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Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important for Your Health

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How to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is important due to the impact it has on your overall health. Appropriate sleep is needed for mental focus and memory, managing stress, maintaining proper body weight, boosting the immune system, and a host of other wellness needs. Some studies suggest sleep can help to prevent illness, such as diabetes or obesity .

Adults aged 18 to 60 years should get at least seven hours of sleep each night in order to achieve the benefits of sleep. If not, you run the risk of becoming sleep-deprived .

This article explains the role of sleep in overall health and offers tips on how to improve your sleep. Research on sleep and sleep cycles has elevated awareness about sleep hygiene (healthy sleep habits) and the quality of sleep.

 Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health

Sleep Is Restorative

When you sleep, you allow your body to repair and rebuild. During this time, the body is able to clear debris from the lymphatic system, which boosts the immune system.

While you sleep, there are many important processes that happen, including:

• Muscle repair
• Protein synthesis
• Tissue growth
• Hormone release

Sleep Reduces Stress

Sleep is a powerful stress reliever. It improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. A lack of sleep not only reduces mental clarity but the ability to cope with stressful situations.

This is due, in part, to changes in cortisol levels. Typically, your cortisol levels fall in the evening hours, as one element of the body’s natural preparation for sleep. When sleep is lost, cortisol levels remain high and interfere with the release of melatonin, a hormone that is essential for the regulation of sleep-wake cycles.

Some studies suggest these changes could even be used to evaluate depression in people with bipolar disorder. Other studies demonstrate a link between sleep, chronic stress, and depression with an eye on heart rate changes.

Sleep Improves Your Memory

The link between sleep and memory processing is well established. Sleep serves as an opportunity for the mind to process all the stimuli taken in while awake. It triggers changes in the brain that strengthen neural connections helping us to form memories.

Sleep quality is important when learning new information and using memory. Numerous research studies find that electrophysiological, neurochemical, and genetic mechanisms that take place during the slow-wave sleep stage of sleep are key.

Sleep Helps You Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

When you are sleep deprived, your body alters the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. These hormones include:

• Leptin: This hormone suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy.
• Ghrelin: This hormone triggers feelings of hunger.

Both of these hormones are thrown off when you are short on sleep—leptin goes down and ghrelin goes up. Obstructive sleep apnea , a serious sleep disorder, is linked with obesity as well.

Sleep and Appetite

Sleep deprivation can activate the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the brain (the same areas activated by marijuana) which increases hunger and appetite. Stimulating the eCB reward system makes you more likely to crave junk food.  You are also more likely to make these unhealthy lifestyle choices when you are tired. If that's often the case, it can lead to weight gain or diabetes over time.  

Sleep May Prevent Illnesses

Sleep deprivation can have very detrimental health impacts and has been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Here are some of the health conditions in which it may play a role.

Respiratory Illness and Infection

Lack of sleep makes you more vulnerable to respiratory illness and infection. A study of more than 600,000 people found that insomnia was a contributing cause when catching a cold or the flu , as well as a factor in how severe the infection became.

Obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disturbance, is linked with a number of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases. For example, 40% to 60% of people experiencing symptomatic heart failure also are diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing.

Other heart conditions linked with sleep apnea include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• High blood pressure
• Heart arrhythmias

There's no direct evidence to suggest that sleep quantity or quality affects the risk of cancer, although studies have looked at the role of sleep in developing breast cancer , lung cancer , and more.

For example, research on lung cancer suggests a relationship between lack of sleep and adenocarcinoma risk, but more research on sleep traits (how long you sleep, whether you take naps) is needed.

Studies also are exploring the role of sleep in those already diagnosed with cancer, especially because difficulty sleeping affects up to 95% of people receiving cancer treatment and care. Sleep deprivation may affect the body's ability to fight cancer and lead to a poor prognosis, which was the conclusion of researchers focused on liver cancer .

A number of studies have shown that sleep deprivation leads to reduced glucose tolerance and impaired insulin sensitivity in humans. Additional studies suggest the risk of type 2 diabetes rises due to inadequate sleep, with seven or eight hours considered the optimal amount.

Researchers also think the timing of sleep may have impacts, too. Disruptions in circadian rhythm, with many people working at night or otherwise "living against the clock" of natural sleep cycles, also have impacts. Sleep disruption appears to affect metabolism and related diseases.

Neurodegenerative Disease

Sleep plays a key role in how your body produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), what it's composed of, and how the CSF is distributed in your brain and spinal cord. A number of studies have looked at how components in CSF, like amyloid-beta levels, might be linked to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The research results are mixed, but there is evidence to suggest that sleep patterns affect levels of amyloid-beta, orexin, tau proteins, interleukin 8 (IL-8), and other components. This may influence the development of Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease, or it may contribute to sleep disruptions that are common in people living with these disorders.

Researchers also are investigating the role of CSF, sleep, and the early development of autism .

Sleep Is Important for Your Mental Health

Evidence suggests lack of sleep contributes to the formation of new mental health problems and to the maintenance of existing ones, but the magnitude of its effect is difficult to estimate and may be different across mental health conditions.

Sleep problems are very common in those with mental illness. In fact, disrupted sleep is commonly seen as both a symptom and consequence of mental health disorders, although sleep deprivation is rarely treated as the cause of mental health conditions.

The most common sleep problem associated with poor mental health is insomnia, with symptoms of:

• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
• Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
• Irritability, depression, or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks, or remembering
• Increased errors or accidents
• Ongoing worries about sleep

You may experience insomnia for a number of reasons, but the most common culprits are: 

• Work schedule
• Poor sleep habits
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine use at night 
• Habitual nighttime screen use

Illustration by JR Bee for Verywell Health

Small changes to your nighttime routine can result in a huge health benefit:

• Establish a realistic bedtime and stick to it every night, even on the weekends.
• Maintain comfortable temperature settings and low light levels in your bedroom.
• Consider a “screen ban” on televisions, computers and tablets, cell phones, and other electronic devices in your bedroom.
• Abstain from caffeine, alcohol, and large meals in the hours leading up to bedtime.
• Refrain from using tobacco at any time of day or night.
• Exercise during the day; this can help you wind down in the evening and prepare for sleep.

Sleep is vital to maintaining health, and most adults need seven or more hours each day. There is increasing evidence that adequate, high-quality sleep can help prevent illnesses like respiratory infection as well as limit the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

Memory, mood, and mental health also are affected by sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders.

There are lifestyle steps you can take to improve sleep. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns or questions about how sleep patterns are affecting your health.

Antza C, Kostopoulos G, Mostafa S, Nirantharakumar K, Tahrani A. The links between sleep duration, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus . J Endocrinol . 2021 Dec 13;252(2):125-141. doi:10.1530/JOE-21-0155.

Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, et al . Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society . Sleep . 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716.

Chong PLH, Garic D, Shen MD, Lundgaard I, Schwichtenberg AJ. Sleep, cerebrospinal fluid, and the glymphatic system: A systematic review . Sleep Med Rev . 2022 Feb;61:101572. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101572. 

