Bedtime Mysteries

Asked between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., when the brain stops working and starts wondering.

901. Why do I get my best ideas right before I fall asleep?

Your brain waits until you have no pen. It's a prankster. As you drift off, your brain relaxes, stops worrying about emails and starts connecting ideas in weird, creative ways. Suddenly you've invented a self-buttering toaster, solved a work problem and written the first line of a novel. You promise yourself you'll remember in the morning. You won't. You'll wake up with only the word "toaster" and a vague feeling of loss. Some famous inventors and artists kept notebooks by the bed for this reason. Keep a pen on your nightstand. Your brain will then wait until you're in the shower (see question 488).

902. Do pillows get tired of being slept on?

They sigh every time you flip them to the cool side. Pillows work the night shift, supporting your head for eight hours, absorbing drool and getting punched into shape at 3 a.m. They're squished, folded, hugged and sometimes thrown across the room during pillow fights (see question 787). Experts say you should replace your pillow every year or two, because they collect dust, sweat and dead skin (see question 457). A pillow can actually double in weight over time because of everything it absorbs. That's gross. Your pillow is literally carrying the weight of your dreams. Be kind to it. Fluff it in the morning.

903. Where does the cool side of the pillow go?

It warms up and hides. Then it comes back when you flip again. It's a cycle. Your head is warm, and the pillow absorbs that heat, so the side you're lying on warms up while the other side cools down in the air. When you flip, you get a brief moment of perfect, refreshing coolness, which lasts about 90 seconds. Then you need to flip again. People have invented cooling pillows with gel inside to make the cool side last longer. They work for a while. But nothing compares to the joy of that first flip. It's one of life's small, perfect pleasures, along with popping bubble wrap and finding money in your jeans (see question 381).

904. Why do I remember embarrassing things at 2 a.m.?

Your brain keeps a highlight reel and plays it when the room is quietest. The reel includes the time you waved at someone who was waving at the person behind you, the time you said "you too" to a waiter who said "enjoy your meal" and the time you called your teacher "Mom" in Grade 3. At 2 a.m., with no distractions, your brain hits play, and you lie there cringing at something from 2009. Scientists say this is partly because your brain is processing memories at night. Comfort yourself with this: everyone else has forgotten. Only you remember. And possibly the waiter.

905. Is counting sheep scientifically proven?

Not really. But the sheep enjoy being counted, so keep going. A study at Oxford University found that people who imagined a calm, relaxing scene, like a waterfall or a beach, fell asleep faster than people who counted sheep. Counting sheep may be too boring to distract you from your worries, but not boring enough to make you sleep. Also, you'll lose count at 47, start over and get annoyed. The idea probably came from shepherds who counted their flocks before bed. They fell asleep because they'd spent all day chasing sheep up hills. You've spent all day sitting at a desk. It's not the same.

906. What if the sheep count me?

Then you're in their dream. Behave yourself. In the sheep's dream, you jump over a little fence, one by one, as hundreds of sheep lie in a field counting "one human, two humans, three humans" until they fall asleep. Some sheep prefer counting farmers. Some count sheepdogs, which gives them nightmares. If you ever wake up feeling like you've been jumping fences all night, that's why: you were moonlighting in a sheep's dream. Sheep don't pay well. They pay in wool, which is itchy. You'll need to wash your pyjamas.

907. Why do I wake up 2 minutes before my alarm?

Your body wanted to watch the alarm go off. It's a fan. Your body has an internal clock, called a circadian rhythm, that learns your schedule, and some research suggests your body may even start releasing wake-up hormones ahead of time if you expect to wake at a certain hour. So you wake up two minutes early, lie there in the dark and wait for the alarm like it's a concert. Then you face a choice: get up now, or close your eyes for two minutes. If you close your eyes, you'll fall into the deepest sleep of your life and wake up 40 minutes late (see question 917). Get up.

