11 Facts About Sleep

1. Teens need between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep each night.
2. Sleep helps you remember important information. During REM sleep (a phase of the cycle characterized by rapid eye movement) your brain determines what’s important to know and stores it for future use. (Key take-away: Get some quality zzz's before your next big test.)
3. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that more than 100,000 auto crashes annually are caused by drowsy drivers and add up to more than 1,500 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.
4. Nearly 30 percent of American adults sleep less than 7 hours per night.
5. Lack of sleep can result in a number of issues including fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration, and increased stress. In the long run, a reduced amount of sleep can lead to a weakened immune system, depression, and high blood pressure.
6. Women who sleep less than 5 hours a night gain a significant amount more weight over time than those who sleep 7 hours or more.
7. More than 10 percent of Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy.
8. Some researchers believe dreams are a meaningless byproduct of sleep and consciousness.
9. Most people can't stay awake for longer than 48 hours, but the record not sleeping is almost 19 days. As a result, he suffered hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory, and concentration lapses.
10. Too much sleep can be too much of a good thing! Nights of elongated slumber can negatively disrupt the body’s ability to use insulin, which increases the risk of diabetes later on in life.
11. The average person spends about 649,401 hours sleeping during his or her lifetime.

Check out the dangers of driving sleepy. GO

Sources: ABC, Skin Care News, Sleep Foundation, CDC, Self