20 Dec Curiosities of sleeping

There are several sleep disorders and many people all over the world suffering from them. But, sleeping also hides many curiosities. Have you ever thought about that?

Need of sleep

Experts recommend sleeping 8 hours per day. All over the world, 20% of population sleeps less than 6, which is dangerous for health. Excess of work or stress or even sleep disorders as insomnia are some of the main reasons for not reaching this minimum; but neither the caffeine can help the brain to be awake enough.

Circadian rhythm

Saturday 7am, what are you doing awake if you have nothing to do? Blame on your circadian rhythm, as it got used to a fixed schedule; so you have to be awake at least 16 hours per day. But it affects some people more than others.

Sleep cycle

The sleeping process occurs in 5 different stages, which constantly repeat every 90 minutes. They all are necessary for an adequate sleep.

REM sleep

Dreams only occur during the REM stage. While REM, heart beats faster, breathing is irregular and it features a rapid eye movement. This important stage represents about 25% of your sleep. The average of REM hours during your lifetime is about 45,000.

Function of dreams

What dreams are used for? There are several theories. According to Sigmund Freud, dreams are a way for a person to harmlessly discharge repressed thoughts and desires. But some other theories believe that it is a way of consolidating and arranging memories. Additionally, it is also though that dreams are random and meaningless bursts of brain activity.

Dream content

Have you ever had a fantastic dream but it was not so awesome when you told someone? Don’t be disappointed, that is normal, as your mind may incorporate some external facts. For example, a scent or a sound – as the coffee smell or the buzz of an alarm clock. They all are part of your dream and can not be easily explained to someone else, but they all are awesome by themselves.