Sleep Basics
Most adults need at least approximately this many hours of sleep regularly.
What is seven hours?
This sleep stage is commonly associated with vivid dreams and rapid eye movements.
What is REM sleep?
Light from screens can interfere with the release of this hormone.
What is melatonin?
This brain structure plays an important role in forming new memories.
What is the hippocampus?
Sleep deprivation slows this ability, making driving more dangerous.
What is reaction time?
This internal, roughly 24-hour cycle helps regulate when we feel awake and sleepy.
What is the circadian rhythm?
N1, N2, and N3 are the three stages of this major type of sleep.
What is NREM sleep?
This phone setting reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the screen.
What is Night Shift, night mode, or a blue-light filter?
Sleep after studying helps perform this process, making a new memory more stable.
What is memory consolidation?
When sleep deprived, people are more likely to make decisions that are described this way.
What is risky or impulsive?
Darkness encourages the body to produce this sleep-timing hormone.
What is melatonin?
This is the deepest stage of NREM sleep and is also called slow-wave sleep.
What is N3 sleep?
Even with Night Shift enabled, using a phone can keep the brain in this state.
What is mentally engaged, stimulated, or alert?
Sleep deprivation can increase the emotional reactivity of this brain structure.
What is the amygdala?
A tired person who cannot accurately recognize how impaired they are is demonstrating poor this.
What is metacognition or self-awareness?
Someone naturally inclined to go to sleep and wake up later may be described as this type of chronotype.
What is an evening chronotype, or a night owl?
Put these stages in their usual order: REM, N2, N3, N1.
What is N1, N2, N3, REM?
Enabling this setting can prevent overnight alerts from disturbing sleep.
What is Do Not Disturb or silencing notifications?
During sleep, the brain’s waste-removal system involves the movement of this fluid.
What is cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF?
This is the safest action when someone notices they are becoming drowsy while driving.
What is pull over and rest, nap, or change drivers?
This occurs when a person’s internal clock conflicts with the schedule demanded by school, work, or society.
What is circadian misalignment or social jet lag?
Episodes of this stage generally become longer during the later portion of the night.
What is REM sleep?
Name two ways phones may interfere with sleep.
What are light exposure and mental stimulation, notifications, or delayed bedtime?
Sleep before learning helps the brain perform this first step in creating a new memory.
What is encoding?
Sleeping longer on the weekend may provide some recovery, but it does not reliably erase the effects of this repeated pattern.
What is chronic sleep deprivation or ongoing insufficient sleep?