• Typically said by teenagers or younger children who spend the night with a friend
• “Mom, can I sleep over with Tony?” or “ Can I sleep over at Tony’s house?”
• To stay the night in someone else’s home: “If you don’t want to drive home this late at night, you’re welcome to sleep over”
• Stay overnigh: “The boy’s friends were allowed to sleep over after the birthday party”
• A sleepover, also known as a pajama party or a slumber party (or less commonly, a snoozer), is a party where a guest or guests are invited to stay overnight. They are most frequently combined with a birthday party or other special occasion.

Sleep Over Activities

Typical participant activities include

• staying up late
• talking
• eating
• playing until falling asleep, which sometimes never happens for a few high energy guests.

Sleepovers are usually held at one participant’s house, with other guests sometimes bringing their bedtime things, such as pillows or sleeping bags

Common activities include:

• playing board games 
• playing video games
• having pillow fights
• watching movies
•  ordering pizza
• eating sweets
• playing party games 
• building forts out of pillows and blankets
• for girls, having a “spa night”, in which girls polish their nails and toes and put on face masks

Sleepovers are practiced by both girls and boys

• Sometimes, sleepovers can have a theme, like dressing up as a favorite book character or a Christmas or Halloween sleepover.

What are the reason for adults to sleep over?

• affair function
• lodge occasion 
• social function
• social occasion
• relationship

See a few examples:

• someone becomes very tired or too drunk to leave the he or she went to take part in  (and might never be invited again),
• out of town relatives (you can’t wait until they leave)
• your in-laws who came to see your family and it is too late for them to go home
• relatives and friends who came to visit you from other cities, states, provinces, or countries (you wonder why wouldn’t they stay at the hotel nearby?!)
• you (and your family members have a trip to your friends and relatives at a distance far from you present location; and you do’t want to spend money on the hotel accomodation
• other reasons

 (American Academy of Sleep Medicine )

• According to new research, in the presence of free access to food, sleep restricted subjects reported:
  • decrease in appetite, food cravings and food consumption
  • however, they gained weight over the course of the study.
• Thus, the finding suggests that energy intake exceeded energy expenditure during the sleep restriction

Results of Study

• Results indicate that people whose sleep was restricted experienced an average weight gain of 1.31 kilograms over the 11 days of the study
• Of the subjects with restricted sleep who reported a change in their appetite and food consumption, more than 70 percent said that it decreased by day 5 of the study
• A group of well rested control subjects did not experience the weight gain.

Lead investigator Siobhan Banks, PhD, a research fellow at the University of South Australia and former assistant research professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine concluded:

• “It was surprising that participants did not crave foods rich in carbohydrates after sleep restriction, as previous research suggested they might.
• Results indicate that even though physiologically the desire to eat was not increased by sleep loss in participants, other factors such as the sedentary environment of the laboratory and the ability to snack for longer due to reduction in time spent asleep might have influenced the weight gain
• During real-world periods of sleep restriction (say during shift work), people should plan their calorie intake over the time they will be awake, eating small, healthy meals
• Additionally, healthy low fat/sugar snacks should be available so the temptation to eat comfort foods is reduced. Finally, keeping up regular exercise is just as important as what food you eat, so even though people may feel tried, exercising will help regulate energy intake balance.”

Watch Video: Lack Of Sleep Could Lead To Weight Gain

Lack Of Sleep Could Lead To Weight Gain – For more funny videos, click here

World Sleep Day 2008

Here what has been discovered:

Sleep researchers from Canada, Greece,  and Japan were searching for the answers to these questions by surveying over 35,000 people in 10 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and South Africa. Well developed questionnaires have been given to all study participants, with about 40 years on average, on March 2002. People have been asked to answer many questions regarding their sleep habits, quality of sleep, and if anything they did to help them to fall asleep. 

