Sleep 101

There are five phases of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM (rapid eye movement). Usually when you are sleeping, you begin at stage 1 and go through each stage until reaching REM sleep, and then you begin the cycle again. Each complete sleep cycle takes from 90 to 110 minutes. Your brain acts differently in each stage of sleep. In some of the stages, your body may make movements, but in others your arms and legs will be ...

We sleep about one-third of the day, but we know very little about sleep. Understanding these 10 sleep myths will help you clear up misunderstandings and get more and better sleep each night.

1. Sleep is Just Rest

Sleep is more than simply a period of rest; it is an essential time for your body to perform routine maintenance, creating long-term memories and repair damage from your day. Sleep brings many health benefits. Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night ...

The invention of the electroencephalograph allowed scientists to study sleep in ways that were not previously possible. During the 1950s, a gradate student named Eugene Aserinsky used this tool to discover what is known today as REM sleep. Further studies of human sleep have demonstrated that sleep progresses through a series of stages in which different brain wave patterns are displayed.

There are two main types of sleep:

The Beginnings of Sleep

During the earliest phases of sleep, you are still relatively awake ...

The science of sleep is a modern one – in fact most scientific information on sleep has been gained in the last 25 years. This is a list of 20 very interesting facts about sleep.

White men are the earliest risers — except on weekends (when black women beat them out of bed by 52 minutes)

Sleep is an increasingly precious commodity in today’s America. Although doctors recommend a solid eight-hours, a new study by the National Sleep Foundation reports that one in three Americans sleep fewer than six hours a night. Intriguingly, when it comes to getting a good night’s rest, some ethnic groups fare better than others. Here, a by-the-numbers breakdown of who’s sleepless ...

On average, Americans get far less sleep than we need. Are we choosing TV and the internet over sex and Zzz’s?

Americans are too tired to go out and socialize, too tired to work, and even too tired for sex, according to a new survey from the National Sleep Foundation. But while the poll results highlight a nation of sleep-deprived adults, they also pull back the curtain on what we’re doing, collectively and by race, instead of sleeping. Here’s a look ...

Medical researchers are trying to learn more about sexsomnia — a condition that causes suffers to engage in sex acts while fast asleep

A new study has focused renewed attention on a little-understood sleep disorder known as ‘sexsomnia’:

What is ‘sexsomnia’?

Also known as “sleep sex,” it’s a condition that causes people to engage in sexual activity during the deepest stages of non-REM sleep.

How common is it?

A recent study, presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Studies conference in San Antonio, found that ...

As the summer draws to a drowsy end, here’s a bracing roundup of recent scientific findings about sleep

We’re entering the dog days of August, and sleep is on everyone’s minds — whether it’s a contented siesta on a beachfront sun-lounger, or a nap after a sweaty commute from the office. Luckily, the world’s foremost experts in sleep have been hard at work to better understand our favorite nighttime activity. Here are five noteworthy new findings:

1. “Violent sleepers” are at higher ...

Recent evidence shows that people who thrive at night have higher IQs. Early risers beg to differ

Are you the type who stays up late to finish your work, or do you get up early to make a fresh start on the day? If it’s the former, you may be pleased to learn new research has found that those with higher IQs tend to be nocturnal night-owls. But if it’s the latter, you might have good reason to distrust the claim. ...

German scientists pinpoint a specific gene that may divide early risers from droopy-eyed nappers

Why are some people alert and chipper in the morning while others can barely drag themselves out of bed? New research suggests that genetics may play a role. Specifically, it’s a gene called ABCC9, which scientists have dubbed the “morning person” gene. Here’s what you should know:

How did scientists find this gene?

German scientists studied more than 4,000 people across Europe. The subjects filled out questionnaires on their ...