Experts estimate that humans spend about ⅓ of their time on Earth sleeping. Until a couple of decades ago, scientists had relatively little knowledge about sleep, including how it works, what happens to the brain when one is asleep, and more. Now, researchers know more than ever about the way that humans spend about 5-12 hours a day. Here are 5 facts about sleep that might surprise you.
1. Takes between 5 and 10 minutes to fall asleep at night
Researchers state that if it takes you any longer, you are most likely sleep deprived. This is interesting because studies show that an overwhelming percent of the population take close to an hour to fall asleep on average, meaning that sleep deprivation and disorders are likely more common than most people might imagine. If it takes you a while to fall asleep each night, it might be a good idea to contact your doctor.
2. Tiredness in human beings peaks around 2 AM and 2 PM
This could explain why you are likely to have difficulty staying awake “late” or into the early morning hours past 2 AM, and why most people find themselves sleepy right after eating lunch.
3. Elevating parts of body can reduce the ability to experience deep sleep
This means that propping up parts of your body such as when sleeping after bunion surgery can lead to a lack of sleep, making it more difficult for you to recover from ailments that would require elevation in the first place.
4. 75% of people around the world dream in color
Before the invention of the television, only about 10% of people reported dreaming in color. This interesting fact proves that technology and media might impact the world around us more than we think!
5. Around 30 million people suffer from sleep apnea, around 6 million have received an official diagnosis
This means that what many people perceive to be common problems with sleeping including sleeplessness, snoring, or difficulty breathing in the night, could actually be indicative of a more serious condition that could require treatment. Although sleep apnea is common in humans, it is less likely that animals experience this disorder – the only animal known to experience this condition in a similar way is french bulldogs, likely due to their short snouts and underbites.
Article Submitted By Community Writer