Walker WH 2nd, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health . Transl Psychiatry . 2020 Jan 23;10(1):28. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-0694-0. 

da Estrela C, McGrath J, Booij L, Gouin JP. Heart Rate Variability, Sleep Quality, and Depression in the Context of Chronic Stress . Ann Behav Med . 2021 Mar 16;55(2):155-164. doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa039.

Tucker MA, Humiston GB, Summer T, Wamsley E. Comparing the effects of sleep and rest on memory consolidation . Nature and Science of Sleep . 2020 Feb 3;12:79-91. doi:10.2147/NSS.S223917

Rasch B, Born J. About sleep’s role in memory .  Physiological Reviews . 2013;93(2):681-766. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00032.2012 

Chaput JP, McHill AW, Cox RC, Broussard JL, Dutil C, da Costa BGG, Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Wright KP Jr. The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity . Nat Rev Endocrinol . 2023 Feb;19(2):82-97. doi:10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7.

Yeghiazarians Y, Jneid H, Tietjens JR, Redline S, Brown DL, El-Sherif N, et al . Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association . Circulation . 2021 Jul 20;144(3):e56-e67. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000988.

Hanlon EC, Tasali E, Leproult R, Stuhr KL, Doncheck E, de Wit H, Hillard CJ, Van Cauter E.  Sleep restriction enhances the daily rhythm of circulating levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol . 2016 Mar 1;39(3):653-64. doi:10.5665/sleep.5546

Jones SE, Maisha FI, Strausz SJ, Lammi V, Cade BE, Tervi A, et al . The public health impact of poor sleep on severe COVID-19, influenza and upper respiratory infections . EBioMedicine . 2023 Jul;93:104630. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104630

Wang J, Tang H, Duan Y, Yang S, An J. Association between Sleep Traits and Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study . J Immunol Res . 2021 Jun 21;2021:1893882. doi:10.1155/2021/1893882. 

Büttner-Teleagă A, Kim YT, Osel T, Richter K. Sleep Disorders in Cancer-A Systematic Review . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021 Nov 7;18(21):11696. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111696.

Huang J, Song P, Hang K, Chen Z, Zhu Z, Zhang Y, et al . Sleep Deprivation Disturbs Immune Surveillance and Promotes the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma . Front Immunol . 2021 Sep 3;12:727959. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.727959.

Parameswaran G, Ray DW. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and type 2 diabetes mellitus . Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) . 2022 Jan;96(1):12-20. doi:10.1111/cen.14607. 

Chasens ER, Imes CC, Kariuki JK, Luyster FS, Morris JL, DiNardo MM, et al . Sleep and Metabolic Syndrome . Nurs Clin North Am . 2021 Jun;56(2):203-217. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2020.10.012.

Scott AJ, Webb TL, Rowse G. Does improving sleep lead to better mental health? A protocol for a meta-analytic review of randomised controlled trials . BMJ Open. 2017;7(9):e016873. Published 2017 Sep 18. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016873

By Shamard Charles, MD, MPH Shamard Charles, MD, MPH is a public health physician and journalist. He has held positions with major news networks like NBC reporting on health policy, public health initiatives, diversity in medicine, and new developments in health care research and medical treatments.

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MORE INFORMATION

How Sleep Works Why Is Sleep Important?

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Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic (long-term) health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. Learn how sleep affects your heart and circulatory system, metabolism , respiratory system, and immune system and how much sleep is enough.

This brochure describes the differences between the types of sleep needed to feel awake and to be healthy and offers tips for getting a good night’s sleep.

Heart and circulatory system

When you fall asleep and enter non-REM sleep , your blood pressure and heart rate fall. During sleep, your parasympathetic system controls your body, and your heart does not work as hard as it does when you are awake. During REM sleep and when waking, your sympathetic system is activated, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure to the usual levels when you are awake and relaxed. A sharp increase in blood pressure and heart rate upon waking has been linked to angina, or chest pain, and heart attacks .

People who do not sleep enough or wake up often during the night may have a higher risk of:

• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure

Hormones and sleep

Your body makes different hormones at different times of day. This may be related to your sleep pattern or your circadian clocks. In the morning, your body releases hormones that promote alertness, such as cortisol, which helps you wake up. Other hormones have 24-hour patterns that vary throughout your life; for example, in children, the hormones that tell the glands to release testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are made in pulses at night, and the pulses get bigger as puberty approaches.

Metabolism and sleep

The way your body handles fat varies according to various circadian clocks, including those in the liver, fat, and muscle. For example, the circadian clocks make sure that your liver is prepared to help digest fats at appropriate times. Your body may handle fat differently if you eat at unusual times.

Studies have shown that not getting enough quality sleep can lead to:

• Higher levels of the hormones that control hunger, including leptin and ghrelin, inside your body
• Decreased ability to respond to insulin
• Increased consumption of food, especially fatty, sweet, and salty foods
• Decreased physical activity
• Metabolic syndrome

All of these contribute to overweight and obesity .

Respiratory and immune systems

During sleep, you breathe less often and less deeply and take in less oxygen. These changes can cause problems in people who have health problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Asthma symptoms are usually worse during early morning sleep. Likewise, breathing problems in people who have lung diseases such as COPD can become worse during sleep.

Sleep also affects different parts of your immune system, which become more active at different times of day. For example, when you sleep, a particular type of immune cell works harder. That is why people who do not sleep enough may be more likely to get colds and other infections.

Lung Health Basics: Sleep

People with lung disease often have  trouble sleeping. Sleep is critical to overall health, so take the first step to sleeping better: learn these sleep terms, and find out about treatments that can help with sleep apnea.

Problems with thinking and memory

Sleep helps with learning and the formation of long-term memories. Not getting enough sleep or enough high-quality sleep can lead to problems focusing on tasks and thinking clearly. Read our Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency page for more information on how lack of sleep affects performance of daily activities, including driving and schoolwork.

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Good Sleep for Good Health

Get the Rest You Need

Sometimes, the pace of modern life barely gives you time to stop and rest. It can make getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis seem like a dream.

But sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health.

Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.

There’s more to good sleep than just the hours spent in bed, says Dr. Marishka Brown, a sleep expert at NIH. “Healthy sleep encompasses three major things,” she explains. “One is how much sleep you get. Another is sleep quality—that you get uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. The last is a consistent sleep schedule.”

People who work the night shift or irregular schedules may find getting quality sleep extra challenging. And times of great stress—like the current pandemic—can disrupt our normal sleep routines. But there are many things you can do to improve your sleep.

Sleep for Repair

Why do we need to sleep? People often think that sleep is just “down time,” when a tired brain gets to rest, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester.

“But that’s wrong,” she says. While you sleep, your brain is working. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create.

Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered that the brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep.

“When we sleep, the brain totally changes function,” she explains. “It becomes almost like a kidney, removing waste from the system.”

