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Why Sleep Is Important for Brain Health

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  • Devid Dodick
  • March 16, 2022

A neurologist and sleep medicine specialist explain how sleep impacts our brain health and how to regulate our circadian rhythms for optimal sleep.

It’s estimated that at least 50 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. But sleep—both the quantity and quality—is crucial to our brain health. Research has now shown a correlation between sleep disturbances and numerous neurological diseases. These include stroke, cognitive aging, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and others.

The brain is complex and interconnected. The American Brain Foundation believes finding a cure for one brain disease will help find cures for others. Just as well, the association between sleep and brain health illustrates how one issue can be linked to multiple diseases.

In our recent webinar, Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, spoke about how sleep and our circadian rhythms play an important role in brain health.

The Role of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

The “master clock” of the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, controls many systems of the body exhibiting rhythmic activity patterns. Our body systems follow a cycle of rest and activity, synchronized with each other to help the body function. This means sleep is regulated by our bodies at the cellular and molecular level. “Similarly, the circadian rhythm, or these near 24-hour biological rhythms, have been shown to be genetically regulated and they exist in almost every cell of our body,” says Dr. Zee.

It’s a two-way relationship. Our brains and bodies regulate our sleep and circadian rhythms. Equally so, our sleep and circadian rhythms affect our brains and bodies. Sleep disturbances have a broad impact on our health and body functions. They’re also linked to an increased risk for disease, including neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Some data indicates that sleep and circadian rhythm dysfunction, such as fragmented sleep or night wakings, may be a risk factor for these types of brain disease.

More specifically, research shows that slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, decreases with age. A lower amount of deep sleep is associated with an increase in beta amyloid. This is a protein that has been found to accumulate in people with Alzheimer’s. When we get quality sleep, the fluids between neurons are better able to flush out large molecules and prevent toxic buildup through a process called the glymphatic flow. Disrupted sleep could therefore increase the risk for neurodegenerative brain diseases.

Additionally, many people with Parkinson’s disease experience REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), in which they physically act out their dreams, for years before their diagnosis. In this way, the sleep disorder could be considered a prodromal syndrome, or a sign that may precede Parkinson’s. People with RBD are also more likely to develop cognitive problems or dementia.

How to Improve Sleep and Circadian Rhythms to Preserve Brain Health

This connection between sleep and brain health shows us there is potential to prevent and treat brain diseases by improving sleep and circadian rhythms. Dr Zee asks, “If we can improve sleep and circadian rhythms, can they be these targets for disease modification and some of these age-related changes?”

For example, in one study, researchers used a sound that stimulates slow-wave sleep (acoustic stimulation) to improve deep sleep in older adults. The amount of improvement in slow-wave sleep was directly correlated to an improvement in memory. In another study of people with Parkinson’s, timed light therapy improved daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, daily physical activity levels, and Total Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale score, which measures the severity and progression of the disease.

For our bodies to function well, our internal rhythm needs to be in sync with our external exposure to light and darkness. The retinas in our eyes have receptors that take in different wavelengths of light, both sunlight and artificial, from across the whole spectrum. Matching your internal clock to that of the sun ensures you get the right types of light at the right times. These daily shifts in light and dark affect our sleep and wake cycles, circadian rhythms, metabolism, and energy levels. Our nutrition—when, what, and how much we eat—also provides information to our master clock.

In this way, our lifestyles can affect our sleep and circadian rhythms. That can mean external factors, like our daily schedule or cycles of light exposure, can negatively impact sleep. But it also means lifestyle changes have the power to positively impact sleep.

To start, Dr. Zee recommends setting a regular sleep-wake schedule that will provide 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. However, she notes that it’s not only how much you sleep but also when you sleep—that is, staying in rhythm—that is important for brain health. Appropriately timed light exposure and eating, as well as regular exercise and activity levels during the day, will help your body stay in rhythm. Also, reduce or avoid alcohol, as it can disrupt your sleep and suppress REM and slow-wave sleep. This causes a rebound effect that awakens you in the early morning hours.

How Much Sleep Is Enough? How Do You Know You’re Getting Enough?

Regularity is key. We all have a bad night here and there. But if it’s chronic it can have a bigger impact on our health. The general recommendation is 7 to 8 hours for adults, possibly closer to 7 hours for older adults. But there are also individual differences based on our unique bodies and needs.

So how do you know you’re getting enough sleep? Consider how you feel during the day. Are you able to stay awake and attentive and carry out your daily activities? Since we can’t get regular imaging of our brains, these daytime indicators help us gauge how much sleep we need.

Can Medications or Supplements Help You Sleep?

