The thing familiar to every person is still in many ways a real mystery. Despite the fact that people spend a third of their lives sleeping, this process is not fully understood. Dreams are especially controversial. Nevertheless, doctors and researchers regularly talk about the benefits of quality sleep. To promote proper and healthy sleep, a holiday was established – World Sleep Day. The date is mobile, the holiday is celebrated on Friday of the second full week of March. In 2023, it falls on March 17th.
The first World Sleep Day was celebrated on March 14, 2008. The initiator of the holiday was the International Sleep Medicine Association. It is celebrated as part of the World Health Organization’s Sleep and Health Project. On this day, special attention is paid to the fight against sleep disorders and their prevention, a reminder of the problems of lack of sleep and insomnia, which greatly affect the quality of life.
The average sleep duration is usually eight hours per night. At the same time, someone gets enough sleep in six hours, while others need nine hours. It is believed that excessive sleep is just as harmful to people as lack of sleep.
History knows several people who could not sleep for several days and even several years. The Hungarian soldier Paul Kern became famous for allegedly not sleeping for about 40 years. His story has been published in several newspapers, but it is not supported by scientific observations. The man is said to have been shot in the head by a Russian soldier during the First World War. The bullet hit the temple, destroyed part of the frontal lobe of the brain, but did not kill him. It is alleged that he woke up in the hospital and after that did not fall asleep until his death, without experiencing any pain and fatigue.
Nevertheless, the scientifically and documented record holder, who went without sleep for several days, is the American Randy Gardner. In 1964, as a schoolboy, he did not sleep for 11 days and 25 minutes (264.4 hours). At 17, he broke the record of 260 hours of insomnia set by DJ Tom Rounds in Honolulu. While the teenager was awake, he was monitored by dream researchers at Stanford University. During the period without sleep, the student experienced serious changes in mental abilities.
This day also marks:
- St.Patrick ‘s Day is one of the main national holidays in Ireland. Saint Patrick is considered the patron saint of the country and is very loved by the locals. Green is the main color of the day and the national color of all of Ireland. The shamrock is considered the symbol of the holiday – St. Patrick used it to visually show the unity of the representatives of the Holy Trinity. On March 17, the Irish try to dress up in something green.
- Whisper Festival – an unusual and not too common holiday in the world. It is suitable for those people who want to lower the noise level a little and whisper.
