Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Neil Kendall-Cheese on 17/12/2008 20:43:24

Title: why don't we fall out of bed very often, if at all?
Post by: Neil Kendall-Cheese on 17/12/2008 20:43:24
Neil Kendall-Cheese  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hi Chris,

I often listen to your broadcasts (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) and enjoy them greatly.

I have been sitting here,in bed, working on my laptop. My wife is next to me and she rolls from side to side. That made me start wondering, why don't we fall out of bed very often, if at all?

Probably a silly question, but nevertheless one that puzzles me.

Keep the broadcasts going.

Thanks,

Neil.

What do you think?
Title: why don't we fall out of bed very often, if at all?
Post by: RD on 17/12/2008 21:48:30
Possibly because we are partially or totally awake when we roll over in bed ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

Quote
The bed graphs show the typical sleep patterns through a night for an 18-year-old and a 75-year-old, with the pie charts showing totals for the different stages of sleep. They illustrate that as you get older you spend less time in deep (delta) sleep and more time awake.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/popupnowrap.cfm?objectid=6E3BD2E9-C204-4CFF-AA3E6D509981EAD3&method=display_full

[The matresses are colour coded charts of sleep stages, and no, Granpa and grandson are not in bunk beds  [:)] ]
Title: why don't we fall out of bed very often, if at all?
Post by: Don_1 on 18/12/2008 08:15:26
Could there be also a link to the familiarity of the bed and its location?

When the current Mrs first moved in with yours truly, she fell out of be quite a lot. Or did I push her???
Title: why don't we fall out of bed very often, if at all?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 18/12/2008 09:26:42
An 18-year-old who only spends 8 hours in bed? There's a novelty!