Pharmaceuticals don’t typically provide deep sleep. In other cases, they can induce deep sleep all night long. But they also cause people to wake up feeling “hungover” or more tired. When it comes to deep sleep, more is not better. Timing is important: deep sleep is necessary earlier in the night and dissipates closer to morning.

Melatonin affects the circadian system and promotes sleep by decreasing the arousal, or alerting signal, from the circadian clock. With aging, our natural melatonin levels go down. If you choose to take melatonin, be sure to stick to small doses (between half a milligram to 3 milligrams) unless recommended otherwise by your doctor, as high doses can affect your vascular system.

Some people experience insomnia and feel like they can’t “shut down” their brains. In these cases, imaging shows that even while asleep there is a lot of metabolic activity in the brain, sometimes even more than during the daytime. This may account for the fatigue and decreased attention many of those with insomnia experience. Besides medication, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help address this issue and decrease that arousal.

What’s the Best Way to Measure Sleep?

Most consumer technology devices, like Fitbits, don’t measure the brain-wave sleep that is an indicator of brain health. However, they can still offer insights about your sleeping patterns and wakefulness during the course of the night. During slow-wave sleep or REM sleep, there are physical changes in your body. These include your heart rate, body temperature, and activity levels. Sensors that monitor those levels can use algorithms to predict when you’re asleep versus when you’re awake, and some newer algorithms can even distinguish light and deep sleep. One advantage to these sensors, as opposed to a formal overnight sleep study, is that they measure every day and can give a sense of your sleep regularity over time.

Is There Anything Wrong With Staying Up Late if You Can Still Get 7 to 8 Hours of Sleep?

As Dr. Zee says, “It’s better to live with your clock than against your clock.” The key is getting the right amount of quality sleep during your individual circadian time. For a “night owl,” living with your clock might translate to a later bedtime and wake time, as your schedule allows. But if you need to accommodate your work or social obligations, the use of light exposure and melatonin can help shift your clock.

Will a Nap Help?

Between 1 and 3 p.m., we may feel a natural “afternoon dip” in energy levels. Taking a nap during this time can refresh us, but it won’t make up for lost nighttime sleep. While we may not sleep for 7 to 8 hours straight every night, consolidated sleep is important. That’s because the extended time allows us to move through sleep cycles. You likely won’t hit all the necessary points in a sleep cycle during a nap.

If you have concerns about your sleep, be sure to speak to your doctor. They can recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or supplements that align with your unique biology and circumstances to help you get quality sleep—and ultimately improve your brain health.

The American Brain Foundation is committed to finding cures for all brain diseases. Donate today to make a difference. With your help, we won’t have to imagine a world without brain disease, we’ll be able to live in one.

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Boost Brain Health: How Sleep Impacts Your Brain Functions

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  • Stacy Liman
  • October 19th, 2023

Key Takeaways

  • Sleep is Crucial for Cognitive Functioning and Memory Consolidation: The brain undergoes a series of important processes during sleep, including memory consolidation, problem-solving, and creativity. Adequate sleep ensures that the brain can function optimally, leading to improved cognitive performance and sharper memory retention.
  • Sleep Plays a Vital Role in Physical Health and Well-Being: Beyond its impact on the brain, sleep also contributes to overall physical health. It aids in tissue repair, muscle development, and the regulation of appetite hormones, which can influence weight management. Additionally, sleep is implicated in the body’s ability to remove toxins, thereby reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
  • Healthy Sleep Habits are Essential for Productivity and Emotional Well-Being: A well-rested individual is more likely to exhibit higher levels of creativity, better decision-making, and improved emotional regulation. Consistent and restful sleep allows individuals to approach tasks with more focus, creativity, and resilience, enhancing overall productivity and emotional well-being.

On the outside, sleep doesn’t exactly appear to be all that productive. You’re sprawled out, eyes closed, pretty much unconscious and totally dead to the outside world.

Unless you consider dreaming to be an efficient use of your time, you probably see sleep as a necessary evil that steals away precious hours of potential when you could be getting stuff done.

Of course, you’re not the only one. Every night, countless Americans trade hours’ worth of quality sleep for working and catching up on emails—not to mention texting, scrolling through Instagram, bingeing on Netflix, and generally falling down the rabbit hole of the Interwebs. After all, what else are the hours between 12:00 and 2:00 A.M. really good for?

Actually, they’re perfect for sleep. Which might seem like an eight-hour dead zone where you’re doing a whole lot of nothing—but in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

While you’re out cold, your brain is hard at work doing all kinds of crazy, good-for-you stuff. Dreaming, yes, but that’s not the only thing. Far from it. Sleep is really the time when your brain is prepping so you can be on your game for the next day—thinking fast without making mistakes, making smart choices, coming up with genius ideas, and more.