Her team found in mice that the drainage system removes some of the proteins linked with Alzheimer’s disease. These toxins were removed twice as fast from the brain during sleep.

Everything from blood vessels to the immune system The system that protects your body from invading viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic threats. uses sleep as a time for repair, says Dr. Kenneth Wright, Jr., a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado.

“There are certain repair processes that occur in the body mostly, or most effectively, during sleep,” he explains. “If you don’t get enough sleep, those processes are going to be disturbed.”

Sleep Myths and Truths

How much sleep you need changes with age. Experts recommend school-age children get at least nine hours a night and teens get between eight and 10. Most adults need at least seven hours or more of sleep each night.

There are many misunderstandings about sleep. One is that adults need less sleep as they get older. This isn’t true. Older adults still need the same amount. But sleep quality can get worse as you age. Older adults are also more likely to take medications that interfere with sleep.

Another sleep myth is that you can “catch up” on your days off. Researchers are finding that this largely isn’t the case.

“If you have one bad night’s sleep and take a nap, or sleep longer the next night, that can benefit you,” says Wright. “But if you have a week’s worth of getting too little sleep, the weekend isn’t sufficient for you to catch up. That’s not a healthy behavior.”

In a recent study, Wright and his team looked at people with consistently deficient sleep. They compared them to sleep-deprived people who got to sleep in on the weekend.

Both groups of people gained weight with lack of sleep. Their bodies’ ability to control blood sugar levels also got worse. The weekend catch-up sleep didn’t help.

On the flip side, more sleep isn’t always better, says Brown. For adults, “if you’re sleeping more than nine hours a night and you still don’t feel refreshed, there may be some underlying medical issue,” she explains.

Sleep Disorders

Some people have conditions that prevent them from getting enough quality sleep, no matter how hard they try. These problems are called sleep disorders.

The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. “Insomnia is when you have repeated difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep,” says Brown. This happens despite having the time to sleep and a proper sleep environment. It can make you feel tired or unrested during the day.

Insomnia can be short-term, where people struggle to sleep for a few weeks or months. “Quite a few more people have been experiencing this during the pandemic,” Brown says. Long-term insomnia lasts for three months or longer.

Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder. In sleep apnea, the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. This reduces or stops airflow, which wakes people up during the night. The condition can be dangerous. If untreated, it may lead to other health problems.

If you regularly have problems sleeping, talk with your health care provider. They may have you keep a sleep diary to track your sleep for several weeks. They can also run tests, including sleep studies. These look for sleep disorders.

Getting Better Sleep

If you’re having trouble sleeping, hearing how important it is may be frustrating. But simple things can improve your odds of a good night’s sleep. See the Wise Choices box for tips to sleep better every day.

Treatments are available for many common sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help many people with insomnia get better sleep. Medications can also help some people.

Many people with sleep apnea benefit from using a device called a CPAP machine. These machines keep the airway open so that you can breathe. Other treatments can include special mouthguards and lifestyle changes.

For everyone, “as best you can, try to make sleep a priority,” Brown says. “Sleep is not a throwaway thing—it’s a biological necessity.”

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Why sleep is essential for health

Sleep is important for maintaining optimal health and well-being. Like exercise and a balanced diet, getting enough sleep may help prevent a range of health issues, including heart disease and depression.

Modern-day living in the United States and many other countries does not always embrace the necessity for adequate sleep. Yet, it is important that people make an effort to get enough sleep regularly.

The following are some of the many benefits health professionals associate with getting a good night’s rest.

1. Better memory and performance

A 2017 study looked into the short and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption.

Researchers noted that sleep has links to several brain functions, including:

• Memory: Sleep disruption may affect memory processing and formation.
• Performance : People’s performance at work, school, and other settings is affected by sleep disruption. This includes focus, emotional reactivity, decision-making, risk-taking behavior, and judgment.
• Cognition: By affecting stress hormones, sleep disruption may affect cognition.

A 2015 study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry showed that children’s sleep patterns could directly impact their behavior and academic performance.

2. Lower weight gain risk

The link between weight gain and obesity and short sleep patterns is unclear.

There have been several studies throughout the years that have linked obesity and poor sleep patterns.

A 2018 study suggests that people who regularly sleep less than seven hours a night are more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) and develop obesity than those who sleep more.

Researchers suggested sleep deprivation is associated with higher levels of gherlin (the hunger hormone), salt retention and inflammatory markers. They also noted that decreased sleep results in increased fatigue, which may affect a person’s desire or ability to exercise and maintain a healthful lifestyle.

More research is needed to better understand the links between poor sleep and weight gain.

Resources for healthy sleep

To discover more evidence-based information and resources on the science of healthy sleep, visit our dedicated hub .

3. Better calorie regulation

Similarly to gaining weight, there is evidence to suggest that getting a good night’s sleep can help a person’s body take in fewer calories .

For example, a 2022 clinical trial found that overweight adults who increased their sleep duration took in fewer calories compared with a control group.

The adults increased their sleep by 1.2 hours on average, and took in around 270 calories fewer than the control group. The researchers suggested that improving and maintaining healthy sleep duration could help with weight loss and obesity prevention.

4. Greater athletic performance

Adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night, but recent studies have suggested that athletes may need more.

Sleep is important for athletes and people participating in sport because the body heals during sleep. Other benefits include:

• better endurance
• more energy
• better accuracy and reaction time
• faster speed
• better mental functioning

5. Lower risk of heart disease

One risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , getting adequate rest each night allows the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself.

Getting a good night’s sleep can also reduce the chances of sleep-related conditions such as apnea and promote better overall heart health.

6. More emotional and social intelligence

Sleep has links to people’s emotional and social intelligence. Someone who does not get adequate sleep is more likely to have issues with recognizing other people’s emotions and expressions.

For example, a 2022 study looked into the relationship between sleep quality and duration and emotional intelligence.

477 participants were asked to complete questionnaires about sleep habits and emotional intelligence. People who routinely experienced higher quality sleep tended to perceive themselves as having better emotional intelligence, such as doing well in social interactions, maintaining relationships, feeling positive and controlling impulses.

7. Preventing depression

The association between sleep and mental health has been the subject of research for a long time. A 2016 meta-analysis concluded that insomnia is significantly associated with an increased risk of depression.

The review suggests that sleep loss may result in cognitive alterations that lead to depression risk.

Sleep disturbance may also impair emotional regulation and stability, as well as altering neural processes, which may all lead to symptoms of depression.

8. Lower inflammation

There is a link between getting adequate sleep and reducing inflammation in the body.

For example, a 2019 study found a significant positive association between greater sleep inconsistency and higher levels of inflammation, particularly in women.

The study suggested that inconsistent sleep, where a person goes to bed at inconsistent times or wakes up at different times each night, can disturb the body’s process of regulating inflammation during sleep.

9. Stronger immune system

Sleep helps the body repair, regenerate, and recover. The immune system is no exception to this relationship. Some research suggests that deep sleep is neccessary for the body to repair itself and strengthen the immune system.