Napping

In many countries daily nap is called “Siesta”. A siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm. The word siesta is Spanish, from the Latin hora sexta – “the sixth hour” (counting from dawn, therefore noon, hence “midday rest”). The siesta is the traditional daytime sleep of Spain, and through Spanish influence, of many Latin American countries. (Wikipedia)

Napping was the most common sleep habit in many countries:

• In Brazil, 42.4% of the people said that they took regular naps
• In Japan, only 12.0% of the people took regular naps
• Naps lasted from about 40 to 60 minutes or more in most countries.

Poor sleep affects many people in all countries:

• Belgium had the highest numbers (32.2%) of people who said that they did not sleep well
• Austria (10.4%), Germany (16.2%) and Portugal (16.3%) had the lowest numbers of people who did not sleep well
• The symptoms of poor sleep included:
  • awakening at night
  • poor functioning during the day
  • sleepiness during the day
  • a reduced sense of well-being during the day.

Two tables below represent (1) Total Sleep Duration and (2) Reporting Poor Sleep:

Sleep Remedies:

Various remedies were used to manage sleep problems:

• About 30% of all people surveyed said they visited a doctor about their sleep problem
• More than 5t0% of those with sleep problems in Portugal visited a doctor
• Only 8.0% of the people in Japan visited a doctor
• 15% people in Japan  and about 10% in Austria used medication to help sleep
• About 50% people in Portugal  and South Africa often used sleep medications
• Other treatments to improve sleep included:
  • Herbal teas (most common in Slovakia; least common in Japan)
  • Alcohol (most common in Japan; least common in Austria)
  • Altered tea/coffee consumption (most common in Austria; least common in Japan)

Sleep problems become a global issue. In general, about 25% of people in those 10 countries think that they do not sleep well. The researchers also conlcuded that sleep disorders may be even more common due to the fact that some people do not report sleep problems because they think that their sleep problems are normal.

World Sleep Day is celebrated on the Friday before Spring starts

Plan to participate again next year as we celebrate sleep on Friday, March 19, 2010  

If you are interested in partnering with the World Association of Sleep Medicine in sponsoring the 2010 World Sleep Day please contact Allan O’Byran at allan.obryan@charter.net

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

A limited number of top sponsorship opportunities are available.

What will be discussed on World Sleep Day 2010?

Last update Nov 22, 2009

A: Duration of sleep is directly proportional to a weight loss. If you do not sleep for at least 7 hours a night you a will be gaining weight.

Weight Loss & Weight Gain

There is a direct relationship between sleep and weight loss. More accurately, this relationship is between sleep deprivation and weight gain, not a weight loss, as reported by research studies. 70,000 observed women over 16 years showed that if they sleep 5 hours or less per night are:

• 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (defined as an increase by over 30 pounds)
• 15% more likely to become obese when compared to those who slept 7 hours a night
• Lack of sleep can affect weight by increasing hunger and fatigue 
• Sleep deprived women consume less food then those who slept 7 hours a night or more
• Sleep deprivation causes weight gain by the growth hormone, leptin and cortisol.

How Sleep Affects Growth Hormone

Growth hormone stimulates growth. Lack of growth hormone in children leads to a shorter height and delaying adolency

• This hormone makes considerable impact on adults as well
• Growth hormone is an anabolic hormone, which help to: �
  • increase muscle mass
  • stimulate fat breakdown
• Reduction of growth hormone in adults produces several negative effects, such as:
  • loss of muscle tissue
  • increase in fat production
  • decline in energy levels
  • resulting in undesirable weight gain and difficulty losing weight
• The growth hormone, which is produced at night during deep sleep, declines when sleep deprivation or the inability to attain deep sleep take place 

Restoring Sleep to Lose Weight

• Sleep quality in most people  is declineas as they age
• Since quality of sleep and sleep duration reflects weight loss, that is the reasons to gain weight as we age.

