Fun sleep facts! Once again, we bring you some pretty cool facts about sleep that may open your eyes and bring a smile or a yawn to your face. Who knows?
And away we go!
You can tell a tree is sleeping because it’s branches lower slightly at night then lift back up in the morning
The tree is relaxing and waking up. And you can actually see it, just as with plants and flowers that close up then open or perk up to meet the sun. Nature is fascinating!
Sleep-talking could be genetic, so if your parents did it, then…
Experts are discovering that, yep, you might do it too. In addition, men and babies sleep-talk more than women. That means, if it is genetic, your dad probably passed it down. No judgment. Just research.
REM sleep helps with creative problem solving
During REM or rapid eye movement sleep, our brain connects certain ideas that aren’t really related to each other. These are the building blocks of creative thinking and creative problem solving. That’s why many writers keep notepads by their beds to write down the ideas that manifested while sleeping. If they don’t capture them right away, they’ll most likely fall away. You forget 50 percent of your dreams within 5 minutes of waking and by the 10 minute mark, 90 percent of what you just experienced is gone.
Classical music can help you fall asleep
Maybe not the Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner or Beethoven’s Fifth, mind you, but relaxing classical music like Debussey’s Claire de Lune and Chopin’s Nocturne in E Flat Major will do the trick. Listening to it lowers the stress hormone cortisol as well as raising levels of the feel-good dopamine. Basically, it’s a one-two punch of dumping the bad vibes and enhancing the good ones so you can rest easy.
Women wake more often when they have a newborn, but the dads sleep less well
Interestingly enough, women actually sleep more than men. The belief is they do that because they do more multitasking. Their brains work harder and the additional rest restores their mind.
You fall asleep faster when you snooze next to the one you love
You’re comforted by their presence and are capable of more successful, restorative sleep when you’re next to them. Love conquers insomnia!
One in three people sleep in the nude
Why? Because it’s more comfortable. Simple. And it’s cooler when it’s hot and helps blood flow.
Wearing socks in bed helps you reach an orgasm
Okay, so this may sound weird but for women, wearing a pair of fuzzy socks comforts them and makes them feel more relaxed. Also, warm feet for anyone means increased blood flow and that means blood flow to, well, those parts that make it possible to achieve pleasure. There ya go.
According to NASA, the perfect nap lasts 26 minutes
While napping between 10 to 20 minutes keeps you sharp, the perfect length is felt to be 26 minutes. NASA discovered pilots who got naps that lasted that long were 54 percent more efficient. That allows you to get rest, wake up refreshed, and ready to do whatever job is needed. Once you get to 30 minutes, your body falls into deeper sleep and unless you have the time for it, you’ll feel really groggy when you wake up.
The longest a human has slept is 11 days straight
This was back in 2017 when Kentucky native 7-year old Wyatt Shaw just wouldn’t wake up. He wasn’t trying to go for a world record, he wasn’t attempting anything. He just wouldn’t wake up. When he finally did, he had cognitive issues that finally went away with the help of drugs used for those suffering from seizures. Why did he fall asleep for so long? They still don’t know.
Snails can sleep for up to three years
Because they need moisture to survive, snails can stay asleep until conditions are ripe for them to wake up. They’ll hibernate in the winter or estivate (summer sleep) in the summer. Nifty little creatures with a lot of teeth. Did you know that? Snails have 14,000 teeth. Isn’t that nuts? I wonder if they grind them for three years. Hmm…
People sleep with their eyes open
About 20 percent of people do that and they don’t even realize it. When it happens, it’s said that only doctors and scientists can really tell if they’re awake or asleep. It’s called “nocturnal lagophthalmos”, and if you suffer from it, you more than likely need treatment for dry eyes.
You grow .3 inches when you sleep
Then, ya know, gravity pulls you down when you wake up. So, yeah. You can’t bank those inches.
Inemuri or “sleeping while present” is acceptable in Japan
People fall asleep on the job, on trains, and in restaurants. It’s considered a sign of diligence and is encouraged and appreciated. The Nescafé Harajuku in Downtown Tokyo plans to offer standing sleeping pods for people.
Women have more nightmares than men
Women tend to be more self-critical and inwardly thinking than men. That manifests in disturbing dreams and thoughts when sleeping. Men dream about other men more than women do, by the way. 70 percent of their dreams are about other dudes. Women dream about men and women equally.
The Monday after the daylight savings time switch over brings more car accidents
It happens because of sleep deprivation from the “Spring Forward” part of it. Losing that hour puts a big burden on folks that first week. Some states have abolished the changing of clocks, others haven’t. We’ll see what the future holds.
Bats sleep upside down because their wings aren’t strong enough for them to take off from the ground
They hang upside down to sleep so they can let go and float on the air to fly. They also sleep for up to a staggering 19 hours.
Otters sleep floating on the water, so they hold hands so they don’t drift away or babies lie on their mommies’ tummies
If they are alone for any reason, they anchor themselves onto the riverbed or sea bottom with a piece of seaweed. Smart and cozy. And very sweet to see.
Bears don’t poop when they’re hibernating
And, yes, they eat enough that they don’t have to wake up during their long rest to replenish themselves. What they do eat right before hibernating, however, are lots of grass and things to plug them up. But when they wake up? Oh, boy. You so don’t want to be in that part of the woods.
Adult tigers and human infants sleep about the same number of hours per day — 16-18 hours
While tigers sleep on grass, rocks and even in trees, those human bambinos sleep in your arms, cribs, floors… You know. Your basic people places.
Sleep is weird
Sleep is weird, obviously. As we mentioned in the last article with fun facts, doctors and scientists STILL don’t know why we sleep. What we know about this act that is vital to our health and well-being has just truly been understood over these last 30 years. Before that, everybody was really in the dark. BUT…
Getting a good night’s snooze is important. You feel it when it’s lacking and you feel it when it’s on point. So trust us here. While no one may fully understand why, get your sleep. Really.
