Sleep and Health

What’s inside

• Which sleep stage is most strongly associated with vivid dreaming and temporary muscle paralysis?
• Most adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health.
• Which hormone is most closely linked to signaling darkness and promoting sleepiness?
• Sleep deprivation can impair attention and reaction time even when a person does not feel extremely sleepy.
• Which condition is characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, often caused by upper-airway collapse?
• Consuming caffeine late in the day can interfere with sleep even if a person falls asleep normally.
• Which behavior most directly supports a stable circadian rhythm?
• Alcohol may make someone feel sleepy initially, but it can reduce sleep quality later in the night.