To Sleep, Perchance To Dream....

Hello fans

I hope you all had a good weekend. There was a bank holiday here in sunny Scotland so I had a nice looooong weekend. Huzzah! And what did I do with my weekend? For the most part I slept and slept and slept and then slept some more. I haven't been feeling particularly sleep deprived but I guess I must have needed it. I do love my bed though. Mmmm! There's nowhere finer than my cosy beddy-byes. Love it! I love pulling the duvet back up over my ear and muttering "Just another 5 minutes, honest..."

In a salute to the wonder of snuggly beds here are some bed/sleep facts for you. Enjoy :o)

The continuous brain recordings that led to the discovery of REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep were not done until 1953, partly because the scientists involved were concerned about wasting paper.

Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process is analagous to watching a film

Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock

Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

From http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.htm

When the Pilgrims arrived in the Western hemisphere, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes when you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. That's where the phrase, "goodnight, sleep tight" came from. This was also the origin of the "daybed" which didn't have ropes that needed tightening. Rather than having to retighten a bed after a nap, people slept on "daybeds" if they needed to doze.

The Great Bed of Ware is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It originally measured 18 feet six inches wide by 12 feet long and was elaborately carved and canopied. And could accommodate 68 people.

Louis XIV was fond of remaining in bed. He often held court in the royal bedroom. He owned 413 beds and displayed a special liking for the ultra spacious and ostentatious variety.