Z is for Zzzzz

Z is for Zzzzz

Sleep is something I do quite well. In fact if there was an Olympic sport that involved sleep I would win a Gold medal easily. Saying that though there are some times when I can't get to sleep and I lay there with stupid thoughts going through my head. When this happens I usually try and read, but inevitably I get up and watch tv.

For my illness I take a lot of strong painkillers so they do tend to knock me out quite quickly. Sometimes though the pain keeps me awake which is pants quite frankly as then reading and TV is not an option, but hospital is. My Z blog is a day late, because I spent the day in hospital yesterday with pain.

So back to sleep. Sleep is something our bodies need. I often wonder who invented the first bed and how did our ancestors sleep. Did they always find shelter or did they sleep under the stars. 

From eight hours of sleep we only save 50 kcal of energy (about the same as a slice of toast) but if we don't sleep we become grumpy and we make mistakes. Tiredness or lack of sleep is said to have contributed to the Chernobyl disaster.

17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance which is the equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05% which is the legal drink driving limit in the UK.

So what happens when we sleep? There are two main categories non-REM (which is further split into 4 more stages) and REM sleep.

Nom-REM Sleep 

Stage 1: Light Sleep

This is when we are half awake and half asleep. Muscle activity slows down and there may be muscle twitching. We can be easily awakened at this time.

Stage 2: True sleep

After 10 minutes of light sleep we enter stage 2 which lasts about 20 minutes. Our breathing pattern and heart rate begin to slow. 

Stage 3: Deep Sleep

The brain produces Delta Waves and breathing and heart rates are at their lowest.

Stage 4: Deep Sleep

During this stage there is rhythmic breathing and limited muscle activity. If we were to be awakened during deep sleep we would not adjust immediately and would be groggy and disorientated for several minutes after waking up. Some people experience night terrors or bed wetting during this stage.

REM Sleep

The first rapid eye movement (REM) period starts about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. Humans experience 3 to 5 REM episodes a night. We are not conscious, but the brain is extermely active often more so then when we are awake. This is when we dream. Our eyes dart around, our breathing and blood pressure rates rise, but our bodies are paralysed.

After REM sleep the whole process begins again.

Aw!!

How much sleep do we need? Jim Horne of Loughborough University's Sleep Research Centre has the simple answer "The amount of sleep we require is what we need not to be sleepy in the daytime!"

The average human sleeps for 7.75 hours a night.

Animals also need different amounts of sleep a day: Species Average total sleep time per day Python 18 hrs Tiger 15.8 hrs Cat 12.1 hrs Chimpanzee 9.7 hrs Sheep 3.8 hrs African elephant 3.3 hrs Giraffe 1.9 hr Information from the BBC Science Department Randy Gardner went without sleep in 1965 for a record 11 days. Four days in he began to hallucinate. He then believed he was a famous football player. By the end of the 11 days Randy began functioning normally again and even beat another scientist at a game of pinball! Melatonin levels in humans become regular in the third month after birth. Melatonin's primary function is to regulate day-night cycles. The highest levels of the chemical are found between midnight and 8am. The production of Melatonin decreases as a person ages. Elderly people are often found to wake earlier and go to sleep later. When children become teenagers the melatonin release occurs later in the day leading to later sleeping and waking times. So your bouncy 3 year old will eventually become a zombie so don't worry!! Crazy 3 yr old "Zombie" Teenager

Beds

Early beds were just piles of straw and have to have been used from the beginning of mankind. An important change would have been when humans began to raise their beds off the ground to avoid pests and dirt. Some beds were found in Scotland in a preserved village were dated between as 3200 BC and 2200 BC. They were raised boxes made of stone. 

The Egyptians had very high bedsteads which were ascended via steps. The elite of society would have had wooden beds gilded with gold.

Ancient Romans had several different types of bed for different activities, these were usually:

lectus cubicularis - Chamber bed for normal sleeping
lectus genialis - Marriage bed which was highly decorated and used for intercourse
lectus discubitorius - Table bed - they would lay on their left side and eat. There was usually 3 people to a bed with the highest ranking person in the middle
lecus lucubratorius - Study bed
lectus funebris - Funeral bed on which the dead were carried to the funeral pyre

Beds became bigger and more ornate through the centuries with wood becoming more commonly used. Decoration was added in the form of gilding and the use of curtains for warmth and privacy became more popular. The largest bed ever made is now housed in the V&A museum. It is called The Great Bed Of Ware. It was built in Hertfordshire, England by carpenter Jonas Fosbrooke in 1580 and housed in the White Hart Inn in Ware. The bed is an oak four poster and measures 3.38m long and 3.26m wide and can accommodate 4 couples! Many people that have used the bed have carved their names into the posts.

The Great Ware Bed

So as you lay down tonight you will know what will happen to your body as you sleep and the history of what you are sleeping on!!

Just bloody cute!!

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this A to Z Blogging Challenge. Apologies that some including this one have been late, but I have been a poorly girl so I have an excuse. I have enjoyed the challenge immensely and have had fun researching the various subjects.

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