Lauren's List: Breaking Down Common Sleeping Myths

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- When you're an early riser, sleep is a precious commodity.

You savor every minute, because let's face it, the human body needs sleep to function properly!

The Calm App has gained popularity recently for helping people meditate and get a more restful night's sleep.

And now Calm is trying to bust some common sleeping myths.

We break some of them down in today's "Lauren's List".

1. Your Brain Rests- Roughly half of all Americans think their brain is at rest when their body is. But that's not true! The National Sleep Foundation says the brain remains active, recharges and controls many bodily functions during sleep, like breathing. The brain is even more active during REM sleep, which is when we dream.

2. Deep Sleep For Dreams- Speaking of REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, some people think that's the deepest sleep, but that's actually when you're sleeping more lightly. Many believe their most vivid dreams come during their deepest point of sleep, but it's really the opposite. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says we can experience dreams in ALL stages of sleep.

3. You Swallow Spiders- Have you ever heard that humans swallow a few spiders in their sleep over the course of their lifetime? Where did this myth even come from?! Fact is, spiders are simply not interested in sleeping humans and probably prefer to stay away for their own well-being.

4. You Can Catch Up- Lauren loves to tell herself sleeping in on a Saturday will help her feel better about all the sleep she lost during the week. But experts say, it just isn't so. A recent Harvard Medical School study found it is nearly impossible to "catch up on sleep" in order to improve performance. In fact, even changing your sleep schedule by an hour messes with your internal clock, causing what sleep scientists call "social jet leg", a kind of sleep deprivation associated with obesity and other health problems.

To see more debunked sleep myths, visit Tuck.com.

Did you believe any of these myths?

Tell Lauren Pastrana on Facebook or Twitter.

If you have an idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.