908. Can I sleep faster to get more sleep?

No, but people have tried "speed sleeping." It's just regular sleeping, but stressed. Sleep happens in cycles of about 90 minutes, moving through light sleep, deep sleep and dream sleep, and you can't rush them, like you can't rush a slow cooker. Some people have tried strange sleep schedules, like taking six 20-minute naps a day instead of sleeping at night. Most of them gave up after a few weeks, exhausted, cranky and talking to their toasters (see question 480). Sleeping faster is not possible. Sleeping earlier is. Go to bed. Put the phone down. Yes, you. Right now. After this book.

909. Do blankets protect against monsters?

Yes. Every child knows this. The rules say feet must stay inside. Arms too. One toe outside the blanket makes you vulnerable. The blanket forms an invisible force field that no monster can cross, which is why adults also secretly keep their feet covered, even though they claim they don't believe in monsters. Nobody knows who made these rules, but every child on Earth seems to know them without being taught. The force field works best with a nightlight, a teddy bear (see question 758) and a parent who checked under the bed (see question 783). Monsters have never broken through a blanket. Not once. It's undefeated.

910. Why does the bed feel more comfortable when I have to

get up?

The bed is jealous of your day. It wants you to stay. As question 492 explained, beds are moody. At night, the bed is lumpy and the pillows are wrong. In the morning, the bed wraps around you like a warm cloud and whispers "five more minutes." It's a trap. Five minutes becomes 20, 20 becomes 45 and suddenly you're running out the door with one shoe on and toothpaste on your shirt. The bed is not your friend in the morning. It's a beautiful, cozy, cloud-shaped villain. Get up. Make it (see question 452). Show it who's boss.

911. If I dream I'm asleep, am I double asleep?

Yes. That's why you feel so rested afterward. Wait, you don't? Hmm. Dreams within dreams are real, and they're very confusing. You dream you wake up, brush your teeth, get dressed and go to school, and then you actually wake up and have to do it all again. That's called a "false awakening," and it's like doing your morning routine twice for no reason. There's a famous movie about dreams within dreams within dreams, and audiences left the theatre unsure if they'd woken up yet. If you dream you're asleep inside a dream about sleeping, you're triple asleep. That's the most efficient nap possible. Theoretically.

912. Why do I fall when I'm falling asleep?

It's called a hypnic jerk. Your body thinks it's tripping off a curb in your bed. As you fall asleep, your muscles relax, and your brain sometimes misreads this as falling. It panics and sends a jolt to your muscles to "catch" you, waking you up with a jump, a gasp and sometimes a kick that startles your partner (see question 669). Some scientists think it's a leftover reflex from our ancestors who slept in trees (see question 913) and needed to grab a branch if they started to slip. So that jolt is your inner monkey saving you from a fall that isn't happening. Thank your inner monkey. Then go back to sleep.

913. Do birds sleep in trees?

Many do. They lock onto the branch with their feet, which is a level of trust in furniture we don't have. Many perching birds have tendons that tighten automatically when they bend their legs, so the harder they sit, the tighter they grip. They can sleep on a swaying branch in a storm and never fall. Ducks sleep with one eye open on the water, and some birds can sleep while flying, like the frigatebird, which naps in the air for a few seconds at a time during weeks-long flights. Geese sleep on water or land, in groups, with one goose on guard duty. Brent volunteers for guard duty every night. He doesn't sleep. He just watches.

914. Where do dreams come from?

Scientists are still arguing. The geese say it's from the sky. Marjorie says it's from cheese before bed. Most scientists think dreams happen when the brain sorts through memories, emotions and information from the day, mixing them together like a blender (see question 481) on high speed. That's why you might dream about your teacher riding a giraffe through your grandma's kitchen. Ancient Egyptians believed dreams were messages from the gods, and wrote dream dictionaries explaining what they meant. The geese believe dreams fall from the clouds like rain. Linda claims she once caught one. She refuses to share what it was about.

