Animals
True or False: Humans are the only mammals that intentionally delay sleep.
True or False: Not getting enough sleep can make you more hungry.
True. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can increase the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and decrease the hormone leptin, which makes us feel satisfied.
How many hours of sleep does a teenager need?
8-10 hours - and most aren’t getting enough. Fewer than 1 in 4 high school students in NYC are getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night!
What temperature is best for sleeping, warm or cool?
Most people sleep best in a cool room, somewhere in the low to mid 60 degrees.
What is the ideal amount of time for a daytime nap?
30 minutes. Any longer and you might have a hard time falling asleep that night, which is just going to continue the cycle of bad sleep.
These animals hold hands while sleeping so as not to float away from each other.
Sea otters.
True or False: Energy drinks contain a lot more caffeine than coffee.
False. Ounce per ounce, most energy drinks have about the same caffeine content as coffee, or even less. Energy drinks make up the difference with sugar, which might perk you up in the moment but will make you crash in an hour or two and feel more tired than ever.
Among NYC high school students, which grade is getting the least sleep?
Seniors. Only 15% of high school seniors are getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night, compared to 32% of freshmen – that’s less than half as many!
True or false: physical activity helps combat insomnia.
True. Studies have shown that people who get two and a half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity in a week sleep better at night, have less insomnia, and feel more awake during the day.
There are 4 stages of sleep. During which stage do most dreams happen?
Most dreams happen during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, so called because of the way your eyes move behind your eyelids while you’re dreaming.
This kind of animal sleeps with only half its brain at a time.
Unlike humans and most other animals, which breathe involuntarily, marine mammals like whales, dolphins, and porpoises are voluntary breathers, meaning they need to stay awake in order to breathe. So they sleep by shutting down one hemisphere of their brain while the other stays awake, then switching to give the other hemisphere a rest!
This amino acid found in foods like turkey, eggs, and milk helps you sleep because the body converts it into sleep-friendly molecules like serotonin and melatonin.
Tryptophan.
Teenagers have an especially difficult time getting up for school in the morning because your bodies are naturally inclined to go to sleep later at night and wake up later in the day. What is the name for this internal clock that tells you when you’re sleepy?
Circadian rhythm.
What is the name of the hormone your body releases that tells you it’s time to go to sleep?
Melatonin. The blue light from phone and computer screens stops our bodies from releasing melatonin when it should, which messes up our sleep cycle.
How long does it take to cycle through the 4 stages of sleep?
On average, it takes about 90 minutes to complete a sleep cycle, though it can range between 70 and 110 minutes.