Watch Video: The Connection Between Sleep and Weight Loss

The slogan of the March 2009 World Sleep Day is:

“Drive alert, arrive safe”

The following information is compiled from the World Sleep Day press release:

Things to remember: Better sleep could cut serious road accidents by a third
News Release by World Association of Sleep Medicine, New York, United States, Friday 20th March, 2009:

• Improved diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders could help to cut fatal or serious road traffic accidents by up to one third.
• The announcement has been made on the second annual World Sleep Day, an international event aimed at raising awareness of the burden and impact of sleep disorders.
• World Sleep Day is an annual event to raise awareness of the importance of sleep for good health. This year’s slogan is ‘Drive alert, arrive safe’.
• The event is organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) and aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.  
• The day also highlights the dangers of drowsy driving which can lead to accidents caused by people suffering next day effects of sleep problems, such as excessive daytime sleepiness and poor concentration.

Catesby Ware, Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, USA says:

• ‘In the USA, 40,000-50,000 people die yearly in traffic accidents 
• Up to 20% are thought related to fatigue and tiredness
• Sleepiness, like drinking alcohol, destabilizes the car’s position on the road
• Experiencing sleepiness whilst driving and driving under the influence of alcohol are similarly deadly.’

To help cut the risk of sleepiness while driving, Ware emphasizes the importance of understanding what is needed to ensure wakefulness when driving. Among other things he said:

• ‘Just as important as knowing how to get a good night of sleep, is learning what it takes to stay awake. 
• These include getting sufficient, quality sleep,
  • having regular bed and rising times,
  • taking regular breaks when driving, and
  • using caffeine judiciously.’

Road Accidents:

Insomnia, one of the most common sleep complaints has been linked to a significant rise in road traffic accidents:

• 35% of all accidents are caused by drivers who have not had enough sleep or have not had restorative (quality) sleep
• Poor alertness and efficiency, caused by poor quality sleep, raise the risk of vehicle or occupational accidents
• As a result, tiredness while driving is responsible for a large number of accidents and deaths
• People with insomnia are also up to 7 times more likely to be involved in work accidents that cause serious injury or death.

Global  Problems due to Sleep

• Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life for up to 45% of the world’s population
• As well as causing distress to the individual, sleep problems also create significant burden on society
• Sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and psychophysiological insomnia are among the most common alterations of sleep
• Paradoxically, research suggests that less than a third of people with moderate to severe sleep problems seek professional help for their sleep problems.[5]

Sleep Quality

• Poor quality of sleep or insufficient sleep can also have a negative effect on the health of an individual
• In the US it is estimated that direct and indirect costs of insomnia amount to $107.5 billion dollars
• Sleep deprivation has been associated with decline in mental health and people with insomnia are more likely to suffer symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Other links have been made between sleep deprivation and conditions such as obesity, diabetes and weakened immune systems. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can also have a negative impact on overall quality of life and family and social relationships. However, most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable, yet less than a third of sufferers seek professional help
• World Sleep Day aims to reduce the burden of sleep disorders on society by encouraging better understanding of sleep conditions and calling for more research into sleep medicine and treatment.

Watch Video: Dr. J. Catesby Ware (Eastern Virginia Medical School)
Death by Sleep

• The first World Sleep Day was launched on March 14th 2008 
• It aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders
• Sleep quality and sleep quantity are important.

• sleep medication
• sleep education
• social aspects of sleep disorders
• insomnia, anxiety, snoring, and other problems
• drawsing driving
• shift work
• productivity vs. sleep 
• personal relationship
• parenting

• This year’s theme is transportation, focusing on safety, travel and driving alertness
• 1,500,000 people world-wide are killed due to drawsing driving, 40 to 50,000 only in North America
• Events involving local groups took place in public settings around the world and online with the unveiling of:
  • declaration
  • presentation of educational materials
  • exhibition of videos.

The World Sleep Day declaration is as follows: 

• Whereas, sleepiness and sleeplessness constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life
• Whereas, much can be done to prevent and treat sleepiness and sleeplessness
• Whereas, professional and public awareness are the firsts steps to action
• Whereby DECLARE that the disorders of sleep are preventable and treatable medical conditions in every country of the world.

