Understanding more about sleep can help you master it
Festival of Sleep Day falls near the beginning of every January in order to promote better quality sleep for the year ahead. It’s a time for us all to unwind and look inward after the excitement and stress of the festive season, putting our own health and wellbeing first by prioritising better rest.
With the spotlight shining firmly on sleep, we’re taking a look at some of the most shocking and enlightening sleep facts you may not know.
Social jet lag is a thing
If you have trouble waking up on a Monday morning, you’re not alone. Social jet lag is the name given to the tiredness you feel as a result of your altered schedule over the weekend. Many people stay up and get up later over the weekend, so snapping back into your weekday routine can leave you feeling extra fatigued. It’s no surprise that studies have also found Sunday night to be, on average, most people’s worst night’s sleep of the week.
Finding it hard to get out of bed is a real medical condition
Don’t write it off as mere laziness if you find yourself lying in bed for extended periods of time after waking up. It may be a case of dysania – a condition which makes it difficult to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning. It is often a sign of a wider medical concern, such as nutritional deficiency or depression.
Going without sleep makes you hungry
Tiredness isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when you miss out on sleep. A restless night can also cause you to feel hungrier, as your levels of leptin fall. Leptin is your body’s appetite regulating hormone, so a lack of sleep can make your hunger spike. Studies have also shown that sleeplessness can reduce your willpower, creating a combination that makes healthy eating much more difficult.
The 2pm slump is real
People often talk about the 2pm slump – a period in the afternoon when we feel low on energy. Turns out, there’s science to back up this feeling. Sleep scientists have found that tiredness peaks twice a day – around 2am and 2pm. A glass of very cold water and a bit of fresh air can help perk you up in your post-lunch slump.
We still don’t know why sleep is necessary
Research has told us that humans need sleep, but we still aren’t sure why. Sleep supports physical and mental recovery and growth, helping us process memories and digest information. But despite countless studies measuring brainwaves, scientists still aren’t sure exactly how this is achieved, or why we need to sleep at all.
In the past, humans slept in two segments
Around the 17th century, splitting your night’s sleep into two chunks was considered normal. People would often get up in the middle of the night and have an hour or two of prayer, reading or socialising.
Fear is not the most common emotion during nightmares
Despite their scary reputation, nightmares rarely cause us to feel fear. Researchers have found sadness, guilt and confusion to be more commonly associated with bad dreams.
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