For most of us, sleeping is a daily activity that involves lying and resting comfortably with our eyes closed for a prolonged period of time. It’s something that we take for granted when actually there is a lot more to it than you think. In this post, we’d like to enlighten you with some facts you probably didn’t know about sleep!
15. The Record For No Sleep
The thought of not sleeping for a grand total of 18 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes simply terrifies us, yet this is the record for the longest period without sleep. Unsurprisingly, this was not a healthy task to complete as the record holder suffered from hallucinations, memory lapses and blurred vision. In fact, one of the cruelest forms of punishment for a human being is sleep deprivation.
14. Lifetime Of Sleep
For roughly twenty five years of your life, you will be asleep. This is nearly a third of your lifespan so make sure you also enjoy those hours you are awake!
13. Growth During Sleep
On average, you will grow about 8mm a night when you fall asleep! For adults, this is only temporary though as your body shrinks back to its normal size the next day. We’d be very tall by by the time we’re 80 if growth continued!
12. Teenagers Need The Most Sleep
As a time of vast growth and maturity, your teenage years are very important to your development into adulthood. That’s why teenagers need an average of 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep a night.
11. The Link Between Sleep and Weight
Studies have shown the less sleep you have, the more prone you are to put on a weight as a result of your gene contribution. When you sleep more, you actually have more control over your own weight.
10. Desire For Junk Food
This is a similar point to the above fact as it indicates that the less sleep you have, the more likely it is for you to make lazy and less sensible decisions such as buying junk food rather than cooking something healthy.
9. A New Mattress, Pillow Or Cushion
Rather than consuming a sleeping pill, it is simply a new mattress, pillow or cushion that will make a huge difference to the quality of your sleep. This way, you are completely in control of how best to make yourself comfortable at night.
8. Sleeping Too Much
Believe it or not, too much sleep can actually hinder your chances of a good night’s rest. Six or seven hours is the recommended amount of time to rest for. It is important to get the balance right between not enough sleep and too much.
7. Scientists Still Have No Explanation
Sleep is actually a phenomenon that we know we need, but can’t explain why. Even after all these years and with all the technology we have, scientists still can’t identify the exact reasons for this human necessity.
6. Humans Sleep Less Than Other Primates
As the more superior race of being, you’d think that humans would need the most amount of sleep. In actual fact this is an incorrect assumption as chimps, squirrel monkeys and baboons, to name a few, sleep for an average of ten hours a night rather than our measly six or seven.
5. Fatigue Is Dangerous
Lack of sleep is a lot worse for you than you realise. Studies have suggested fatigue is the reason for one in six road accidents.
4. 48 Hours Is The Limit
Most people cannot stay awake for longer than 48 hours, which seems only a small amount of time. However, this indicates how much we rely on a good night’s rest.
3. Insomnia Caused In Childhood
A trigger for the reason people suffer from insomnia later in life is because of bad habits and being disturbed during sleep as a child.
2. Dreams Are Meaningless
Although there are many theories surrounding the true meanings of dreams and why we have them, experts suggest that there is no real meaning to dreaming as it is only a side effect of our unconscious! On the other hand, some of us may choose to believe this is significant enough for a hidden meaning.
1. The Internet Is A Distraction
This is probably the most interesting fact on our list because it points the blame of lack of sleep to a technology that is essential in the modern era! On that note, let’s turn off our computers for the day...
In conclusion to this interesting list of facts, it is clear that sleep is a fascinating and an essential feature of our lives. Here at CosyCo, we emphasise the importance of a good night’s rest and aim to provide you with products that will help you to achieve that goal!
