Quiz: How much do you know about sleep?

Question 1.

Sleep quality and sleep quantity are both important. How many hours of sleep does a healthy 18-60-year-old adult need on an average night?

Around 7 to 8 hours
Between 4 to 5 hours
Over 9 hours

Question 2.

Studies show that sleep deprivation (lack of sleep) negatively impacts your training and exercise results. Your endurance takes a hit and you get tired faster as you exercise.

True
False

Question 3.

Sleep Cycle’s app provides insight (and a percentage value) into our sleep efficiency. What does sleep efficiency tell us about our sleep?

It’s a percentage value that indicates how often you go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning ( including weekends).
It’s the percentage value of time we spend asleep while in bed
It’s a percentage value that measures how well we sleep

Question 4.

Which sleep stage is associated with sleep paralysis?

Deep sleep (SWS)
REM sleep
N1 and N2

Question 5.

What is melatonin?

A Hormone
A psychoactive drug
An extract from a popular plant

Question 6.

We all dream, but may not always remember our dreams.

False
True

Question 7.

In which country, according to Sleep Cycle’s data, do women snore the most?

Finland
Sweden
Denmark

Question 8.

Which of the following is NOT a Parasomnia?

Sleep talking
Night terrors
Sleep inertia

Question 9.

What is the optimal length of a power nap?

Only 5 minutes
10 to 25 minutes
40 to 50 minutes

Question 10.

Which of the following have an internal body clock (aka circadian rhythm)?

Humans and animals
Plants and some bacteria
All of the above

 

Answer 1.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Sleep Foundation agree that how much sleep we need changes as we age.  Sleep experts and panelists pored over validated research and evidence, ultimately reaching a consensus on recommended sleep times. The average,  healthy 18-60-year-old adult should feel rested, refreshed and ready for the day after 7.5 hours of sleep.

Answer 2.

Indeed, sleep deprivation has a negative effect on exercise results. Studies show that people who suffer from sleep deprivation have a shorter lead time to exhaustion post exercise,  than those who stay on top of their sleep schedule. Poor sleep is also known to decrease productivity and creativity and has a negative impact on your social skills.

Answer 3.

The definition of sleep efficiency is the percentage of time we spend asleep while in bed. Time spent in bed not trying to sleep—while reading, for example—doesn’t count. You can calculate your sleep efficiency by dividing the time you’re asleep by the total time in bed. What’s a good score? 85% or higher is considered acceptable.

Answer 4.

Sleep paralysis involves a mixed state of consciousness – combining both wakefulness and the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of the sleep cycle. This means that the mental imagery of REM sleep and atonia (an inability to move) carries on even while we feel awake. This is the body’s clever way to keep us safe from harm to avoid us physically enacting our dreams.

Answer 5.

Melatonin is a hormone that our brain produces in response to evening darkness. It helps regulate sleep-wake cycles, promoting healthy sleep and guiding our circadian rhythm.

Answer 6.

Yes, we all dream. However, you shouldn’t be worried if you don’t remember your dreams –  there are several potential reasons why. Research suggests that humans don’t easily remember non-essentials or events that don’t hold significance to us, hence dreams are likely more easily forgotten.

Answer 7.

According to Sleep Cycle’s sleep data, women in Denmark snore the most, averaging more than 31 minutes per night, followed by South Africa and Sweden, where women in both countries average around 27 minutes per night!

Answer 8.

Sleep inertia, a state of impaired cognitive and sensory-motor performance that occurs immediately after waking up, is not considered a parasomnia – in fact it’s generally considered to be a protective mechanism to help you fall back asleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Answer 9.

The key to successful power napping is its length. In most people, a power nap length of 15 to 25 minutes is just perfect. Naps that exceed 30 minutes can increase sleep inertia. 

Answer 10.

First discovered in little fruit flies, we now know that the molecular components of the body clock are hard at work in all multicellular life. In all living organisms and in all living things, humans included.