Brain Games
This stage of sleep is where most dreaming happens and is vital for processing emotions and memories.
Answer: What is REM (Rapid Eye Movement)
This hormone is produced in the dark to help you fall asleep, but it’s suppressed by bright light.
What is Melatonin?
While adults need about 7–8 hours of sleep, the average teenager actually needs this many hours.
What is 8 to 10 hours?
This specific color of light emitted by smartphones tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.
What is Blue Light?
This "fear center" of the brain becomes 60% more reactive when you are sleep-deprived, making you feel more anxious.
What is the Amygdala?
Does getting poor sleep the night before make your reaction time faster or slower?
Slower!
Sleepiness makes your reaction time slower, a special problem when driving or doing work or other tasks that require a quick response.
Research shows that staying awake for 20 hours straight makes your physical reaction time as slow as this kind of impaired state.
What is Intoxicated/Drunk?
True or False: You can "catch up" on a week's worth of lost sleep by sleeping 12 hours on Sunday.
What is False? (It disrupts your rhythm further!)
This term, originally from China, describes intentionally delaying sleep because of high stress or because you feel like you didn't have enough "me time" during the day.
What is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?
Because sleep and mental health can impact one another, poor sleep can cause anxiety, and anxiety can sometimes cause this common sleep disorder.
What is Insomnia?
During sleep, your brain performs "memory consolidation," which is like moving files from a temporary folder to this more permanent type of storage.
What is Long Term Storage
Sleep deprivation increases this "hunger hormone," making you crave junk food and sugary snacks the next day.
What is Ghrelin?
This chemical found in soda and energy drinks blocks "adenosine," the chemical that tells your brain it’s tired.
What is Caffeine?
Using your phone before bed makes it difficult for you to sleep because your brain is constantly seeking this feel-good chemical from new content, likes, and notifications.
What is Dopamine?
Sleep-deprived teens are at a significantly higher risk for this mental health condition, characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest.
What is Depression?
Sleep Deprivation causes memory loss. Memory loss occurs in this part of the brain.
What is the Hippocampus
The Hippocampus is responsible for the storage of long term memory, as well as the location of objects and people. It is also partly responsible for emotional responses. Sleep deprivation causes the hippocampus to stop working as effectively, which can cause memory loss.
This major physical process, essential for athletes and growing bodies, occurs mostly during deep, slow-wave sleep.
What is Muscle Repair/Growth?
To get the best sleep, it is recommended that your bedroom temperature should be what?
What is Cool/Cold? (Ideally 65-68°F / 18-20°C)
Most experts recommend a "Digital Sunset," which means turning off all screens at least this long before trying to sleep.
What is One Hour?
Chronic sleep deprivation can mimic the symptoms of this neurodivergent condition, making it hard to focus or to start and complete tasks.
What is ADHD?
Humans have an internal 24-hour clock that tells us when to wake and sleep, known by this two-word scientific term.
What is the Circadian Rhythm?
Chronic lack of sleep weakens this system, making you much more likely to catch a common cold or the flu.
What is the Immune System?
This term refers to having a consistent sleep schedule and a clean, screen-free sleep environment.
What is Sleep Hygiene?
It’s not just the light; this kind of engagement on phones (like gaming or texting) is more disruptive to sleep than passive activity (like watching a movie).
What is Active Engagement?
This two-word term describes the "fuzzy" feeling, lack of clarity, and forgetfulness caused by a bad night's rest.
What is Brain Fog?