• Inviting sleep centers to organize information sessions
• Some sleep centers have opened their doors, others invited people to a central place in the town or in the hospital for a speakers’ corner or a PowerPoint presentation.
• Questionnaires have been distributed to the visiting public.
• Filling out these questionnaire helped people to decide whether they had a reason to consult their familyl doctors about their sleeplessness or sleepiness.

 Watch Videos:  Introduction to  World Sleep Day, March 21, 2008

Watch Video:  Introduction to  World Sleep Day, March20, 2009

• The word consciousness refers to a state when a person is conscious or unconscious.   
• The term is also used to indicate a sense of conscious experience, or awareness of something 
• Consciousness involves short-term memory
• Fully conscious humans have a sense of self, which requires relatively long-term memory

Consciousness varies in level:

•  with coma and deep anesthesia on one extreme
•  alert wakefulness on the other, and
• sleep in between 

There are also altered states of consciousness:

•  including hypnosis, including therapeutic and experimental hypnosis
•  trances (sef-inflicted or natural)
•  meditative states, including yoga, chi, raiki, and others

We will consider three components of consciousness:

• awareness
• attention 
• sense of self 

 Sleep and Dreaming

• The fact that species with higher metabolic rates typically spend more time in sleep supports the hypothesis that sleep is restorative
• Support for this idea comes from the observation that species with higher metabolic rates typically spend more time in sleep
• A less obvious explanation is the adaptive hypothesis. According to this view, the amount of sleep an animal engages in depends on the availability of food and on safety considerations
• According to the activation-synthesis hypothesis, during  REM sleep  the forebrain integrates neural activity generated by the brain stem with information stored in memory 
• In other words, the brain uses information from memory to impose meaning on nonsensical random input.

Watch Video: Sleep and Consciousness

This article provides information about sleeping, which is known as the psychology of sleep.

What requires to be fully alert? 

• To be a peak performer you need to be fully alert, dynamic, energetic, in a good mood, and well rested
• You should be able to remember things, names nd faces
• You will need to make critical, as well as creative decisions
• You ought to communicate persuasively not only to your subordinates, but also to your superiors
• You need to stay fresh and be productive all day long

None of this is possible without quality sleep

• Healthy sleep is proven to be the only most important element in people longevity
• Sleep is more important than diet, exercise or heredity 
• All we are doing lately is wasting time on study sleep deprivation instead of imrpoving our own sleep habits
• We must learn how to value sleep and sleep habits, however,  majhority of people know very little about sleep and how it affects health, happiness, and our daily life routine!

that is why you need to be knowledgable in Sleep Pshychology:

The fundamental nature of sleep:

• The distinction between REM (rapid eye movement) 
• NREM (non-rapid eye movement sleep) 
• Developmental changes in sleep patterns
• Sleep across species

Theories of the function(s) served by both REM and NREM sleep:

• Sleep disorders, parasomnias & their identification. 
• Dreams and dreaming

We hope this site will stimulate your interest in and your thoughts about sleep, sleep disorders, dreamsing, and sleep secrets. We also hope that it will increase your appreciation for the importance of sleep and the potential consequences of all too common mistakes of extending and contracting the boundaries of sleep. All you need to do is to search this site for any keyword.

Watch Video: Phychology of Sleep

A1:  The answer to this question is located on “Nighmares Part II: Treament” post.

A2: About 12,500 travelers in a dozen countries havebeen asked a question: “Which is more important to you, a perfect night’s sleep, or great sex?” Canadian travelers were the only regional group that picked sex over sleep by 52%. What keeps us from getting a good nights sleep?? Drug abuse’s 60%, Pay bills 58%, Spouse or Bed Partner 25%.

 A3: Dreams happen when we sleep and they are a series of images, emotions, pictures and ideas; the conscious part of our minds does not control them. Our dreams occur particularly during REM sleep, and since Sigmund Freud used the scientific interpretation of dreams to analyze the subconscious mind of his patients, the scientific world has continued to try to answer the questions of why we dream and what they mean. Read more…