Sleepbulletinboard

It is still a bit of a mystery why our bodies need sleep.

If you lived 100 years ago, studies estimate you

would be getting 20% more sleep than you do now.

A typical night’s sleep is in 90 minute cycles. About

25% of each cycle is Rapid Eye Movement. It is

believed that this is when the brain takes care of

memories and other “housekeeping” tasks.

 Your large muscles can’t  Long brainwaves

move  Body temperature drops,

Your pulse, breathing and breathing and pulse slow

temperature go up  Dreams are less intense

Your eyes dart back and

 Sleepwalking and Sleeptalking

forth

can occur

 Increased irritability

 Decreased motivation,

memory and concentration

 Decreased creativity and

spontaneity

 Increased proneness

 Greater likelihood of

problems such as upset

stomach or headaches

Certain substances disrupt sleep

 Caffeine keeps you awake, and lasts for hours

Alcohol may make you sleepy at first, but is

suppresses REM sleep and may make you wakeful

later in the night

Nicotine prevents sleep even better than caffeine

Diet pills often contain sleep disruptors

Horses, cows

and snakes

don’t close

their eyes

when they

sleep.

Since the invention of

the electric light bulb

in 1913, Americans

average 1 ½ hours less

sleep per day

Sleeping in an

upright position

is unnatural for

A 7% increase in

humans and

traffic crashes

results in poor

occurs in the week

quality sleep

after the shift to

daylight savings

time, when we lose

an hour of sleep.

Humans will

die from lack

of sleep

sooner than

from lack of

The immune system

All is most active during

mammals sleep, making extra

sleep. sleep important when

Grazing sick

animals

sleep 3

hours a day

while bats

Some birds

sleep 20.

can sleep

while flying,

taking naps

while they

glide.