Without adequate rest, your brain ends up on the fast track to going haywire. Sort of like a computer that you’ve left running for a month straight and is in desperate need of a reboot.

And you’d never want to be like that computer, right? Of course not. Here’s a look at all of the amazing things your brain does while you sleep—and how you reap the benefits after waking up.

This Is Your Brain On Sleep

Even though you’re lying there all quiet and peaceful, there’s a lot going on inside your head while you snooze. How much? Think of it this way: If slumber was an eight-hour play, your brain would be the director, leading you through the various acts that ensure your body achieves restful sleep worthy of rousing applause. Here’s what the show would look like:

Stage 1. The lights are dim, you’re settled comfortably in bed, and the show is about to get started. At this point, the base of your brain is busy sending signals to the other areas of your brain that it’s time to stop making you feel awake and start powering down. You begin drifting in and out of sleep, and your eye and muscle activity start to slow down. You’re officially in Stage 1 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. This is gonna be good!

Stage 2. The show is in session, which means everyone needs to be quiet and still. At this point, your sleep is deep enough that you are no longer aware of the world around you. Your brain has told your eyes to stop moving and allows your body temperature to drop. Your brain waves start to slow down.

Stages 3 and 4. These are the last stages of NREM sleep. By now, you’re fully engrossed in the show and are getting your deepest, most restorative sleep. In this stage, your brain signals your body to let your blood pressure drop, slow down your breathing, and relax your muscles. Now, it can really get to work on the important stuff. While you’re in deep sleep, your brain floods your body with growth hormones that aid in tissue repair and muscle development.

Stage 5. You could call this the best part of the sleep show. During stage 5, you experience rapid eye movement (REM) that gives your brain and body the energy boost you’ll use to get through the day tomorrow. Since your brain is at its most active during REM sleep, this is also when you’ll have dreams (or nightmares, yikes!).

Then, somewhere between 90 and 110 minutes, the show winds down. But it’s not actually ending—instead, it’s just gearing up to start again.

Commenting on how sleep cycles fluctuate throughout the night, Dr. Colleen Ehrnstrom, a clinical psychologist and author of End the Insomnia Struggle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep states, “The show changes throughout, with Stages 1-4 dominating the first half and Stage 5 dominating the second half. This is why 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is more restorative than fragmented sleep or naps.”

How Sleep Impacts Your Brain

OK, you get it now. Sleep isn’t exactly the blank, no-man’s land that you might’ve thought—and your brain is actually pretty hard at work the entire time. But aside from moving you from one stage of sleep through to the next, what’s actually going on in there?

Get ready—you’re about to find out.

Sleep Helps Your Brain Work Faster And More Accurately

You might already know this intuitively. When you stay up too late or fall behind on sleep, you end up caught in a dense cloud of brain fog. You know, the one that causes you to make mistakes that you know are dumb but can’t seem to avoid, or that makes it harder than usual to figure simple stuff out.

Adequate quality shut-eye helps your brain fire on all cylinders when you’re awake, so you can think and respond faster and with fewer mistakes. Likely, that could be because sleep is an opportunity for the neurons that you’ve been using all day to take a break and repair themselves before you start calling on them again tomorrow. Because everything—even tiny neurons—need to rest at some point.

But after they’ve had a chance to chill, you have an easier time concentrating and remembering stuff. You’ll also be less likely to phone it in when it comes time to solving a tough problem, according toone study published in the National Library of Medicine.

When City University of New York researchers gave college students a series of math problems after a night of adequate sleep and then again after a night of too-little sleep, the students did equally well after each night. But after not getting enough sleep, students tended to choose less challenging problems.

In other words, they knew that they weren’t as sharp, and tried to avoid failing all together by taking an easier route. Which is fine for an experiment—but probably isn’t the type of behavior that’ll get you the promotion at work.

Sleep Helps You Make Sense Of New Information

Believe it or not, your brain can actually process complex information when you’re sleeping.

Experts have long known that your brain maintains some level of awareness even when your brain is fully engaged in the sleep process. For instance, sleeping people are more likely to respond to their own names or startling sounds like a fire alarm or alarm clock than to other random noises.

But according to mind-blowing research recently published in the journal Current Biology, that’s just the beginning. Researchers asked study participants laying in a dark room to group spoken words into certain categories by pressing a left or right button. Once participants had gotten used to the task so it became automatic, researchers told the participants that they should continue categorizing the words, but that it was okay to fall asleep.

After participants had nodded off, the researchers introduced new words that fell into the same categories as the words that participants heard when they were awake. The crazy thing? Brain monitoring devices showed that even while the participants were snoozing, their brains were using the information they had learned to go through the functions to categorize the words as left or right.

