20 Curious and Incredible Facts About Sleep

Sleep is an integral part of our life, to which we devote as much as a third of our time. However, despite the fact that we spend so much time sleeping, many aspects of this process remain a mystery to science. In this article we will look at 20 interesting and incredible facts about sleep.

1. Treatment of snoring with velopharyngeal plastic surgery
   Snoring is a common phenomenon that interferes with normal sleep. However, there is a way to treat snoring using velopharyngeal plastic surgery - a surgical procedure during which the tissues of the soft palate and pharynx are stretched. Possible side effects may include changes in voice tone.

2. Snoroplasty - injection of a special substance into the palate
   Another method of treating snoring is snoroplasty, in which a special substance is injected into the palate to secure the soft tissue. The word snoroplasty comes from the Greek word plastos, meaning “formed,” and the English word snore, meaning “to snore.”

3. Counting doesn't help fight insomnia
   The traditional way to combat insomnia - counting - is ineffective, according to a 2002 study at Oxford University. Such mental activity is so boring that problems and worries inevitably come to the surface.

4. Mattress lifespan
   The average lifespan of a mattress is 8-10 years. During this time, various hazardous substances can accumulate in the mattress. One study even claims that mattress-dwelling bacteria may cause sudden death syndrome in children.

5. An adult bed bug can live without food for up to one year.
   Bed bugs are insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. An adult bed bug can live without food for up to one year.

6. Sleeping pills in the USA
   In 2004, Americans were given 35 million prescriptions for sleeping pills. The number of adults aged 20 to 44 taking sleeping pills has doubled over the past four years.

7. Car accidents due to driver fatigue
   In the United States, more than 100,000 car accidents occur each year due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

8. Volvo system Volvo has developed a system that can detect if a driver falls asleep at the wheel. If the system detects signs of fatigue, it will prompt the driver to take a break and rest.

9. Sleep in one breath
   There are meditation techniques, such as kundalini yoga, that claim that you can achieve a state of sleep in one breath.

10. Sleeping with your eyes open
    A rare sleep state called "eyes-open sleep" occurs when a person is asleep but their eyes remain open. This can happen if the person is in very deep sleep or if there is any problem with the muscle tone of the eyelids.

11. Dreams about a programming language
    Some programmers report that they dream about the programming languages ​​they are learning. This may be due to the fact that they spend a lot of time on the computer, but also because they are trying to understand and remember new concepts and algorithms.

12. The ability to control your dreams
    Some people can control their dreams and even be aware that they are dreaming. This is called lucid sleep. Some research suggests that lucid sleep may be useful for therapy and for enhancing creativity.

13. Sleep times for different animals
    Different animals sleep at different times. For example, koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day, while elephants sleep only about 4 hours a day.

14. Dreams about falling
    Dreams about falling are one of the most common dreams. Interestingly, according to researchers, dreams of falling may be related to the level of stress and anxiety in a person's life.

15. Abnormal sleep behavior
    Some people may exhibit abnormal behavior during sleep, such as talking, walking, even driving, without being aware that they are dreaming. This condition is called somnambulism.

16. Ability to remember information during sleep
    Some studies show that people can remember information during sleep and even recall it after waking up. However, this phenomenon does not occur in all people and requires further research.

17. Sleep and obesity
    Some research suggests that lack of sleep may be linked to obesity and other health problems. Sleep helps regulate hormonal balance and metabolism, so it's important to get enough sleep to stay healthy.

18. Sleep and memory
    Sleep plays an important role in the process of