Sleep Science
True or False: Your body has a natural internal clock that tells you when to sleep and wake up.
True
What’s the average number of hours of sleep most college students report getting per night?
About 6–6.5 hours
What is the ideal room temperature for high-quality sleep?
Around 65–68°F (18–20°C)
True or False: You burn calories while you sleep.
True — your body keeps working to repair and regulate itself.
About what fraction of your life do you spend sleeping?
About one-third
What hormone helps regulate your sleep–wake cycle and is suppressed by blue light?
Melatonin
Using your phone or laptop before bed can delay sleep by how long?
Up to 30–60 minutes (due to blue light exposure)
On average, how long does it take a person to fall asleep if they are well-rested?
10–20 minutes
True or False: Sleep needs decrease significantly with age.
False — adults still need about 7–9 hours.
What animal sleeps the least each day — averaging only about 2 hours? (Hints allowed)
Giraffes
About how long does it take most people to go through one full sleep cycle?
Around 90 minutes
What’s the recommended number of hours before bedtime to stop consuming caffeine?
At least 6 hours
What mineral found in foods like almonds and spinach can help promote relaxation and sleep?
Magnesium
If you consistently sleep less than six hours a night, your body eventually adjusts and functions just as well as if you slept eight.
Research shows people feel like they’ve adapted, but their reaction time, memory, and focus keep declining. Chronic short sleep has cumulative effects even if you stop noticing them.
What’s the longest time a person has ever stayed awake (recorded by science)? (Hints allowed)
11 days