There are few things worse than finally getting into bed after a long day and then find that you can't fall asleep.
Instead, you end up counting sleep until the morning rolls around again, and you have to get up and face the day.
And this isn't uncommon, unfortunately. In fact, according to the
NHS, one in three in the UK suffer from poor sleep.
Yikes.
The main problem is that not getting enough sleep not only leaves us tired and grumpy, but can also, in the long run, lead to serious conditions like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
There are a lot of things you can try doing to ensure a good night's sleep, like practice yoga or decorate your bedroom in the most restful way as possible. But how can you figure out if you are actually sleep deprived or just a bit tired?
Don't worry, mamas, we got you. And the best bit, all you need is a spoon and a metal tray to find out.
Developed by researcher Nathaniel Kleitman at the University of Chicago, The Sleep Onset Latency Test is thought to reveal if you are suffering sleep deprivation.
"It’s based on solid science," Mosley writes in
The Mail.
To test the experiment for yourself here is what you need to do:
"Lie down in a quiet, darkened room in the early afternoon clutching a spoon, which you hold over the edge of the bed," Mosley explains. "Then, you put a metal tray on the floor by your bed, then close your eyes."
The test is designed to find out if you fall asleep and, if so, how soon after lying down you drift off.
The idea behind the experiment is that once you do nod off, the spoon will drop from your ‘senseless fingers’ and onto the metal tray below with a nice loud clang. The noise should then wake you up, unless you happen to be a very heavy sleeper.
As soon as you’re awake you should check your clock to see how much time has elapsed since you closed your eyes (so make sure you also check the time when you start this experiment).
This is how you read your "result":
Now, go find a dark room!
