or just over 11 days
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking affects around 3.6% of adults – how about that for facts on sleep?
How Many Years?
The average person spends around 26 years asleep during their lifetime
Sleep Like A Baby
Babies sleep the most, with newborns sleeping up to 17 hours a day
Average Sleep Needed
Adults need around 7-8 hours of sleep a day
Lack of Sleep
Lack of sleep can lead to increased levels of stress hormones in the body.
Great Memories
Sleep helps to consolidate memories and aids learning.
Rapid Eyes
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is when we dream.
Brain Activity
People who suffer from insomnia tend to have higher levels of activity in their brains during REM sleep
Tools!
Women tend to dream more often about people they know, whereas men tend to dream about other things such as tools and machines
How Many Dreams?
Our 10th facts on sleep is that the average person has around 5-6 dreams each night
Dream Duration
Dreams can last for a few seconds or up to 20 minutes. Some people even have ‘false awakenings’ where they think they have woken up but are still dreaming.
Back Nightmare!
People who sleep on their backs are more likely to have nightmares than those who sleep on their stomachs.
Continuous Dreams
The average person will spend around 6 years of their life dreaming.
Men vs Men
Men tend to dream about other men twice as much as they dream about women.
50/50 Split
Women tend to dream about men just as much as they dream about other women.
Blind Dream
Studies show that people who are blind still dream and see images in their dreams.
Animals Dream
It is believed that animals also dream however we cannot know for sure as we cannot ask them!
Forgetful Dreams
People usually forget 90% of their dreams soon after waking up.
Dreams vs Reality
It is thought that people with schizophrenia may be unable to distinguish between their dreams and reality.
Sleep Is Important
People who are sleep deprived are more likely to make errors, have accidents and have a lower quality of life.
Dawn Of Time
It is thought that humans evolved the ability to dream in order to help us survive. Dreams allow us to practice different scenarios and work through our fears.
Weight Gain
Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain.
Booster
Sleep helps to boost our immune system.
Dreams & Death
People who sleep less than 7 hours a night are more likely to die early. This the halfway point on our interesting facts about sleep.
I Overslept
Sleeping too much can also be linked to an early death.
Sleepover
The world’s biggest sleepover was held in 2006 and had 8,096 people participating.
Night Owl
It is thought that around 30% of the population are ‘night owls’ and prefer to stay up late at night.
Alarming
The first ever alarm clock was invented in 1787 by Levi Hutchins.
Loudest Snore
The loudest snore ever recorded was 93 decibels!
Emotional
Dreams can often be a way for our mind to process and make sense of our emotions and experiences.
Recurring Dreams
It is thought that we dream around 4-6 times each night however we usually only remember our dreams if we wake up during or shortly after them.
Early Morning
Dreams tend to be more vivid and memorable if they occur in the morning.
Matchsticks For Eyes
The record for the longest time without sleep is 11 days!
11 Hours
The world’s oldest person slept around 11 hours each night.
Sleep Apnea
People who suffer from sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods during their sleep.
Snoring Explained
Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely through the nose and mouth during sleep.
Type two
There are two types of sleep – REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-REM).
Sleep Stages
NREM sleep is further divided into four stages – stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4.
REM Sleep
REM sleep is when we dream. Our eyes move rapidly during this stage of sleep and our brain activity is similar to when we are awake.
Cycles
We cycle through all four stages of NREM sleep before entering REM sleep.
Light Sleeper
The first stage of NREM sleep is the lightest stage of sleep. We can be easily awoken during this stage.
Drifting
The second stage of NREM sleep is when we start to drift off into sleep. Our breathing becomes regular and our heart rate starts to slow down.
Deep Sleep
The third and fourth stages of NREM sleep are the deepest stages of sleep. It is harder to wake someone up during these stages as they are in a deep slumber.
Stage Two
We spend around 50% of our sleep in stage 2, around 20% in REM sleep and the rest of our sleep is divided between the other three stages.
Newborn Babies
Newborn babies spend around 50% of their sleep in REM sleep.
Percentages
Adults usually spend around 20-25% of their sleep in REM sleep.
Elderly
The elderly tend to spend less time in REM sleep and more time in the lighter stages of NREM sleep.
Interesting Facts on Sleep
Well we hope you found are facts on sleep as interesting as we did?