However, scientists still need to do further research into the exact mechanisms of sleep in regards to its impact on the body’s immune system.

Stages of sleep

When people sleep, their body goes through four stages of sleep.

Three of these stages are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, with each stage a progressively deeper sleep. The final stage is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where dreaming mostly occurs.

The body cycles through each stage around four to six times over the course of a night.

Read on to find out more about each stage of sleep.

Stage 1 NREM (Light sleep)

This is the lightest stage of NREM sleep, where a person transitions from wakefulness to sleep.

In this stage, a person’s brain waves, heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements slow. Their muscles also relax, with occasional twitching.

A person usually spends only 5% of their total sleep time in stage 1, which typically lasts several minutes at a time.

Stage 2 NREM (Deeper sleep)

In this stage, a person’s heart rate slows and muscles relax further. Their body temperature drops and eye movements stop.

A person’s brain-wave activity slows but they experience brief bursts of electrical activity, known as sleep spindles. Studies suggest sleep spindles help with memory consolidation.

People spend most of their total sleep time in stage 2 (about 45%). This stage typically lasts around 25 minutes in the first cycle, with time increasing in each cycle.

Stage 3 NREM (Deepest sleep)

This is the deepest stage of sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), and accounts for about 25% of total sleep time.

A person’s heart rate, breathing, and brain waves slow to their lowest levels, and muscles completely relax. This stage is the hardest to awaken from, and when sleepwalking, bedwetting, and night terrors occur.

In this stage, a person’s body repairs itself, regrows tissues, strengthens the immune system, and builds bone and muscle. A person needs this stage of sleep to wake up feeling refreshed.

Stage 4 REM (Dreaming)

This is the stage of sleep where dreaming and nightmares mostly occur. It usually begins about 90 minutes after a person falls asleep.

A person’s eyes move rapidly from side to side with eyelids closed during this stage, and heart rate and breathing increase.

Brain activity becomes closer to that seen in wakefulness, but arm and leg muscles become paralyzed to stop a person from acting out their dreams. Experts believe a person needs some REM and non-REM sleep for memory consolidation.

People spend around 25% of total sleep time in REM sleep, with each cycle lasting from 10 minutes to an hour.

Learn more about sleep stages here.

How much sleep do we need?

Sleep needs vary from person to person, depending on their age. As a person ages, they typically require less sleep to function properly.

According to the CDC , the breakdown is as follows:

• Newborns (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
• Infants (4–12 months): 12–16 hours
• Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours
• Preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours
• School age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours
• Teen (13–18 years): 8–10 hours
• Adult (18–60 years): 7-plus hours
• Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours
• Adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours

As well as the number of hours, the quality of sleep is also important. Signs of poor sleep quality include:

• Waking in the middle of the night.
• Still not feeling rested after an adequate number of hours sleep.

Tips for improving sleep

Some things a person can do to improve sleep quality are:

• Avoiding sleeping in when you have had enough sleep.
• Going to bed around the same time each night.
• Spending more time outside and being more active during the day.
• Reducing stress through exercise, therapy, or other means.

Learn more about how to sleep better.

Sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every person’s overall health and well-being. Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for another day.

Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration.

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• Brain basics: Understanding sleep. (2022). https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/patient-caregiver-education/brain-basics-understanding-sleep
• Cooper, C. B., et al . (2018). Sleep deprivation and obesity in adults: a brief narrative review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196958/
• Dzierzewski, J. M., et al . (2020). Sleep Inconsistency and Markers of Inflammation. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.01042/full
• Fernandez, L. M. J., et al . (2020). Sleep Spindles: Mechanisms and Functions. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00042.2018
• Hayley, A. C., et al. (2015). The relationships between insomnia, sleep apnoea and depression: Findings from the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2008. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25128225/
• How does sleep affect your heart health? (2021). https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/sleep.htm
• How much sleep do I need? (2017). https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
• Kilgore, W. D. S., et al . (2022). Sleep quality and duration are associated with greater trait emotional intelligence. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721821001534
• Könen, T., et al. (2015). Cognitive benefits of last night’s sleep: Daily variations in children’s sleep behavior are related to working memory fluctuations. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25052368/
• Li, L., (2016). Insomnia and the risk of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-016-1075-3
• Patel, A. K., et al . (2022). Physiology, Sleep Stages. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526132/
• Tasali, E., et al . (2022). Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults With Overweight in Real-life Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35129580/
• Walsh, N. P., et al . (2021). Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/7/356
• Watson, A. (2017). Sleep and Athletic Performance. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2017/11000/sleep_and_athletic_performance.11.aspx

Last medically reviewed on August 16, 2022

• Heart Disease
• Anxiety / Stress
• Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
• Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia

How we reviewed this article:

• Ali, T., et al. (2013). Sleep, immunity and inflammation in gastrointestinal disorders. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24409051
• Bernert, R. A., et al. (2014). Association of poor subjective sleep quality with risk for death by suicide during a 10-year period: A longitudinal, population-based study of late life. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25133759
• Besedovsky, L., et al. (2012). Sleep and immune function. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
• Di Milia, L., et al. (2013). The association between short sleep and obesity after controlling for demographic, lifestyle, work and health related factors. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23419528/
• Guadagni, V., et al. (2014). The effects of sleep deprivation on emotional empathy. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25117004/
• Hayley, A. C., et al. (2015). The relationships between insomnia, sleep apnoea and depression: Findings from the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2008. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25128225/
• How does sleep affect your heart health? (2018). https://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep-heart-health/index.html
• How sleep affects athletes’ performance. (n.d.). https://www.sleep.org/articles/how-sleep-affects-athletes/
• Könen, T., et al. (2015). Cognitive benefits of last night's sleep: Daily variations in children's sleep behavior are related to working memory fluctuations. [Abstract]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25052368/
• Markwald, R. R., et al. (2013). Impact of insufficient sleep on total daily energy expenditure, food intake, and weight gain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3619301/

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More in Beneath the Surface of Sleep

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Why You Should Make a Good Night’s Sleep a Priority

Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation are serious problems for most high school and college students. This guide offers important tips on how—and why—to improve your sleep hygiene.

The time you spend in high school and college can be both fun and rewarding. At the same time, these can be some of the busiest years of your life.

Balancing all the demands on your time—a full course load, extracurricular activities, and socializing with friends—can be challenging. And if you also work or have family commitments, it can feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. 

With so many competing priorities, sacrificing sleep may feel like the only way to get everything done. 

Despite the sleepiness you might feel the next day, one late night probably won’t have a major impact on your well-being. But regularly short-changing yourself on quality sleep can have serious implications for school, work, and your physical and mental health.

Alternatively, prioritizing a regular sleep schedule can make these years healthier, less stressful, and more successful long-term.

The sleep you need versus the sleep you get

According to the National Sleep Foundation , high school students (ages 14-17) need about eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. For young adults (ages 18 to 25), the range is need between seven and nine hours.

