Aug. 21, 2024

Fun Facts: From Dreams to Mucus to Poop! 💡💤💩

In this episode, we will learn about how we respond to new and unknown situations, like going back to school, and discuss 5 things you can do if you're feeling nervous or stressed. We will explore dreams and cover 7 reasons why we might dream. We will talk about 12 cool and surprising facts about hair, learn about our nostrils and the mucus that comes out of our noses, and discover what the colour of mucus means. Finally, we will wrap up the episode with some fun facts about poop.

Sleep Tight!, 
Sheryl & Clark
❤️👂📖

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About Sleep Tight Science

We’ve got bedtime down to a (Sleep Tight) Science! Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show that makes science accessible and enjoyable for the whole family. Snuggle in and drift off to sleep while learning about science topics submitted by listeners! Designed for curious young minds (but simple enough for grown-ups to understand), Sleep Tight Science uses big words to answer big questions that kids wonder about, like why do we feel icky sometimes and how do our legs help us move? Learn something new about the natural world while drifting off to dreamland. Have an interesting science question or a topic you’re curious about? Email us at hello@sleeptightscience.com, and it might just be the focus of an upcoming episode!

Dedicated to enhancing the health and happiness of children, Sleep Tight Media helps families replace bedtime struggles with bedtime snuggles. 

Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that some frogs can be frozen solid and still survive? What when the weather warms up? They thought out and hop around like nothing happened. Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your questions about science. Before we start, I just want to thank all of you who have submitted your voices to be heard at the beginning of the show. We received far more recordings than we had anticipated, and we appreciate it very much. It will be so much fun. Some of you might sound like robots or dinosaurs, or most likely just sound like you do with your incredible voice, so I hope you can keep listening and hear your voice in a future show starting in September. In this episode, we will combine all the information we gather into one of our favorite formats, lists of Facts. We love these bite sized pieces of information because they are fun, can be easy to remember, lead to more questions, and you may find you will impress your family and friends with all kinds of fun science facts.

00:02:01
Speaker 2: So let's get started.

00:02:06
Speaker 1: For some of us, school is just around the corner, or maybe you are already in school. Sometimes going to school can make you feel excited or maybe a little bit nervous. When we feel nervous, it's because our body is getting ready to face something new or different, like starting school. This feeling comes from the part of the brain called the amygdala, which helps us react to situations that might be challenging or unknown.

00:02:44
Speaker 2: When we are.

00:02:45
Speaker 1: Nervous, our body releases special chemicals called adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals make our heart beat faster, our stomach feels a bit fluttery, and sometimes even makes our hand and sweaty. It's our body's way of preparing us to be alert and ready for what's ahead. Thankfully, there are ways to help our body and mind calm down and manage nervousness in a healthy way. Here are five ways that can help you feel better when you're feeling nervous or stressed. Talk to someone. Sharing your feelings with a parent, teacher, or friend can help you feel better and remind you that you are not alone. Take deep breaths. Try taking slow, deep breaths when you feel nervous. This helps calm your body and mind. Get moving. Physical activity like playing outside, riding a bike, or dancing can help release energy and reduce stress. Focus on the positive. Think about the things you're excited about, like seeing friends or learning something new. Focusing on the good stuff can help ease your worries. Do something you enjoy. Take time to do something fun like reading a book, drawing, or playing a game. Doing something you love can help you relax and feel happier. Remember it's okay to feel this way. Everyone does. Sometimes talking to a teacher, a friend, or a parent can help you feel better and ready to take on the new school year. Did you know everyone dreams, even if they don't remember it. Dreams are like little movies that play in your mind while you're asleep. When you go to sleep, your brain doesn't just turn off. It keeps working and thinking. Sometimes your brain takes all the things you saw, heard, or thought about during the day and mixes them together into a story. And that's what we call a dream. Dreams can be fun, strange, or even a little scary, but they're just your brain's way of making sense of everything that happened while you were awake. Even though dreams might feel real, they're just in your imagination and when you wake up, you're safe in your Dreams are fascinating, and scientists have come up with several reasons why we dream. Here are seven of the most interesting ideas. One. Sometimes when we dream, our brains try to figure out solutions to problems or things we've been thinking about during the day.

00:06:28
Speaker 2: Two.

00:06:29
Speaker 1: Dreams can be like a practice space where our brain tries out different ideas and scenarios, helping us learn new things.

00:06:38
Speaker 2: Three.

00:06:40
Speaker 1: When we sleep, our brain sorts through everything we've seen, heard, and learned, and dreams might help organize those memories. Four. Dreams can be a way for our brains to explore our feelings, especially those we don't fully understand when we are awake. Five. Sometimes dreams are just a way for our brains to be playful and creative, mixing up ideas and making up wild stories. Six, our brain tries to make pictures of all the signals and information produced by our bodies during sleep. And seven the things we long for in life play out in our minds but sometimes get jumbled up. Next, here are twelve cool and surprising facts about hair that you might not know. One did you know that? But on average there are one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand hairs in a full head of hair. Two did you know hair can stretch up to thirty percent longer when wet. Three Hair is made out of keratin, the same stuff as fingernails.