915. Why does every clock say 3:17 a.m. when I wake up?

It's the time where all the weird thoughts gather. They hold a meeting. Attendees include "did I lock the door?", "what's the plural of moose?" (it's moose), "what if I'm a character in someone else's dream?" (see question 906) and the highlight reel from question 904. The meeting has no agenda. It runs long (see question 705). Some people believe that waking at the same odd time every night means something mysterious. Sleep experts say it's more likely that you're waking at the end of a sleep cycle and just happening to look at the clock. Turn the clock around. The weird thoughts will meet anyway.

916. Is it bad to sleep with socks on?

No, unless you wake up with only one sock. Then the other sock left you. It's on its way to the island (see question 774). Some research suggests that warming your feet with socks may actually help you fall asleep faster, because warm feet help your body release heat and cool its core temperature, which tells your brain it's time to sleep. So socks in bed are not weird. They're science. The sock that escapes during the night usually ends up at the bottom of the bed, tangled in the sheet. It's just resting. Before its big journey. Let it go.

917. Can I snooze my alarm forever?

Eventually the alarm wins. It has more time than you. The snooze button usually gives you about nine minutes, a length reportedly chosen in the 1950s because of how the gears in clocks worked. Nine minutes isn't long enough for deep, restful sleep, so you wake up groggier each time. Hitting snooze five times means you've had 45 minutes of terrible, broken sleep, followed by a panic (see question 734). Some alarm apps make you solve a math problem, scan a barcode in the bathroom or shake your phone 30 times to turn them off. That's not an alarm. That's a hostage situation. You'll do the math. You'll be furious.

918. Why do I hear every sound at night?

The house is settling. Or the house is having a party you weren't invited to. At night, temperatures drop and the wood, pipes and nails in a house shrink slightly, causing creaks, pops and ticks. The fridge hums (see question 526), the furnace clunks and the floor creaks (see question 471) even when nobody's walking. Add in a dripping faucet (see question 487), a raccoon on the roof and a neighbour's dog barking at a leaf, and your house sounds like an orchestra tuning up. During the day, all these noises are drowned out. At night, they're the only show in town. Get a fan. White noise drowns out the party.

919. Do stuffed animals guard me while I sleep?

Yes. Their shifts run from bedtime to sunrise. They're unionized. They get breaks when you're at school, holidays when you're at a sleepover and full pensions when they retire to the attic. Their contract requires them to be hugged at least once per night and never put in the washing machine without warning. The washing machine is their greatest fear. The teddy bear is the shift supervisor (see question 758), the stuffed bunny handles the closet and the dinosaur covers under the bed (see question 783). If one of them falls off the bed during the night, it's a gap in coverage. You'll feel it. Pick it back up.

920. Can I dream in colour?

Most people do. Some people dream in black and white. They're usually old-movie fans. Interestingly, studies from the 1950s found that most people reported dreaming in black and white, while modern studies find most people dream in colour. Some researchers think growing up with black-and-white TV affected how people remembered their dreams. That means TV may have literally changed the colour of people's dreams. Some people also dream in smells, tastes and sounds, and people who learn a new language sometimes start dreaming in it, which is a sign it's sinking in. Dreams are weird. They're the brain's own movie studio. With no budget.

921. What's the best position to sleep in?

Whatever position your cat hasn't taken. Cats can claim a surprising amount of bed space for their size, stretching out sideways and pressing their paws into your back. Sleep experts say side-sleeping is often good for breathing and reducing snoring (see question 669), back-sleeping can be good for your spine and stomach-sleeping is the hardest on your neck. But you'll end up in the "starfish" position anyway, arms and legs spread everywhere, or curled into a tiny ball at the edge (see question 946) because the cat took the middle. You don't own your bed. You rent it. From the cat.