How do you know how much sleep you need within this range? 

According to Dr. Edward Pace-Schott, Harvard Summer School and Harvard Medical School faculty member and sleep expert, you can answer that question simply by observing how much you sleep when you don’t need to get up.

“When you’ve been on vacation for two weeks, how are you sleeping during that second week? How long are you sleeping? If you’re sleeping eight or nine hours when you don’t have any reason to get up, then chances are you need that amount or close to that amount of sleep,” says Pace-Schott. 

Most students, however, get far less sleep than the recommended amount. 

Seventy to 96 percent of college students get less than eight hours of sleep each week night. And over half of college students sleep less than seven hours per night. The numbers are similar for high school students; 73 percent of high school students get between seven and seven and a half hours of sleep .

Of course, many students attempt to catch up on lost sleep by sleeping late on the weekends. Unfortunately, this pattern is neither healthy nor a true long-term solution to sleep deprivation. 

And what about those students who say that they function perfectly well on just a couple hours of sleep?

“There are very few individuals who are so-called short sleepers, people who really don’t need more than six hours of sleep. But, there are a lot more people who claim to be short sleepers than there are real short sleepers,” says Pace-Schott.

Consequences of sleep deprivation

The consequences of sleep deprivation are fairly well established but may still be surprising.

For example, did you know that sleep deprivation can create the same level of cognitive impairment as drinking alcohol? 

According to the CDC , staying awake for 18 hours can have the same effect as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 percent. Staying awake for 24 hours can equate to a BAC of 0.10 percent (higher than the legal limit of 0.08 percent). 

And according to research by AAA , drowsy driving causes an average of 328,000 motor vehicle accidents each year in the US. Drivers who sleep less than five hours per night are more than five times as likely to have a crash as drivers who sleep for seven hours or more.  

Other signs of chronic sleep deprivation include:

• Daytime sleepiness and fatigue
• Irritability and short temper
• Mood changes
• Trouble coping with stress
• Difficulty focusing, concentrating, and remembering

Over the long term, chronic sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on your physical and mental health. Insufficient sleep has been linked, for example, to weight gain and obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

The impact on your mental health can be just as serious. Harvard Medical School has conducted numerous studies, including research by Pace-Schott, demonstrating a link between sleep deprivation and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

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Importance of sleep for high school and college students

As difficult as it is to prioritize sleep, the advantages of going to bed early and getting quality sleep every night are very real.

College students who prioritize sleep are likely to see an improvement in their academic performance.

If you are well rested, you will experience less daytime sleepiness and fatigue. You may need less caffeine to stay awake during those long lectures. And you will also find you are more productive, more attentive to detail, and able to concentrate better while studying.

But the connection between sleep and academic performance goes well beyond concentration and attentiveness.

“Sleep is very important for consolidating memories. In any sort of experimental setting, study results show better performance if you learn material and then sleep on it, instead of remaining awake. So there’s lots and lots of evidence now indicating that sleep promotes memory strengthening and memory consolidation,” says Pace-Schott. 

There is also a strong connection between sleep quality and stress.

Students who prioritize sleep are better able to cope with the stress that comes with being an active student. 

“It’s a vicious circle where the more stressed you get, the less you sleep, and the less you sleep, the more stressed you get. And in the long term, that can lead to serious psychiatric problems,” says Pace-Schott.

In the worst case scenario, the combination of lack of sleep and stress can lead to mental health disorders such as depression, general anxiety disorder, and potentially even post-traumatic stress disorder.

But prioritizing sleep can create a positive feedback loop as well. 

Establishing a sleep schedule and adequate sleep duration can improve your ability to cope with stress. Being active and productive will help you get more done throughout the day, which also reduces feelings of stress.

And the less stressed you feel during the day, the better you will sleep at night. 

Tips for getting more sleep as a student

The key to getting a good night’s sleep is establishing healthy sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene.

The first step is deciding to make sleep a priority. 

Staying ahead of coursework and avoiding distractions and procrastination while you study is key to avoiding the need for late night study sessions. And prioritizing sleep may mean leaving a party early or choosing your social engagements carefully. 

Yet the reward—feeling awake and alert the next morning—will reinforce that positive choice. 

The next step is establishing healthy bedtime and daytime patterns to promote good quality sleep.

Pace-Schott offers the following tips on steps you can take to create healthy sleep hygiene:

• Limit caffeine in close proximity to bed time. College students should also avoid alcohol intake, which disrupts quality sleep.
• Avoid electronic screens (phone, laptop, tablet, desktop) within an hour of bedtime. 
• Engage in daily physical exercise, but avoid intense exercise within two hours of bedtime.
• Establish a sleep schedule. Be as consistent as possible in your bedtime and rise time, and get exposure to morning sunlight.
• Establish a “wind-down” routine prior to bedtime.
• Limit use of bed for daily activities other than sleep (e.g., TV, work, eating)

Of course, college students living in dorms or other communal settings may find their sleep disturbed by circumstances beyond their control: a poor-quality mattress, inability to control the temperature of your bedroom, or noisy roommates, for example. 

But taking these active steps to promote healthy sleep will, barring these other uncontrollable circumstances, help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and get a more restorative sleep.

And for students who are still not convinced of the importance of sleep, Pace-Schott says that personal observation is the best way to see the impact of healthy sleep habits. 

“Keep a sleep diary for a week. Pay attention to your sleep in a structured way. And be sure to record how you felt during the day. This can really help you make the link between how you slept the night before and how you feel during the day. It’s amazing how much you will learn about your sleep and its impact on your life.” 

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Raising Awareness of Sleep as a Healthy Behavior

Sleep is an essential component of health, and its timing, duration, and quality are critical determinants of health ( 1 ). Sleep may play an important role in metabolic regulation, emotion regulation, performance, memory consolidation, brain recuperation processes, and learning ( 2 ). Because of the importance of these functions, sleep should be viewed as being as critical to health as diet and physical activity. However, public health practitioners and other health care providers have not focused major attention on the importance of sleep to health. In this essay, we briefly summarize the scientific literature about hours of sleep needed and why sleep is an important public health issue. We also suggest areas for expanding sleep research and strategies for increasing awareness of the importance of sleep and improving sleep health. Finally, we call for action to bring sleep to the forefront of public health.

How Much Sleep is Needed and Are We There?

The 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation indicates that the average basal sleep needs of adults is approximately 7 to 8 hours per night, and the optimal sleep duration for adolescents is 9 hours per night ( 1 ). However, more than 35% of adults report getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep during a 24-hour period ( 3 , 4 ), and almost 70% of high school students report getting fewer than 8 hours of sleep on an average weeknight ( 5 ). Overall, about 15 million children in the United States do not get sufficient sleep ( 6 ).

Among adults, the reasons for sleep loss appear to be related mainly to lifestyle, work schedules (shift work and long hours), or sleep disorders ( 1 ). Approximately 20% of workers are engaged in shift work, which often leads to longer work hours ( 1 ). Among adolescents, insufficient sleep is associated with greater use of social media technology, and among younger children it is associated with depressive symptomatology, family disagreements, and safety issues around home, school and neighborhood ( 6 ).

