Sleep Facts

Cows can sleep standing up, but they can only dream lying down.

Teenage 'laziness' is largely explained by biology: adolescent brains undergo major rewiring while their circadian rhythms shift up to 2 hours later, making early mornings genuinely harder for teens than adults.

Most people forget the majority of their dreams within minutes of waking up, with studies showing we may forget up to 95% of dream content.

Blue light fends off drowsiness in the middle of the night, which could be useful to people who work at night.

Staying awake for 17 hours impairs your cognitive performance as much as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% - roughly equivalent to two glasses of wine.

New parents typically lose 400-750 hours of sleep during their baby's first year, with some estimates as low as 350-400 hours per parent. That's roughly equivalent to losing one full night of sleep every week.

The average cat sleeps about 2/3 of the day.

Dieters who sleep more take off more fat that those who sleep less.

Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone!

Quick naps not only improve your alertness, but they also help in decision making, creativity and sensory perception.

Babies start dreaming even before they're born.

You have no sense of smell when you're sleeping!

Sea otters hold hands while sleeping to avoid drifting apart, forming groups called 'rafts' that can range from a few individuals to over a hundred.

Infants spend more time dreaming than adults do.

More than 50% of Americans fall asleep on their sides.

Most dreams last only 5 to 20 minutes.

The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year!

Sleeping on the job is acceptable in Japan, known as 'inemuri' (being present while sleeping). It is viewed as a sign of exhaustion from working hard. Some people fake it to look committed to their job.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

Taking a nap after learning something can help your retention of it.

Camping can help to reset your body clock, according to research.

Psychologists suggest that hugging a pillow while sleeping may indicate a longing for intimacy, comfort, or connection with others.

An albatross can sleep while it flies!

The harder you concentrate on falling asleep, the less likely you are to fall asleep.