922. Why do I dream about teeth falling out?

It's a very common dream. Your teeth are fine. The tooth fairy is just advertising. Dreams about teeth falling out, crumbling or wiggling loose are among the most commonly reported dreams around the world, along with falling, being chased and showing up to school without your homework. Some researchers connect teeth dreams to stress, while others think people might grind their teeth at night, which their brain turns into a dream. Wake up, run your tongue over your teeth, feel the relief. Then go back to sleep. The tooth fairy is disappointed (see question 765). She was hoping for a big night.

923. Do night owls and early birds ever meet?

Once a day, at about 6 a.m. One is going to bed, one is getting up, and neither says hello. Night owls do their best work at midnight, writing, gaming or reorganizing their sock drawer (see question 657). Early birds wake at 5 a.m., go for a jog and feel smug about it all day. Scientists think being a night owl or an early bird is partly genetic, which means you can blame your parents. When a night owl marries an early bird, they see each other mostly at dinner and briefly in the hallway, passing like ships in the night (see question 847). They communicate through sticky notes on the fridge.

924. Is it a nap if it lasts four hours?

No. That's a second night. You'll wake up confused, in darkness, unsure if it's Tuesday or Wednesday, and whether you missed dinner, breakfast or an entire week. Your hair will be flat on one side, there will be a pillow crease on your face and you won't be able to sleep that night (see question 364). Sleep experts say the ideal nap is about 10 to 20 minutes, which gives you energy without the grogginess. A 90-minute nap gets you a full sleep cycle. A four-hour nap gets you a time-travel experience (see question 417). Not recommended. Very fun, though.

925. Why does my leg need to stick out of the blanket?

Temperature control. It's the bed's air conditioner. Your feet and legs help your body release heat, and sticking one out of the blanket cools you down without making you cold. It's a perfect system, perfected over millions of years of evolution. The only problem is the monsters (see question 909). Every night, you must choose between being too hot and being vulnerable. Most people choose the leg. It's a calculated risk. If the leg gets grabbed, it was worth it. If it doesn't, you'll have the best night of sleep ever. So far, monsters have never grabbed a leg. They're cowards.

926. Can I sleep standing up like a horse?

Horses lock their legs. You'll just fall over and wake up embarrassed. Horses have a special system of tendons and ligaments called the "stay apparatus" that lets them lock their legs and doze while standing, so they can flee quickly if a predator appears. But for deep, dreaming sleep, horses do have to lie down, usually for short periods while another horse stands guard (like the geese, see question 913). Humans have no stay apparatus. People who fall asleep standing on a bus or train do a slow, terrible lean followed by a sudden jerk awake (see question 912). Everyone sees it. Nobody mentions it. That's public transit etiquette.

927. What happens if I eat cheese before bed?

Some people say they get wild dreams. Marjorie once dreamed she was a library, so maybe. In the dream, she had 40,000 books inside her, a quiet reading room in her chest and a very strict late-fee policy. Children came to read in her lap. Brent tried to borrow a book about bread and never returned it. A British cheese organization once ran a study in which volunteers ate cheese before bed and reported their dreams, and some claimed different cheeses gave different kinds of dreams. Scientists were not impressed by the study. But Marjorie now eats a small piece of cheddar every night. She says it's for research.

928. Why does my partner fall asleep in 2 seconds?

They have no thoughts. It's a gift. Some people can fall asleep instantly, anywhere: on planes, on couches, in waiting rooms and mid-sentence. Their head hits the pillow and they're gone, snoring peacefully within 30 seconds (see question 669). Meanwhile, you lie beside them, wide awake, thinking about something embarrassing from 2009 (see question 904), whether you locked the door and why there's a light switch that does nothing (see question 469). You'll stare at the ceiling, then at them, with pure envy. Then you'll gently poke them, just to share the suffering. Don't do that. Let them sleep. They've earned it. Somehow.