Why Is Sleep a Public Health Issue?

Insufficient sleep has major health consequences in adults, adolescents, and young children. Strong evidence exists that among adults insufficient sleep has a significant effect on numerous health conditions, including chronic disease development and incidence ( 1 ). For instance, short sleep duration (<7 hours of sleep per night) and poor sleep quality are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and metabolic disorders such as glucose intolerance, which may lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension ( 1 ). People who have short sleep duration are at 1.48 times greater risk of developing and dying of coronary heart disease than controls and 1.15 times more likely to have a stroke ( 7 ). Children who experience short sleep duration are more likely to become obese than those who do not ( 8 ).

Insufficient sleep also affects immunologic function and development of mood disorders and is associated with depression; deficits in cognition, memory and learning; and reduced quality of life ( 1 ). Adults who sleep fewer than 7 hours per night have greater difficulty concentrating, remembering, and performing other daily activities than those who sleep 7 to 9 hours a night ( 4 ). Children and adolescents who get insufficient sleep have impaired behavior, mood, and performance ( 9 ).

One major consequence of insufficient sleep is daytime sleepiness, which reduces alertness and causes slow reaction time, leading to occupational and medical errors, workplace injuries, impaired driving, and motor vehicle accidents ( 1 ). In 2009, almost 5% of adults in 12 states reported that during the previous 30 days they had nodded off or fallen asleep while driving ( 3 ). In 2005, drowsy driving contributed to 100,000 motor vehicle accidents and 15,000 deaths ( 10 ).

The public health burden of sleep deprivation is enormous. There are substantial public health investments in all areas related to sleep, from obesity and other chronic conditions to motor vehicle accidents. Insufficient sleep, unlike other health risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and physical inactivity, has historically received much less attention in the public health and clinical settings. Insufficient sleep is an important public health risk factor that would benefit from further investigation.

Lack of Awareness

Despite strong evidence of the relationship between insufficient sleep and health problems, most people are unaware of the amount of sleep they need, their level of sleep deprivation, and the negative impact of sleep deprivation on health. Because of lack of awareness, sleep is not commonly incorporated into public health approaches. In addition, many health care providers do not counsel their patients about healthy sleep habits ( 11 ). In a study of health care screening among 121 primary care clinics, only 43% included sleep-related questions on their screening batteries compared with 100% for smoking and alcohol, 93% for healthy eating, and 86% for physical activity ( 11 ). It is not clear why sleep is not included in health screenings, but it may be related to the clinician’s lack of knowledge of the importance of sleep. In 2002, only 10% of primary care providers described their knowledge of sleep and sleep disorders as good ( 12 ).

Although little evidence exists on the effectiveness of sleep screening and counseling on sleep behavior, screening and counseling has been shown to improve the health behaviors of patients in other areas, such as dietary habits, smoking cessation, and physical activity ( 13 ). Therefore, giving providers information about screening and counseling for appropriate sleep time and needs could better equip primary care and public health professionals with the knowledge needed to screen and counsel patients to promote sleep as a healthy behavior ( 1 ). However, further investigation is needed on the effectiveness of sleep screening and sleep counseling.

Strategies to Improve Awareness and Sleep Health

Information about the physiology of sleep and sleep disorders is widely available, but much less work has been done on effective strategies to promote sleep as a healthy behavior. This field is prime for public health investigations and interventions to reduce the negative effect of insufficient sleep as a common risk factor for many health outcomes. Some suggested strategies for improving sleep initiation and sleep maintenance, duration, and quality are consistency in bedtime and rising; maintaining an appropriate sleeping environment (dark, relaxing, not too hot or cold); avoiding television -watching before bed, avoiding use of electronics or reading in the bedroom; and avoiding large meals and physical activity before going to bed ( www.sleepfoundation.org ). However, more research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these suggested strategies to improve sleep behavior and health.

The IOM report calls for several approaches to reduce the public health burden of insufficient sleep through increasing public awareness of the importance of sleep and improving diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders ( 1 ). Reaching these goals will require 1) improved public education on the need for sleep and the consequences of insufficient sleep; 2) more training for public health professionals and health care providers on screening and counseling; and 3) improved evidence of the burden of insufficient sleep acquired through surveillance and monitoring tools.

Federal agencies, public health partners, and private organizations are collaborating to employ IOM strategies. For example, The National Sleep Awareness Roundtable (NSART) ( www.nsart.org ), a national coalition of government, professional, volunteer, and other organizations, is collaborating to raise awareness about sleep among the public, increase the understanding of the importance of sleep, and reduce the public health and safety impact of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders by improving communication and collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies. NSART member organizations have contributed to sleep awareness by providing training workshops on healthy sleep for primary care providers, by producing free local initiatives to educate primary care health providers on sleep and sleep disorders, by promoting Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and National Sleep Awareness Week to educate the public, and by publishing research findings. Several of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s surveillance systems have added questions on sleep to provide state and national data on the burden of insufficient sleep ( 14 – 16 ); however, more national data are needed on young children (aged 0–12 years). The 2020 Health Objectives ( 17 ) added sleep as one of its new areas, focusing on increasing the proportion of adults and students in grades 9 through 12 who get sufficient sleep, decreasing the number of vehicular crashes resulting from drowsy driving, and increasing the proportion of persons with sleep apnea symptoms who are evaluated.

Call to Action

Because of the lack of awareness of the benefits of healthy sleep, multisectoral public health campaigns, similar to those related to smoking cessation and reducing excessive alcohol consumption, are needed to educate the public about the importance of sleep and the consequences of insufficient sleep. Suggested strategies to improve sleep health include the following:

• Research on the effectiveness of screening and counseling efforts
• Education of employers on the health effects of long shifts and insufficient sleep
• Delaying school start time for high school students
• Educating the public on the risks of drowsy driving
• Improving surveillance of sleep health, especially among young children

Finally, the critical public health message is: Sleep is essential for good health; it is a necessity, not a luxury.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the following members of NSART who provided insight and comments during the development and review of this essay: Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD; David G. Davila, MD; Robert C. Basner, MD; David A. Schulman, MD, MPH, FCCP; Edward Grandi; Lee J. Brooks, MD; Wayne Giles, MD, MS; Janet B. Croft, PhD; Roger R. Rosa, PhD; and Harold W. Gordon, PhD.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

Suggested citation for this article: Perry GS, Patil SP, Presley-Cantrell LR. Raising Awareness of Sleep as a Healthy Behavior. Prev Chronic Dis 2013;10:130081. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.130081 .

Why Is Sleep Important?

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Sleep is the balm that soothes and restores after a long day. Sleep is largely driven by the body’s internal clock, which takes cues from external elements such as sunlight and temperature. The body’s natural sleep-and-wake cycle is reasonably attuned to a 24-hour period.

