We spend a third of our lives sleeping. We all look forward to having restful sleep particularly at night and waking up feeling rejuvenated. While it’s true that sleep is a time for unwinding and replenishing, it does have certain drawbacks. There are some facts about sleep that are quite frightening and are sure to cause you to think twice when drifting away. Let’s look at five of them.

1. Snoring is Potentially Deadly

Snoring is often associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea. This is not to say that all snorers have this condition. It is frequently distinguished by loud snoring that is followed by silence while breathing stops or almost ceases. This reduction or pause in breathing may eventually cause the individual to awaken, often with a loud gasp or snort. This happens because the muscles of the throat relax and the airway closes. Yikes! During that time, the body lacks oxygen. Sleep apnea is also a symptom of heart attack or stroke.

2. Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking is an interesting phenomenon that can’t be fully explained. It is quite common in children but adults also sleepwalk. In this state, people are unaware of what they are doing. People have been found to get into their vehicles and drive along the highway, all while being asleep. I’m sure you can see the danger in this. Sleepwalkers engage in dangerous activities unknowingly. Someone can even take someone’s life while sleeping.  The sleepwalking defense is one that lawyers have used in an effort to get their clients charged with taking a life to receive a not guilty verdict. Generally that defense doesn’t work and the accused is convicted of their crimes.

3. Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis has been described as a waking nightmare. The primary symptom is the loss of speech and movement but complete awareness of your surroundings, like the mind is awake but the body is asleep. There is superstition that during that time there is an evil presence lurking and ready to attack. Many people who experience this paralysis claim to have seen visions of ghosts, figures, or spirits that are trying to harm them. As sleep paralysis typically happens after the final stage of the sleep cycle, when dreaming takes place, these hallucinations have been partially explained by the boundary between being asleep and/or awake.

4. Violent Dreams

We normally don’t attach meanings to our nightmares but experiencing extremely violent dreams frequently, may in fact be a warning sign. REM sleep disorder occurs mostly in males and can result in genuine unintentional violence while they are still asleep. Persons who suffer from this condition actually act out their dreams. They may kick, punch and yell. This certainly can’t be good for the person they share their bed with, who will face the fury of these dreams. It is also believed that there is a relationship between REM sleep disorder and brain disorders such as Parkinson’s or Levy body dementia.

5. Bruxism

Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is annoying for the person sleeping next to you, who hears the gnashing, clenching and grinding of the teeth. In extreme cases, the teeth crack and even get broken. It causes headaches, neck pain and other discomforts. In some cases, people also chew the inside of the mouth which can be painful. Individuals also develop jaw disorders which can become quite serious. Sleep bruxism is a result of stress and anxiety.