929. Do dogs dream about chasing squirrels?

When you see their paws twitching, yes. The squirrel always gets away. Scientists have found that dogs' brains go through similar sleep stages to ours, including the dreamy REM stage, and researchers believe dogs replay their day while sleeping: chasing balls, sniffing other dogs and barking at the mail carrier. You'll see their legs run, their tails wag, their lips twitch and hear little muffled woofs. Smaller dogs seem to dream more often than bigger dogs. Never wake a dreaming dog suddenly, because it might be startled. Let it catch the squirrel. Just once. In its dreams.

930. Is it okay to sleep with the TV on?

The TV doesn't mind. It's lonely at night. Sleep experts say the light and noise can disrupt your sleep, but many people find the background voices comforting, like falling asleep at a party where everyone is talking softly. Some people fall asleep to the same comfort show every night for years. They've seen every episode a hundred times but have never seen the ending of any of them (see question 641). The TV keeps going all night, playing to an audience of one sleeping person and a cat. Some TVs ask "are you still watching?" (see question 899). No. No, we are not.

931. Can I wake up younger?

Some mornings it feels like you woke up 100 years older. That's the opposite. You sit up and something in your back cracks like a glow stick. Your knee makes a sound like a bag of chips. You slept wrong, and now your neck only turns left. Adults call this "sleeping funny," which is not funny at all. Children never wake up older. They wake up at 6 a.m. with the energy of a rocket and jump on your bed. Good sleep does make you look and feel better, so in a way, you do wake up a little younger. Just not on the mornings when you sleep funny. Those mornings, you're a fossil (see question 722).

932. Why is it so hard to get up on Mondays?

See question 722. Mondays are fossils. They're heavy. Over the weekend, many people stay up later and sleep in, which shifts their body clock, like flying to a different time zone without leaving your house. Sleep scientists call this "social jet lag." So when Monday arrives, your body thinks it's 5 a.m. in some other city. That's why the alarm (see question 937) feels like a fire drill and your coffee (see question 772) feels like a lifesaving medical treatment. Keeping the same bedtime on weekends helps. Nobody does that. Weekends are for staying up. Mondays are for regret.

933. Do people sleepwalk to the fridge?

Some do, and they wake up confused with half a sandwich. A great mystery. Sleepwalking happens when part of your brain wakes up enough to move your body but not enough for you to be aware of it. Some sleepwalkers make snacks, rearrange furniture, take showers and even try to drive. There have been reports of people sleep-eating whole jars of peanut butter. In the morning, they find crumbs, an open fridge and a spoon on the counter, and accuse their roommates. Sleepwalking is more common in kids, who often grow out of it. If someone is sleepwalking, gently guide them back to bed. Don't wake them suddenly. Take the sandwich, though.

934. Why do dreams make sense until I wake up?

Dream logic only works in the dream. It's a different country with different rules. In the dream, it makes perfect sense that your school is also a ship, your dentist is also your cousin and you can fly but only if you hum. Then you wake up, try to explain it at breakfast, and realize every sentence sounds insane: "So I was in a submarine made of cheese, and Brent was the captain..." During dreams, the logical, critical part of your brain is quieter, so nothing seems strange. When you wake up, it comes back online and goes "wait, what?" Write your dreams down. Read them later. Wonder about yourself.

935. Is my bed a boat?

At night, it sails to dreamland. In the morning, it's back at port. Every child knows the bed is a boat, the floor is the ocean (or lava, see question 753) and the stuffed animals are the crew (see question 919). The blankets are the sails, the pillows are lifeboats and the headboard is the captain's wheel. Monsters under the bed are sea monsters. Dropping something on the floor means it's lost at sea forever. In the morning, the boat docks, the crew goes off duty and the ocean turns back into carpet. Captain's log, Day 3,000: still no land. Still very cozy.

936. Why does the night feel longer when I'm worried?

Worry slows down clocks. It's an undiscovered law of physics. When you're worried, every minute feels like an hour, you check the clock constantly, and each time it's only been three minutes. When you're having fun, the opposite happens and hours vanish. Scientists have studied this, and they've found that our sense of time really does stretch when we're anxious or scared. Einstein said time is relative (see question 543). He was talking about physics, but he could have been talking about Sunday night before a test. If you're worried at night, write the worry down on paper. Let the paper hold it until morning. Paper is very good at holding things.