Perturbations in the sleep cycle are disruptive to the functioning of many body systems. Learning, memory , stamina, general health, and mood are all affected by sleep duration and quality. For many people, sleep is elusive or otherwise troubled. In fact, most people, at some point in their lives, experience difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Potential consequences of consistently poor sleep include obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Sleep deprivation can also affect judgement and mental acuity.

Sleep needs differ from person to person and across different age groups. One person may need eight full hours, while another can function with less sleep. The good news is that the treatment of sleep disorders is rapidly progressing.

On This Page

• Why do we sleep?
• How much sleep do I need?
• How long should it take me to fall asleep?
• Do some people need more sleep than others?
• Am I a “short sleeper”?
• How can I get better sleep?
• What is the purpose of dreams?
• What is a chronotype?
• How do I find out my chronotype?
• What is “sleep debt”?
• Should I replace my mattress?
• Can weighted blankets and other tools help me sleep?

Despite the universal need for sleep, there remains much about it that scientists don’t understand. It is known that sleep allows for the body and brain to replenish energy and repair themselves in critical ways. Memory consolidation, information processing, physical growth, muscle repair, and countless other processes are theorized to occur during sleep; sleep is also critical for strengthening the immune system and allowing the body to fight off disease.

To learn more about the benefits of sleep, see Sleep and Mental Health or Sleep and Physical Health.

Sleep needs vary by age, and variation exists even within age groups. But in general, The National Sleep Foundation provides these daily sleep guidelines:

• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
• School-age children (6-13): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
• Young adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

To learn more about how sleep needs change over time, see Children and Sleep.

In general, it should take about 10 to 20 minutes for a person to drift off. But if one perceives that it is taking too long—whether it takes 20 minutes or an hour—that can spur anxiety about sleep that negatively affects sleep quality. Falling asleep as soon as one's head hits the pillow is not proof that one is a good sleeper; it's more likely an indication that an individual is sleep-deprived.

For more on recognizing signs of disordered sleep, see Overcoming Insomnia or Sleep Disorders.

Absolutely. Some people may feel great after 7 hours of sleep, while others don’t feel rested unless they get a solid 9. There do appear to be rare individuals who can function on significantly less sleep, which evidence suggests is due to genetics ; conversely, there appear to be some people who require significantly longer amounts of sleep—up to 10 hours a night—to function optimally.

“Short sleepers”—or those who are genetically programmed to require less sleep than average—do exist, and are thought to make up approximately 5 percent of the population . However, many people who think they are functioning well on little sleep may actually be chronically sleep deprived , as evidence suggests that it becomes difficult for people to objectively judge their mental state after several nights of poor sleep.

The standard sleep hygiene advice can be of great help to many poor sleepers: Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark. Use your bed only for sex and sleep. Avoid caffeine from mid-afternoon on. And avoid all screens for at least an hour before turning in; screens' melatonin-inhibiting blue light delays sleep latency by an average of 10 minutes. Falling asleep in front of a TV, as 61 percent of adults confess to having done, is a problem as well: The screen's light penetrates the eyelids, so the brain still experiences exposure to light. This phenomenon prevents the more refreshing stages of deep sleep.

For more on improving sleep, see How to Sleep Better.

Researchers still aren’t entirely sure, but theories abound. Some experts hypothesize that dreams and nightmares—which often consist, at least in part, of real people, places, and life events—help the brain consolidate memories accumulated over the course of the day, identifying which ones to retain for long-term memory and allowing the rest to fade. Others argue that dream scenarios allow us to process emotions, mull over problems, or act out fantasies in a safe environment. Regardless of their purpose, what is known about dreams is that they appear to be universal—even if some people almost never remember having them.

For more about dreams, see Understanding Dreams or Managing Nightmares.

The word “chronotype” refers to an individual’s preferred sleep/wake schedule, based on their biologically programmed circadian rhythm . The most well-known chronotypes are “night owls”—or those who prefer to stay up late into the evening and awaken later in the day—and “morning larks,” who lean toward an “early to bed, early to rise” schedule. Chronotypes exist on a spectrum; while a few people are at either extreme, the majority of people fall somewhere in the middle.

Most people discover their chronotype by a process of trial and error; they naturally gravitate toward a specific sleep schedule and feel “off” when that schedule is interrupted. For those who are unsure, there also exist online quizzes that purport to help individuals understand their chronotype.

The term “sleep debt” refers to the difference between the amount of sleep someone needs and the amount of sleep they actually get; someone whose body requires 8 hours of sleep per night, for instance, but only gets 6, would accumulate a 14-hour sleep debt over the course of a week. Accumulating a large sleep debt has been associated with increased risk of certain physical and mental health conditions such as diabetes or anxiety.

For more on tackling insufficient sleep, see Overcoming Insomnia.

An old or poor-quality mattress may be hindering sleep quality. The Better Sleep Council states that mattresses should be replaced every 7 to 10 years; older ones tend to stop providing adequate support, resulting in restless, inadequate sleep; they also accumulate allergens which can further disrupt sleep.

Many sleep experts endorse the use of weighted blankets, and not just for those with conditions like restless leg syndrome. Users find that the blankets provide the same type of comfort as hugs or swaddling for babies. Wearing a sleep-tracking bracelet that can record when one falls asleep and wakes up, and detect interrupted sleep, can also help some people. Ironically, its primary benefit may be providing reassurance to those who believe they’re getting hardly any sleep—a phenomenon known as paradoxical insomnia .

Do you have insomnia or sleep disturbances? You are not alone. CBT-I is a promising treatment for insomnia without the aid of sleep medication.

Infants and their parents have curiously mismatched sleep cycles. Although babies sleep twice as much as their parents, it is bundled into short snatches an hour or two at a time.

Are you wondering whether your sleep issue warrants treatment? Do you want to know what doctors suggest? A board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist answers.

Exploring mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Personal Perspective: A healthy sleep cycle eludes many people with bipolar disorder, yet few things are more important for recovery.

Researchers have discovered new trigger for insomnia: preoccupation with a sleep-tracking device.

Sleep is essential to mental health and well-being. The relationship between the amount and quality of sleep a person gets and their mental-emotional health is reciprocal.

Here's a guide to creating your personal restoration toolkit.

Feeling well-rested isn't just a matter of sleeping more; quality is key. Understanding this crucial measure can help you overcome insomnia.

As sleep loss becomes an almost universal phenomenon, research supports a growing body of evidence showing its adverse impact.

