Sleep is an important part of our health and wellness. Humans need sleep to regenerate their mind and body. To have healthy, quality sleep, you need to pass through several sleep cycles to wake feeling rested, alert, and healthy. From mood, to digestion, to focus, sleep affects almost every aspect of our lives. These facts will help you understand why sleep is more fascinating than it appears.
4 Rousing Sleep Facts
1. 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. (Source)
These sleep disorders can include afflictions like insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, parasomnias, bruxism, and circadian rhythm disorders. There are lot of theories about why so many people have sleep disorders, including too much screen time, too much caffeine, poor diet, and not enough fresh air and exercise.
2. Texas counties have some of the highest rates of drowsy driving fatalities. (Source)
This could be due to the long, flat, rural highways in Texas. The dark and quiet, easy-to-drive highways can lull already tried drivers to sleep. Some people have even studied hypnotic effects certain types of highways and conditions can cause.
3. The record for longest time without sleep is 11 days and 25 minutes. (Source)
The record is held by a man named Randy who deprived himself of sleep for the Great San Diego Science Fair in 1964.
4. If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, try getting out of bed. (Source)
Experts say this will help you fall asleep faster than causing undue stress by tossing and turning in bed.