How much do you really know about sleep?

For an activity most of us spend about a third of our lives doing, there’s a lot scientists still don’t understand about sleep, including why we evolved to do it in the first place. (Hoi Chan/The New York Times)

By CAROLINE HOPKINS LEGASPI

For an activity most of us spend about a third of our lives doing, there’s a lot scientists still don’t understand about sleep, including why we evolved to do it in the first place. But experts do know that we wouldn’t survive without it, and not getting enough can ravage our health in various ways.

So, are you a skilled sleeper or a subpar snoozer? Take our quiz to find out.

1. It’s finally time to slip into bed and close your eyes. How long does it take most healthy adults to fall asleep?

A. Five to 10 minutes

B. 10 to 20 minutes

C. 20 to 30 minutes

D. 30 to 60 minutes

2. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. What’s the second?

A. Narcolepsy

B. Restless legs syndrome

C. Sleep apnea

D. Nightmare disorder

3. After a few hours of tossing and turning, you consider taking a Benadryl to help you sleep. Which of the following is not a potential side effect of the drug?

A. Cognitive issues

B. Weight loss

C. Constipation

D. Abnormally fast heart beat

4. True or false: Sealing your lips shut with mouth tape is a safe and effective way to improve your sleep.

True

False

5. Which of the following is true about melatonin? (Select all that apply.)

A. Your body produces it naturally

B. Most sleep doctors recommend melatonin supplements as a natural remedy for insomnia

C. Melatonin supplements can be an effective way to beat jet lag

D. Research has proved it is safe to take melatonin supplements every night

6. True or False: Blocking blue light from screens by wearing blue-light filtering glasses will help you sleep.

True

False

7. Which of the following play a role in obstructive sleep apnea? (Select all that apply.)

A. Your age

B. Your eye color

C. Alcohol use

D. Your sex

E. Hormonal imbalances

8. You’ve hit a midafternoon slump and could use a nap. What is the ideal amount of time to sleep?

A. Five to 15 minutes

B. 20 to 30 minutes

C. 30 to 60 minutes

D. 90 minutes

9. You recently saw a social media post about a “short sleeper” who only needs four to six hours per night. Is it really possible for some people to survive on such little sleep?

Yes, some people are naturally short sleepers and function just fine.

No, this is a myth. Everyone needs more than six hours of sleep.

10. What is the ideal sleeping temperature for most people?

A. 59 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit

B. 65 to 68 degrees

C. 69 to 73 degrees

11. How does your sleep typically change as you age? (Select all that apply.)

A. You sleep less

B. You sleep more

C. You wake up more frequently throughout the night

D. You sleep in more than usual

12. Which of the following is a potential consequence of poor sleep?

A. High blood pressure

B. Weight gain

C. Depression

D. Dental problems such as tooth decay

E. All of the above

Answers

1. B - Most healthy adults take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you’re falling asleep much more quickly, it could be a sign that you’re not sleeping well or for long enough. If you consistently need more time to fall asleep, that could be a symptom of a sleep disorder like insomnia.

2. C - Tens of millions of people in the United States are estimated to struggle with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that occurs when the throat muscles relax while sleeping, causing the airway to narrow or close. This cuts off oxygen flow and causes people to snore and wake up gasping for air.

3. B - While it’s probably not harmful to take an occasional Benadryl to help you sleep, doctors say that you should not do it regularly.

Diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl and other over-the-counter allergy drugs or sleep aids, can cause short-term side effects like constipation and rapid heart rate. And longer-term use has even been linked with dementia. The drug has not been found to make you lose weight, though. (If anything, it could potentially make you gain weight.)

4. False - Some say that placing surgical tape over the lips can improve sleep by forcing nasal breathing, which encourages deeper, fuller breaths and reduces snoring. But there’s no evidence that the strategy works, and some doctors say it may even impair breathing, especially if you’re congested. If you’re having sleep issues that you’re trying to address with mouth tape, you’re better off seeing a sleep specialist instead.

5. A and C - You can get just as much melatonin from a serving of turkey as you would from a supplement. Melatonin is a hormone that your body releases toward the end of the day, and it makes you feel sleepy. Supplements containing the hormone can be useful when you travel to a different time zone and need to adjust to a new bedtime.

But sleep experts don’t typically recommend using melatonin for insomnia, or taking it every night. Turkey does contain the amino acid tryptophan, which your body uses to produce melatonin, but the idea that “turkey makes you sleepy” is a myth.

6. False - Sleep scientists aren’t sure if blue light from screens harms sleep. And even if it does, there’s very little evidence that most blue-light glasses block a meaningful amount of the light.

7. A, C, D and E - When you age (and gain weight), fatty tissues in your neck and tongue can build up and narrow your airway. Drinking alcohol can also cause the muscles in your throat to relax so that they close while you sleep. Men are more likely to develop sleep apnea than women, as are people with certain hormonal imbalances, such as those stemming from an underactive thyroid or insulin resistance. Eye color, however, is not known to be linked with sleep apnea.

8. B - There’s no ideal time — your body will let you know when it’s time to wake up. A 20- to 30-minute nap is just enough time for your brain to enter the early stages of a sleep cycle and leave you feeling refreshed. It’s also short enough that you won’t fall into a deeper stage of sleep, which could lead to grogginess afterward and make it harder to fall asleep later that night.

9. Yes - Yes, some people are naturally short sleepers and function just fine. Scientists have linked several genetic mutations to short sleeper syndrome, a condition where people need less sleep than the average person to function. But the condition is thought to be extremely rare. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep for optimal health.

10. B - There is no such thing as an ideal sleeping temperature. Sleeping in a room that is too hot — or too cold — can sink your sleep. Generally, the sweet spot is somewhere between 65 and 68 degrees. A room this temperature might feel chilly during the day, but at night it’s optimal, since your body temperature naturally drops when sleeping.

11. A and C - Older adults still need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, but they may struggle to get it. We tend to sleep fewer total hours and wake up more frequently throughout the night as we age. Older adults also might find themselves falling asleep earlier in the evening and waking up earlier in the morning.

12. All of the above - Insufficient or poor-quality sleep can take its toll over time, affecting your brain, metabolism, heart health and more. Researchers have even linked insufficient sleep with oral health problems, like gum disease and tooth decay.

Whether you’re well rested or could use a little more shut-eye, we hope you learned a thing or two about sleep from this quiz.

If you think you’re doing everything right but are still feeling sleepy during the day — or struggling to fall or stay asleep at night — it may be worth consulting a doctor. In a 2024 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey of about 2,000 adults across the United States, researchers found that more than half said they had never discussed sleep with a health professional.