Facts about Sleep & Insomnia

• A person will die from total lack of sleep sooner than from a lack of food. Death will occur after about 10 days without sleep, while starvation takes a few weeks.
• While we are dreaming, we experience REM – rapid eye movement. This is a very active time for both the body and the brain.
• We sleep more lightly during the second half of the night than during the first.
• Cats sleep up to 18 hours a day, giraffes usually not more than 20 minutes.
• Many people who suffer from insomnia suffer from anxiety and depression.
• Our large body muscles are paralysed while we sleep – most probably to stop us from doing what we are dreaming about.
• The average person wakes up about six times per night.
• Even when we are sleeping very deeply, there is still a part of us that picks up sounds and signals from the world around us. That's why parents wake up when the baby cries, but they don't hear the howling southeaster.
• Women and older people most often suffer from insomnia.
• Most dreams last only 5 to 20 minutes.
• The most common time for a wake up call is 7 a.m.
• Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep.
• Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, unrefreshing sleep.
• Approximately 20% of patients with sleep apnea will have headaches and 25% of patients with other sleep disorders will also experience headaches.
• It's impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it.
• A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.
• Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep.
• One-third of your life is spent sleeping.
• Over the past century, sleep time for Americans has decreased by 20%. Television and the Internet are the prime contributors to Americans not getting enough sleep by causing them to stay up later than they should.
• Obstructive sleep apnea is more common than asthma. 95% of these cases remain unidentified and under diagnosed.
• Nap for 20 to 30 minutes for a rejuvenating and recharging power nap if you did not get adequate sleep the night before. Research demonstrates the power of a power nap and it is an amazing way to reenergize during the day if you can find the 20-30 minutes and a comfortable place to do it. Any longer than 30 minutes can make you more tired, research shows, so stick to 20-30 minutes when napping.
• Alcohol can induce a light sleep but impairs the more restorative stages of sleep. Many people who suffer from insomnia try to solve the problem with alcohol - the so-called night cap. Alcohol prevents sleepers from achieving REM sleep and deeper sleep. Instead, it keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep, from which they can be awakened easily.