February 27, 2019

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is a universal characteristic of complex living organisms and has been observed in insects, mollusks, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. In fact, sleep is so important that humans can survive longer without food than they can without sleep.

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Today's Random Fact:

During sleep, the brain "consolidates" memories and skills, meaning that the brain strengthens, reorganizes, and restructures memories during sleep.


The right pillow can mean the difference between a good night's sleep and lying awake all night.

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Bonus Fact:

REM atonia, or sleep paralysis, occurs in the typical sleeper every night to prevent people from acting out their dreams. Only a few muscles have the ability to move during REM sleep, such as the eye muscles, the auditory muscles, and the diaphragm for respiration.

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You may find it very difficult to fall asleep if the temperature of your room is too high. In order to fall asleep, our body temperature has to decrease slightly and if the room is too warm it can keep this from happening and keep us from sleeping.


The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days. This was set by a Californian student named Randy Gardner in 1964. This is definitely not recommended, however, as Randy experienced extreme sleep deprivation and others have died staying awake for this long.