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The Importance of Sleep by Kealey

Kealeyof Logan 's entry into Varsity Tutor's July 2017 scholarship contest

The Importance of Sleep by Kealey - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our lives. For many, sleep is too often undervalued. But when all's said and done, we should place sleep as a higher priority in our lives because it enhances our physical and cognitive performance, improves our memory, and supports survival mechanisms. Sleep provides cognitive and physical health benefits that allow the human body to function more properly. I personally perform better in all aspects of life if I receive adequate amounts of sleep. Because of this, I strive to be in bed by my set bedtime (no later than 10:30 pm). There are instances, specifically on the weekend that I stay up later. In contrast, my father does not get enough sleep. During my teenage years, he would consistently go to bed around 11 pm or midnight and wake up at either 3:00 or 4:00 am. The reality of the need for sleep finally sunk in when my dad was diagnosed with Pseudotumor cerebri, or swelling of the optic nerve. Other health problems escalated as an after effect. Although there are no known causes of this condition, the doctors suggested that inadequate amounts of sleep may have been a contributing factor. In findings reported by the National Institution of Health,sleep is necessary to heal and repair the body’s immune functions, regulate a healthy balance of hormones, and also aids in growth and development. Like my father, sometimes the suffering presents itself in extremities. But more often than not, little things such as the common cold or flu affect those that don’t get enough sleep more. Because sleep is individualized, a person must ensure they get adequate amounts of sleep for proper physical functioning on a daily basis. Not only does sleep affect our physical abilities, it can enhance our overall mental abilities. In general, humans function better when they get enough sleep. Dr. Ferraro and Dr. Genarro, two Italian sleep psychologists, suggest a direct correlation indicating that performance ability declines as the number of hours of sleep declines. During sleep the brain builds and strengthens neurological pathways. When not enough sleep occurs, a person increases their risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression. Thus, this evidence provides support for doctors and therapists who suggest sleep as a remedy, both to cure physical and cognitive illnesses. Sleep also affects our memory. Being able to remember, retain, and recall are the three “Rs” to memory. The human memory relies on sleep for the enhancement of these. Dr. Jan Born, and Dr. Ines Wilhelm, two German psychology professors, recently conducted a study to find the relationship between sleep and memory. Their research indicates that sleep helps convert implicit knowledge or patterns, into explicit knowledge that is retained in the brain. Memory consolidation cannot happen correctly without sleep. Born and Wilhelm also found that sleep improves long-term memory. They suggest that sleep could be the process in which newly encoded memory representations are redistributed to other neuron networks serving as long-term storage. When I practiced for piano competitions in high school and attempted to memorize a song, I often played it right before bed. The next day, I could recall the music better compared to practicing it in the early afternoon. Thus, sleep becomes a beneficiary factor for memory. Sleep is not an independent variable. In fact, although sleep is important, there are many other things that are necessary to having a well-balanced life. Culture, family, work, social life, and values all determine one’s way of living. Despite the situations that make up a person’s life, sleep deserves greater prioritization. Dr. Michael Colgan, a world-wide renowned research scientist relates, “Sleep could be considered more important than food in maintaining physical and cognitive health if water supply is sufficient.” Sleep acts as as a survival tool, when not put to use, it can cause serious work-related and life-threatening crises. In 2005, The National Sleep Foundation found about 60% of all drivers have driven drowsy, furthermore 100,000 car accidents are sleep related. This included 1550 deaths and 71,000 injuries. This lack of sleep is a weapon: the sleep deficient driver becomes the offender, and other drivers on the road become the victims. Detecting drowsy driving tends to be more difficult to detect than things such as seat belt usage or driving under the influence. But, sleep deprivation and fatigue make lapses of attention more likely to occur. Sleep is a major factor that potentially saves lives. Even with the productivity of our society, Americans need to place a greater importance on sleep. Sleep is beneficial to maintaining and improving our cognitive and physical performances, memory functions, and acts a survival mechanism. As Russell Foster put it “Sleep is the golden chain that ties all aspects of health [and life] together.” If we placed sleep as a greater importance in our society, there would be less accidents, injuries, illnesses, and overall greater happiness levels. Take the initiative and start today to get enough sleep; crawl into your pajamas, and snuggle on into your bed for a full night's sleep.

Essay on Importance of Sleep

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Sleep in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

Understanding sleep.

Sleep is a crucial part of our lives. It helps us rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for the next day. Without sleep, our bodies and minds cannot function properly.

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep contributes to our overall health. It allows our brain to process information and memories. It also gives our body time to repair and grow.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to health issues like heart disease and obesity. It also affects our mood, making us feel irritable and stressed.

So, quality sleep is essential for our well-being. Make sleep a priority to stay healthy and happy.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The necessity of sleep.

Sleep, often overlooked in our fast-paced society, is a fundamental aspect of human health and well-being. Its importance extends beyond merely banishing under-eye circles or boosting mood; it is an essential part of our biological function.

Role in Physical Health

Sleep plays a significant role in the body’s healing and repair processes, particularly for the heart and blood vessels. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones that regulate feelings of hunger and satiety, thereby indirectly influencing our body weight and food choices.

Cognitive Function and Emotional Well-being

Sleep is vital for various aspects of brain function. This includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. During sleep, your brain forms new pathways to help you learn and remember information. A good night’s sleep improves problem-solving skills and enhances memory. Lack of sleep impairs these functions, leading to decreased productivity and increased mistakes.

The Impact on Mental Health

Sleep deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Sleep helps reset our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to manage daily stress and adapt to change.

In conclusion, sleep is not a luxury, but a necessity. It’s a vital part of our lives that impacts our physical health, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Recognizing the importance of sleep and making necessary adjustments to prioritize it is a crucial step towards improved health and productivity.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The importance of sleep: an underrated aspect of health.

Sleep, often overlooked, is a crucial aspect of our overall health and well-being. In our fast-paced society, sleep is frequently sacrificed for more seemingly productive activities, however, this neglect can have serious health consequences.

The Science of Sleep

Sleep is not merely a passive state where the body is at rest. It is a complex physiological process where essential activities occur. During sleep, the body undergoes repair and rejuvenation, and the brain processes and integrates information gathered throughout the day. Sleep is divided into two distinct types: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Each stage has specific functions, with NREM sleep primarily involved in physical restoration and REM sleep associated with memory consolidation and brain development.

The Health Implications of Sleep Deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems. Physically, it can increase the risk of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It weakens the immune system, making one more susceptible to infections. Neurologically, lack of sleep can impair cognition, memory, and mood. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to decreased concentration, memory lapses, loss of creativity, and mood swings. Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Sleep and Academic Performance

For college students, sleep is especially important. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between sleep and academic performance. Adequate sleep can enhance learning and memory, improve concentration, and boost creativity, all of which are crucial for academic success. Conversely, sleep deprivation can impede these cognitive functions, leading to decreased academic performance.

Improving Sleep Quality

Given the importance of sleep, it is essential to prioritize it and adopt good sleep hygiene practices. These include maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime, and addressing any underlying sleep disorders.

In conclusion, sleep is a crucial aspect of health that is often undervalued. The implications of sleep deprivation are far-reaching, affecting physical health, mental health, and cognitive functions. As college students, it is essential to prioritize sleep to maintain overall health and optimize academic performance. By understanding the importance of sleep and adopting good sleep hygiene practices, we can reap the benefits of this vital physiological process.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Value of Prayer
• Essay on Importance of Prayer
• Essay on Non Violence

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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