SleepForAll.comBefore we can learn how to sleep better we first need to understand what sleep actually is. These articles cover how sleep works, the effect sleep has on our daily lives, how and why we dream, and how getting too much sleep can be bad thing.
How Sleep Works
Understanding how sleep works enables you to support your body’s natural sleep processes so you can fall asleep quickly at night, wake up naturally in the morning, and feel alert throughout the day.
Here is everything you need to know about how sleep works in plain English with no technical jargon. I explain why you need it, how your body knows when it’s time to fall asleep, and how your sleep changes throughout the night.
The 2 Types of Sleep
We have two different types of sleep, REM and NREM. This article covers what each type of sleep does, where they appear in your sleep cycle, and why two types of sleep are better than one.
Sleep Patterns
How sleep patterns work and the many different types of sleep patterns available, from the monophasic sleep pattern (1 sleep per day) to the downright insane polyphasic sleep patterns (6+ sleeps per day).
Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm is our natural biological clock that helps regulate our sleep wake cycle by sending us to sleep at night and keeping us awake during the day, but it doesn't always work quite so well.
Why do we Need Sleep?
We know that we need to sleep, but why? What actually happens when we sleep that's so important? Why can some people get by on less sleep than others, and why can some animals appear not to sleep at all?
How Sleep Changes with Age
The amount of sleep we need changes as we grow older. As babies we need up to 18 hours of sleep per day, which gradually reduces to around 8 hours by the time we're adults
The Science of Sleep
A quick graphical rundown of the science of sleep, including the two different types of sleep and the stages of sleep we go into during the night as part of your sleep cycle.
16 little known Facts about Sleep
We spend a third of our lives sleeping but it's still something most people know very little about. This infographic contains 16 little known scientific facts about sleep.
7 Tips to get a Better Night’s Sleep
A good deal of us don't sleep very well at night, and most often this is down to small daily habits that we don't even realise are affecting our sleep. Here are 7 quick tips to improve your sleep.
Benefits of Sleep
We know that we all need to sleep, but many people don’t realise the huge advantage gained by people who do sleep well against those who don’t sleep well. Here we look at the latest scientific findings to discover that sleep is far from a waste of time, but instead works to keep us at the top of our game.
Top 10 Surprising Benefits of Sleep
A list of the top ten surprising benefits of sleep compiled from the latest scientific research. Find out how sleep helps you learn skills faster, and how sleep can save the economy billions each year.
Sleep and Weight Loss
Getting enough sleep per night can help you lose weight. Research has found that people who sleep well feel less hungry during the day and feel fuller after a meal than those who don't sleep well.
The Truth behind Beauty Sleep
We’ve all heard the phrase beauty sleep, but is there actually any truth to it? Can sleep actually make you more attractive? Scientists conducted a series of studies to find the answer.
The Benefits of Napping
Power napping has gained huge popularity in recent years, but what are the scientific facts regarding power naps? Should we really be encouraged to power nap during the day, and even at work?
84 Quotes about Sleep
Despite all the evidence showing us the benefits of sleep, opinions of sleep vary. Some love it, some hate it, and others just can't get enough of it. These sleep quotes explore the different attitudes towards sleep.
Too Much Sleep
Getting too much sleep is a real problem for many people and one that I’ve had personal experience with myself. Sleeping long into the day is particularly tempting when you can’t fall asleep at night, but can it cause a range of physical and psychological issues including headaches, back pain, and depression.
These articles will help you break the habit of oversleeping by changing the way you think about sleep and by forming a good sleep pattern so you can wake up naturally in the morning, feeling wide awake and alert even before your alarm clock goes off.
Oversleeping
Oversleeping is a big problem for many people and one which younger people are more likely to experience. This article explains what causes it, how it can affect you, and how you can stop oversleeping.
How to Get Up As Soon As Your Alarm Goes Off
Do you fall asleep after your alarm has gone off, or even fail to notice it? Here's a simple yet powerful technique that you can use to establish the habit of getting out of bed as soon as your alarm clock goes off.
How to Wake Up Early
The story of how personal development blogger Steve Pavlina shifted from being a night owl to a morning lark. He explains the benefits of becoming an early riser and how you too can become a morning person.
Dreams
Dreams occur during a stage of sleep called REM, where our brain becomes incredibly active. Brain scans of people in REM sleep are almost identical to brain scans of people who are awake. It’s a fascinating state that enables our brain to fully access deep subconscious thought patterns, experimenting with different scenarios in vivid virtual worlds. It’s this mental processing that creates dreams.
The Meaning of Dreams
A look at the various theories as to why we dream, and a list of the latest dream interpretation techniques that you can use to find the hidden meaning behind any dream.
Lucid Dreaming
A lucid dream is when you're dreaming but become aware that you're dreaming, enabling you to take control of the dream and have whatever experience you want. Here's a step by step guide on how to lucid dream.
Nightmares
It's completely normal to have the odd bad dream, but when nightmares become frequent enough to disturb your sleep something needs to done. This article covers the causes of nightmares and how you can stop them.
Questions About Sleep
Frequent questions and answers about sleep, exploring the inner facets of how sleep works and what we can do to sleep even better. Submit your own questions about sleep here.
Why Do We Yawn?
Most animals yawn, we yawn before we're even born, and when someone else yawns we often find ourselves yawning along with them. But why? Here's a rundown of the theories exploring why we yawn.
How does Sleep affect Sports Performance?
Lets compare the sports performance of those who sleep well against those who don't. Find out why many major sports teams have their own sleep specialist, and how sleep keeps you at the top of your game.
What is the Best Sleeping Position?
A graphical overview of the many different sleeping positions, exploring the pros and cons of each one, and how the strategic use of a pillow can improve your own sleep position.