00:08:26
Speaker 2: Four.

00:08:27
Speaker 1: While ninety percent of your hair is busy growing, about ten percent is taking a break and resting for a short period before it falls out. Five. On average, hair grows about fifteen centimeters or around six inches each year.

00:08:51
Speaker 2: Six.

00:08:52
Speaker 1: If you pluck out a hair, a new one starts growing almost immediately.

00:09:01
Speaker 2: Seven.

00:09:03
Speaker 1: Scientists can determine how healthy a person's diet is by analyzing the protein levels in their hair. Eight. Each hair on your head can grow for up to seven years before it falls out and is replaced. Nine Hair covers the entire body, apart from palms, souls, and lips. Ten humans have the same number of hair follicles per square centimeter as chimpanzees. Number eleven. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair, but scientists still don't know why twelve less than four percent scent of the world are natural redheads. Mason, who is four years old and from Michigan, wanted to know why we have two nostrils instead of one. Big nostril. We have two nostrils instead of one big nostril because it helps us breathe better and smell more things. Each nostril takes in air and smells a little differently, so having two nostrils allows us to detect a wider range of sense. Plus, our nostrils take turns working harder throughout the day, which helps keep them from getting too dry or tired. It's like having two helpers instead of one. Did you know the nose has fifty million special olfactory cells that help us smell. Here are eight other things we found out about the nose. One the two nostrils are divided by a wall called the septum, which is made up of a strong tissue called cartilage. Two, the nasal cavity is lined with little hairs to trap dust and particles.

00:11:36
Speaker 2: Three.

00:11:37
Speaker 1: When you breathe in through your nose, the nose cavity worms or cools the incoming air to body temperature. Four. The sense of smell is closely linked to taste, which is why food doesn't taste is good when you have a stuffy nose.

00:12:01
Speaker 2: Five.

00:12:02
Speaker 1: Your nose produces about a liter of mucus every day, which helps keep it moist and trap germs. Six sneezes can travel at speeds of up to one hundred miles per hour or about one hundred and sixty kilometers per hour to clear irritants from your nose. Seven, The human nose can detect over one trillion different sense making it a super sniffer. And eight, Your nose also helps with your voice. It acts as a resonating chamber, helping to give your voice its unique sound. Speaking of mucus in your nose, did you know that snot or mucus can come in different colors. Each color can tell you something about what's going on in your body. Here are the five common colors of snot and what they might mean. One clear, This is the normal color of healthy mucus, but if there is a lot of it, it might be an allergic reaction. Two green or yellow yak. These mean your body is fighting off an infection. White blood cells are working hard to get rid of the germs, and the color comes from them. Three white white snot can be a sign of congestion or the beginning of a cold. As the mucus gets thicker and your nose becomes swollen, your white blood cells might be working extra hard to fight off an infection. Four red or pink. This color can appear if there's a little blood in your mucus, which might happen if your nose is dry, or if you've been blowing your nose a lot. And five black or brown snot can be dirty, especially if you live in a big city or have been somewhere with a lot of dust or blowing dirt. These colors can give clues about what's happening in your body. Still, if you're ever unsure or feeling really sick, it's always a good idea to check with a doctor. Speaking of things our bodies produce, snot isn't the only one with interesting colors and meanings. Just like how the color of your snot can tell you what's happening in your nose, the color and shape of your poop can give you clues about what's going on in your digestive system. Here are nine facts about poop. One, the scientific word for poop is feces. Two. Poop is what's left over after our bodies have absorbed all the nutrients from the food we eat.

00:15:48
Speaker 2: Three.

00:15:50
Speaker 1: Poop also contains materials that are hard for our bodies to digest, such as fats or a tough fiber called cellulose. Four. Three quarters of a healthy poop is made.

00:16:06
Speaker 2: Up of water. Five Poop also.

00:16:12
Speaker 1: Contains bacteria that our body no longer needs, which is why it's very important to wash your hands after going to the toilet. Six Poop is brown because of stercobilin, a substance created from the breakdown of dead red blood cells and bile, which helps digest fats.

00:16:39
Speaker 2: Seven.

00:16:40
Speaker 1: The smell of poop comes from the bacteria and gases produced during digestion, so what you eat can affect how it smells. Eight. Animals use their poop in many interesting ways, like marking territory, attracting hates, or even building homes. And nine Poop that isn't brown could indicate an illness or infection, so it's important to pay attention to any unusual colors and talk to a doctor if you're concerned. In this episode, we learned a little about how we respond to new and unknown situations like going back to school, and talked about five things you can do if you're feeling nervous or stressed. We looked at dreams a little and seven reasons why we might dream. We talked about twelve cool and surprising facts about hair, learned about our nostrils and the mucus that comes out of our noses, and what the color of the mucus means. We ended this episode with some fun facts about poop. We would love to get your feedback on our show. If you have any feedback, please send it our way. If you want to make sure you get all the episodes, please ask your parents to subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever your parents listen to podcasts. If you love learning about science with us, please leave us a review. It may help others find our show. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleep tightscience dot com sleep tight