7 Game-Changing Things We've Learned About Sleep This Past Year

Sleep is one of the most essential elements of life. Every single human has experienced it, but when it comes to sleep, there is still so much we don't know. Why, for example, do we dream? And why can some people fall asleep within seconds, while others have to count sheep for an hour before getting some rest? As research on shut-eye continues to expand, two things remain clear: Sleep is really good for you and sleep deprivation is really bad for you. But there have been some other interesting small findings along the way as well. In honor of World Sleep Day March 18, we rounded up a few of the major findings from the past year. When you're done, may we suggest burying yourself under the comfiest blanket you can find and celebrate the holiday the way nature intended? 1. Work should start at 10 a.m.  If you thought that starting work any time before 9 a.m. was an ungodly feat, good news: Science agrees with you. In fact, the healthiest and most efficient time to start the work day is at 10 a.m. in order to avoid the "torture" of sleep deprivation, according to Paul Kelley, an honorary clinical research fellow at Oxford University's Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute. That's because before the age of 55, the body's circadian rhythm -- the 24-hour patterns of sleeping and waking -- isn't aligned with a 9-to-5 schedule, The Telegraph reports. "It is hugely damaging on the body's systems because you are affecting physica...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news