I'd Rather Be Sleeping Trivia Quiz

Answer: Waking up with a start right after falling asleep

Yep, it's that feeling we've all experienced...you fall asleep, and moments later you're almost jumping out of your bed because of a hypnic jerk. Aren't you glad you finally know what it's called?

Answer: An increase in peristalsis

Peristalsis (intestinal contraction) slows during sleep, which keeps you in bed and out of the bathroom all night long. The incorrect answers are all manifestations of normal sleep.

Answer: true

Due to differences in their brains, adults actually cannot "sleep like a baby". Not only do infants sleep more (an average of 14-16 hours a day), a greater percentage of their sleep is REM (rapid-eye movement, or dream) sleep. I wonder what all those little babies are dreaming about?

Answer: Hypothalamus

Humans seem to be designed to function best when keeping to regular sleep-wake cycles. Your hypothalamus does its best to prevent you from staying up all night cramming for that exam.

More interesting information from emedicine.com:
"Body temperature cycles are also under hypothalamic control. An increase in body temperature is seen during the course of the day and a decrease is observed during the night. The temperature peaks and troughs are thought to mirror the sleep rhythm. People who are alert late in the evening (ie, evening types) have body temperature peaks late in the evening, while those who find themselves most alert early in the morning (ie, morning types) have body temperature peaks early in the evening."

Hmmm, I wonder if people whose hypothalamuses are similar are more compatible?

Answer: Night terrors

Night terrors are harmless but very frightening. Unlike nightmares, they occur during non-REM sleep, and the child does not wake up. They are most common between the ages of 3 and 5 and are usually completely gone by the time the child is 8 or so. They also tend to run in families. Somnambulism is sleepwalking, and enuresis is bedwetting.

Answer: Increased risk of hypotension

In fact, the cardiovascular risk of working the night shift is about the same as the risk incurred by smoking one pack of cigarettes a day. There is also more hypertension (high blood pressure) among shift workers, rather than hypotension (low blood pressure). Sleep-deprived women also show decreased fertility, and men have lower sperm counts. Yikes! This is bad news indeed for those of us who are up all night playing FunTrivia quizzes.

Answer: false

Everyone who sleeps will dream, even if they can't remember the dreams later on. However, some medical problems, such as depression, get worse during REM sleep.

Answer: Being very overweight can interfere with sleep

Obesity can contribute to the development of sleep apnea, which is a condition in which the sleeper stops breathing momentarily dozens of times a night. Studies have shown that any learning which was thought to take place during sleep (such as from audiotapes) actually results from content absorbed during wakeful periods. "Siesta cultures" are those (primarily) Mediterranean nations where an afternoon nap is common. People in those cultures sleep about the same amount as people in any other, but their sleep is divided into two periods. Lastly, while alcohol is widely perceived as a sleep aid, in actuality it disturbs normal sleep patterns and most likely will cause you to wake early, perhaps even with a hangover.

Answer: Snoring

Severe snoring can be a sign of obstructed air passages in the throat, either due to obesity or because throat structures are naturally large. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (abbreviated as UPPP for obvious reasons) is a surgical procedure which reduces excess tissue.

Answer: Have sex

When asked how they'd spend an extra hour in bed, 60% chose sleep over snuggling. Would the statistic have been the same if eating, telly and most especially, trivia had been included among the choices?