sleepyhead fact 2…
- The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep- deprivation played a role.

sleepyhead fact 3…
- We are not sure if other species dream.

sleepyhead fact 4…
- Having trouble sleeping because of your new baby? You’re not alone. A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year

sleepyhead fact 5…
-Scientists learned about REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep in 1953. Part of the reason it took so long is because the scientists who conducted the study were concerned about wasting such a large amount of paper.

sleepyhead fact 6…
- British Ministry of Defense researchers have been able to reset soldiers’ body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36 hrs. Tiny optical fibers embedded in special spectacles project a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise) around the edge of soldiers’ retinas, fooling them into thinking they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots during the bombing of Kosovo.

sleepyhead fact 7…
- The National Roads and Motorists’ Association estimates fatigue plays a factor in one in six fatal accidents.

sleepyhead fact 8…
-Trouble falling asleep? The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported paranoia, hallucinations, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory lapses.

sleepyhead fact 9…
- REM sleep doesn’t occur just once per night. REM sleep occurs in bursts totaling about 2 hours a night, typically starting roughly 90 minutes after falling asleep.

sleepyhead fact 10…
- Specific types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to certain eye movements in dreams, suggesting that part of the dreaming process is similar to watching a movie.

sleepyhead fact 11…
- The “natural alarm clock” which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.

sleepyhead fact 12…
- Elephants lie down for REM sleep, and stand during non-REM sleep.

sleepyhead fact 13…
- There is a chance dreams don’t mean anything at all. They may simply be a byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations… sleep and consciousness.

sleepyhead fact 14…
- In 1998 scientists showed a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain’s sleep-wake. To this day they still can’t explain it.

sleepyhead fact 15…
- 17 hours without sleep leads to a decrease in performance in humans equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.

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Stage 2: Your heart rate and breathing are regular, your body temperature drops. You’re sleeping, but not deeply. At this stage your body is preparing to go into deep sleep. This stage lasts about 20 minutes.

Stage 3: Delta waves start to emerge in the brain signaling that you are entering a deeper sleep. Your breathing is slow and steady. At this stage it is hard to be woken up.

Stage 4: Delta waves are peaking now. This is the stage where you’re most likely to sleepwalk. It is also the stage where your body starts releasing hormones that repair and strengthen the body. This stage lasts for approximately 30 minutes.

Stage 5 (Some consider a subsection of stage 4): R.E.M. sleep. Your respiration rate and brain activity increase while at the same time your muscles become completely relaxed. You start dreaming and if awoken from this stage you should have memories of them. Your brain and body are becoming energized. Once asleep it takes roughly 90 minutes to reach this stage.

It should be noted that this isn’t one long process that takes an entire night. Depending on age, your body will go this cycle multiple times a night. As you get older its harder to reach the later stages of sleep where the body repairs itself. Some theorize this contributes to the aging process.

learn more about the ingredients in sleepyhead that can help you get quality sleep

Keep a journal. This is a very basic, yet extremely effective way of helping your body relax into a great night of sleep. If your mind races at night with the activities of the day and those of the following one… release it into a journal. Writing everything down is a great way of freeing it from your mind and clearing your head for a great night of sleep.

Avoid snacking before bed. This may elevate your blood sugar levels and prevent you from falling asleep. It also may cause a sleep disturbance as your blood sugar levels drop back down to normal. Aside from that, you’re also sending your body into “work mode” when it should be in a “relaxing and getting ready to sleep” mode.

Listen to white noise. Sometimes while lying awake at night a person’s body will become more sensitive to random noises such as cars driving by, creaks in the floor, etc.. Introducing white noise such as a relaxing CD can give your senses something calming to focus on… as opposed to external jarring, surprising sounds.

Take a nice hot shower or bath. Raising your body temperature in the evening means that it will eventually fall back to normal sometime shortly after… thus putting your body in a comfortable setting to fall asleep.

Don’t watch TV before bed. We know this can sometimes be really hard to avoid before going to sleep… but it can mean the difference between lying awake for hours, and going to sleep! The TV is very stimulating to the brain (not to mention to your body if you’re watching a heart-pumping action movie). Watching TV at night keeps your mind active and alert when it should be shutting down and getting ready to sleep. Furthermore, the light from the TV can inhibit your pineal gland from secreting the correct amount of melatonin which helps you fall asleep.

Go to the bathroom before you lay down. If you are tired of waking up in the middle of the night… do your best to go before you lay down to sleep.
Put your alarm clock out of arm’s reach and remove any other clocks from sight. The only thing worse than lying awake at night is having a clock starring you in the face documenting the tragedy unfold. This adds worry and stress to the situation which only prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep.

1 Muscle Relaxation. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class you might be familiar with this. While lying in your bed, flex the muscles in your toes… then relax them. Next your calves, then your thighs, and so on to the top of your head. This should create a sense of calm and relaxation by the time you’re done… perfect for falling asleep.

2 Aroma Therapy. Certain scents have been shown to have a calming effect on the body. Lavender is a good scent to test out first, but go with whatever scent helps you relax and fall asleep.

3 Focus on your breathing. Try taking slow deep breaths. Focus on the air running through your nose. It should calm your body down and put you in the right frame of mind for sleep.

4 Visualize something peaceful. Focus on something that is very calming to you… a setting, a certain memory. Focus on the details and wait for any anxiety to melt away.

all tips go great with a side of sleepyhead!

1. It may seem intuitive, but getting a peaceful night of sleep starts with setting up a peaceful environment in which to sleep. Keep the temperature of your bedroom cool, remove television, radio and computer distractions, keep your room as dark as possible, wash your sheets and pillow cases regularly. Basically, create an atmosphere free of distractions to improve your quality of sleep.

2. Get on a schedule. Try falling asleep and waking up everyday at the same time. Doing this can get your circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) on track and actually help you go to sleep at night and wake up refreshed.

3. Obviously you want to avoid caffeine at night due to the fact that it’s a stimulant, what you may not realize though is that nicotine and alcohol are also disrupters of sleep. That last cigarette before bed, that glass of wine you think will help you sleep, that last cup of coffee at work… they can all make it harder to fall asleep and get quality sleep.

4. Start a nighttime ritual to go to sleep… doing this will help clear your mind and tell your body its time to go to sleep. Your routine for better sleep can be as simple as taking a shower (or bath), setting your alarm, reading for 15 minutes, then turning off the lights.

5. Exercise. It turns out exercise can also help individuals fall asleep faster and improve overall sleep quality. It doesn’t have to be intense workouts either. 20-30 minutes a day of walking or riding a bike is all it takes. Just try to get it done in the morning or afternoon. Working out at night can leave people a little too energized and make it harder to fall asleep.

Getting only 5 hours of sleep doubles your risk of suffering from angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke compared to people who get 7 hours of sleep.

Sleeping in doesn’t help either though (sorry if you were looking for an excuse). Sleeping 9 hours of more results in an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

The article continues by saying, “the amount of time you sleep affects endocrine and metabolic functions, and lack of sleep can lead to improper glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of hardening the arteries.

In sum, GET YOUR 7 HOURS OF SLEEP!!! If you’re not, sleepyhead might be the ticket to helping you fall asleep faster and getting your 7 hours.