937. Can I tell my alarm clock to be quieter?

It only knows one volume: "emergency." The traditional alarm clock sound is a harsh, repeating beep designed to cut through deep sleep, which it does, along with your will to live. Some alarms gradually get louder or play birdsong, gentle music or ocean waves, which is lovely until you get so used to it that you sleep through it. Others use light that gradually brightens, like a sunrise. Some extreme alarm clocks roll off the nightstand and run around the room so you have to chase them, or fly into the air like a little helicopter. That's not an alarm. That's a game of tag at 6 a.m. Nobody wants that.

938. Do I really swallow spiders in my sleep?

That's a myth. Spiders avoid your snoring face. You're too loud and breathy. To a spider, a sleeping human is a giant, rumbling, warm mountain that shakes and breathes hot air, which is the last place it would want to visit. The famous "you swallow eight spiders a year" fact has been widely repeated online, but spider experts say there's no evidence for it. Spiders are smart. They stay in corners, eat insects and mind their own business. If a spider ever did crawl toward your mouth, the vibrations of your snoring would send it running. Snoring is protective. Tell your partner (see question 669).

939. Why do I always need to pee right after I get

comfortable?

Your bladder waits for the perfect moment to ruin everything. You've found the cool side of the pillow (see question 903), your blanket is perfectly tucked, the cat is purring and you're almost asleep. Then your bladder speaks. You'll try to ignore it. You'll negotiate. You'll tell yourself you can hold it until morning. You can't. After 20 minutes of denial, you'll get up, walk to the bathroom in the cold (see question 479) and come back to find the cat has taken your spot (see question 921). Next time, go before bed. You'll still need to go again. That's just how bladders work. They're dramatic.

940. Can I sleep through an earthquake?

Some people do. Then they wake up to find all their picture frames on the floor. Deep sleepers have slept through earthquakes, thunderstorms, fire alarms and their own toddler jumping on them. Their families look at them in disbelief the next morning: "You didn't hear the house shaking?" "What house?" Meanwhile, light sleepers wake up when a leaf lands on the lawn. If you live in an earthquake zone, it's good to have a plan and keep heavy things off shelves above your bed. If you're a deep sleeper, ask someone to wake you in an emergency. Ideally by shaking. Gently. You'll still sleep through it.

941. Is a sleep mask a blindfold for napping?

Yes. It's a classy blindfold for people who need beauty sleep. Sleep masks block light, which helps your brain produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. They're popular with travellers, night-shift workers and people whose partners read with the light on. Some masks have cartoon eyes printed on them, so you look awake while sleeping, which is useful in meetings (see question 735). Others are made of silk, have built-in headphones or are shaped like cat faces. Wearing one makes you look either glamorous, like an old movie star, or like a superhero who's very tired. Both are good looks.

942. Why do I sleep better on vacation?

No alarms, no emails, and a bed someone else made. Also: blackout curtains, a fluffy hotel duvet, the sound of waves and the knowledge that breakfast will be made by someone else. On vacation, you go to sleep when you're tired and wake up when you're ready, which is how humans are supposed to live. Many people sleep longer and deeper in their first few days of vacation, a sign that they've been building up a "sleep debt." Then, on the last night, you'll lie awake thinking about all the emails waiting for you (see question 748). That's the vacation ending early. It's very rude.

943. If I sleep on a problem, will it be solved in the morning?

Sometimes. Other times it's still there, but now you're well-rested and annoyed. Sleep does help the brain sort information, and research suggests people are sometimes better at solving puzzles after a night's sleep. Some famous discoveries reportedly came from dreams, like the chemist who dreamed of a snake biting its own tail and figured out the ring shape of a molecule. So sleeping on a problem is a real strategy. It doesn't work on everything, though. You can't sleep on a leaky faucet (see question 487) and expect it fixed in the morning. Some problems require a plumber, not a pillow.

