Did you ever think about sleep and how important it is? Why do we even need sleep? Did you know that fish don't sleep, they don't even have eyelids. If you were a giraffe, you would only sleep ten minutes a day. Dolphins only sleep with half their brain at a time so that the other half can keep them swimming. Don't you wish half of you could go to work while the other half sleeps? Cows get only three hours of sleep every twenty-four hours. We, humans, need more sleep than we think...

A national experiment, revealed that in 1850's the average person got nine and a half hours of sleep per night. BY 1910, the average per night was seven hours. Today we get two and a half hours less sleep that 150 years ago. One-third of us get less than six hours of sleep per night. In a poll done by the American Medical News in 1999, twenty-seven percent of the general population admits to falling asleep while driving just within that year.  

Sleep comes in four stages, one of which is REM sleep. This is when we dream. REM is important because this is when our thoughts are organized and creativity is nourished.

While you sleep your brain is reviewing all the things that you have learned or done during the day.  While you sleep your brain is busy reviewing, sorting, organizing, prioritizing, problem solving, and memorizing.   So when it comes to being smarter, you only lose if you don't snooze.  Sleep is also responsible for controlling our metabolism, so you do lose...weight that is!  To lose or not to lose, that is the question!    

During REM sleep our mind is on hyperalert and our muscles are paralyzed. This keeps us from jumping our of bed during our dreams.

So now you know more about getting proper amounts of sleep. (also see post on "Sleep Apnea").

Did you know the best cure for insomnia is to get more sleep?

Sleep tight...