FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT SLEEP
Are you tossing and turning in bed trying to catch up on some ZZZs, but it just won’t happen? Trying to replenish the sleep bank, but your sleep debt keeps piling up? We’ve compiled some fun, and not-so-fun, facts that might lull you to sleep. They’re at least more fun than counting sheep.
1 Some need a lot of sleep others need a whole lot less. It’s no news that children need more sleep than adults. Their rapid physical and mental development depend on it. According to the National Sleep Foundation, infants need up to 17 hours of sleep a day, while an adult is good with seven to nine hours of shut-eye. Except for some celebrities. Mariah Carey told Interview magazine in 2017 that she needs 15 hours of sleep to keep hitting the high notes. Leonardo da Vinci, however, slept in intervals of 20 minutes every four hours, according to the book “Konsten at Sova” (the Art of Sleeping) by sleep expert and CBT therapist Helena Kubicek Boye.
2 Most parents lose about a month of sleep in their child’s first year. A new addition to a family tree is an almost magical experience, but all magic comes with a price — and we’re not talking about the monetary type. In his book “Sleep Thieves,” neuropsychological researcher Stanely Coren wrote that parents lose between 400-750 hours of sleep during their newborn’s first year. Multiply that with the number of kids you have and add to that the sleep lost during the children’s subsequent years… we’re exhausted for you.
A new addition to a family is a magical experience, but the price of that magic is loss of sleep.
3 Counting 600 sheep before you slumber is a goal worth pillow-fighting for. It takes an average person, without excessive sleepiness, about 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep — that’s about the time it takes to count 600 sheep. If you’re in REM sleep faster than you can say “goodnight” to your partner, then you’re sleep-deprived and should probably assess your sleeping habits, environment and quality.
4 Some people dream in color. If you’re currently rocking a salt-and-pepper look, you’re likely to experience more grayscale dreams. Dream and sleep psychology researcher Eva Murzyn found that those who’ve had access to black-and-white TV dreamt in grayscale more often than those who haven’t had the same media experience. Before color TV was introduced, only 12 percent of us dreamt in color.
5 Did you know that dolphins and whales sleep with one eye open? By alternating between each eye, dolphins and whales allow each side of their brain to remain active. They’re literally half asleep.