944. Why does my cat wake me up at 5 a.m.?

Breakfast. Your cat believes in being early for food. Cats are "crepuscular," which means they're naturally most active at dawn and dusk, when their wild ancestors hunted. Your cat is not hunting. It's demanding tuna. Techniques include sitting on your chest, staring at your face from 3 centimetres away, gently tapping your nose, knocking things off your nightstand (see question 682) and meowing in a tone that suggests it hasn't eaten since 1987. If you feed it at 5 a.m. once, it'll expect it forever. Cats keep strict records (see question 300). An automatic feeder helps. The cat will then wake up the feeder.

945. Can I put my thoughts on airplane mode?

Wouldn't that be nice. See question 45. Imagine a switch that turns off all your incoming worries, notifications and random thoughts about whether you left the stove on. No reminders that you forgot to reply to a text. No mental replays of awkward conversations (see question 904). Just quiet. Some people find meditation, deep breathing or writing their thoughts in a journal works like a kind of airplane mode for the brain. Others listen to boring podcasts or rain sounds. If none of that works, try counting sheep (see question 905). It won't work either, but the sheep will be happy.

946. Why do I sleep on the edge of a big bed?

You leave space for your dog, your partner and your worries. Somehow, people with king-sized beds still end up clinging to a 20-centimetre strip at the edge while the dog sprawls diagonally across the middle like a starfish (see question 921). Even people who sleep alone often stick to one side, leaving the other side empty and neat, like a guest room (see question 474). Some sleep experts think we pick a side for comfort and habit, and stick with it for life. Couples often fight over who gets which side. Once decided, it's permanent. Switching sides is like moving to a new country. It feels deeply wrong.

947. Do sleep talkers say anything important?

Mostly they say things like "no, the bananas." Very important, very mysterious. Sleep talking is common, especially in kids, and it ranges from mumbles to full conversations, songs and arguments. People have recorded their partners saying things like "I'm not a sandwich," "don't let the penguins vote" and "that's not how you fold a cloud." One man became famous for recording his sleep-talking and posting the strange, funny things he said. Sleep talkers usually don't remember anything in the morning. They'll deny it. You'll play them the recording (see question 669). They'll ask what bananas you're talking about.

948. Is midnight the end of today or the start of tomorrow?

Both. It's a door that swings both ways. Officially, 12:00 a.m. is the start of a new day, but it feels like the end of the old one. That's why people say "tonight at midnight" and nobody knows whether they mean the start or end of the night. Some airlines and organizations avoid the confusion entirely by using 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. instead. Midnight is also when Cinderella's carriage turned back into a pumpkin, when gremlins can't be fed and when new year countdowns end (see question 771). It's the most dramatic minute of the day. It's always a little magical. Even on a Tuesday.

949. Do the stars sleep during the day?

They're still there. They're just being outshone by a show-off star called the sun. The sun is the nearest star to Earth, and during the day its light scatters across the whole sky (see question 757), making it too bright to see the faint stars beyond. At night, when our side of Earth faces away from the sun (see question 762), the other stars finally get their turn. During a total solar eclipse, the sky goes dark in the middle of the day and stars appear for a few minutes, which is one of the most amazing things a person can see. The stars never sleep. They just wait patiently for the sun to leave the stage.

950. Should I keep reading this book instead of going to

sleep?

Yes. Only 50 more questions. You can do it. Sleep scientists would disagree. They'd say screens and bright lights can keep you awake, and that a good night's sleep is important for your brain, heart and mood. But this book has paper pages (or at least it pretends to), and the next chapter is the final one. It's where all the answers come together, Marjorie closes the library and the geese hold their final vote. You've come so far. 950 questions. Are you really going to stop now? Stretch, get a glass of water, flip your pillow to the cool side (see question 903) and keep reading. We'll wait.