When the participants woke up, they didn’t have any memory of hearing the new words while they were sleeping. In other words, their brains processed all of the new information while the participants were completely unconscious. Which means that, yes, your brain is even learning while you’re sleeping.

Sleep Helps Your Brain Cement Memories

Imagine if every single time you did or experienced something new throughout the day, you had to stop what you were doing to file the experience away in your short- or long-term memory file so you could recall it later when you needed it. Chances are, you’d be spending so much time archiving your life that you’d never actually get anything done.

Thanks to the power of sleep, you don’t have to do that. That’s because snooze time is prime time for your brain to get busy processing memories. As you sleep, your brain works to solidify memories that you formed throughout the day. It also links these new memories to older ones, helping you make connections between different pieces of information to come up with new ideas. (More about that later.)

Remember the stages of sleep we talked about earlier? Stages 1-4, the ones where you aren’t experiencing REM, are key for learning and the memory formation that comes with it. In fact, if you skimp out on non-REM sleep, your ability to learn new information plummets by as much as 40%,say experts at the National Institutes of Health. That’s because sleep deprivation interferes with your hippocampus, the part of your brain that’s responsible for processing memories.

When you’re sleeping, your brain decides what stuff from the day is worth keeping—and what’s worth forgetting about so you can free up space for taking in new information tomorrow.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. But it’s more than just a theory. More than a century of research shows that sleep improves memory retention—so much so, that the brain can actually be more efficient at consolidating memories while you’re asleep than while you’re awake, wrote German researchersin a 2013 review.

Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. When your sleep patterns start to change as you get older, so too does your ability to form new memories. Your memory-cementing skills can begin to decline as early as your late thirties, and it only tends to go downhill from there. One study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience found that adults over age 60 had a 70% loss of deep sleep compared to adults ages 18 to 25—and consequently, had a harder time remembering things the next day.

Still, just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to a life of total forgetfulness. While some amount of age-related memory decline is unavoidable, getting enough sleep is crucial for making the most of your brain’s memory-consolidating powers. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep on most nights—especially on days when you’ve learned important new information.

According to Dr. Josef Parvizi, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, “the seemingly noisy and disorganized brain activity during sleep has a perfectly unique structure to it,” he added.

During his research he found that populations of cells that were working together during math and memory-related activities, had a coordinated fluctuation of physiological activity during sleep as well, in other words, these cells worked together to complete a task and were paired together during sleep.

“It was almost like they never ceased to be together, almost like a pair of individuals that never depart from each other,” he added. “There is much more going on in sleep than we are able to understand,” said, Parvizi.

Further driving home the point that there is a substantial connection between memory and other activities in your brain while you’re awake and while you’re asleep.

Sleep Helps Your Brain Think More Creatively

On days when you’re running short on sleep, your thoughts probably go on a loop that sounds something like this: “I’m so exhausted. I can’t do this right now. I just want to go home and do nothing.”

When you’ve got a one-track mind for crawling into your bed and getting some much-needed rest and relaxation, you probably aren’t all that concerned about coming up with cool new ideas. Which is one of the reasons why sleep deprivation zaps your ability to be creative.

Of course, there’s way more to it than that. While your brain is busy consolidating memories as you sleep, it’s also forming connections between new ideas and old ones—setting the stage for that all-important light bulb moment.

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America backs this up. After a night of restful sleep, study participants were 33% more successful at completing tasks that required them to make unusual (read: creative) connections in their brain compared to people who hadn’t slept yet.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Stage 5 (or REM sleep)—the part of the sleep cycle that involves dreaming—is key to boosting creativity.

One recent study presented at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention found that people who took 90-minute naps featuring REM sleep performed 40% better on word problems that required them to see connections between seemingly unrelated words than people whose naps didn’t feature REM sleep or people who didn’t nap at all. That could be because REM sleep helps your brain “detach” your memory of a word’s meaning and apply the word in another context, say researchers.

Sleep Helps Your Brain Clear Out Harmful Toxins

The word “toxin” gets thrown around a lot these days. And in health-oriented circles, you can find endless solutions that are touted as effective for clearing out toxins in your body. (Juice fasts, activated charcoal, and apple cider vinegar, we’re looking at you.)

For now, it’s up for debate whether any of those things are actually effective. But when it comes to clearing out toxins, one thing that actually has been shown to work is sleep. At the same time that your brain is busy sending out growth hormones, consolidating memories, and forming creativity-boosting connections, it’s also busting out the vacuum to suck up any unwanted dirt and clear it away.

“There is evidence the brain clears out toxic wastes accumulated during the day at night, through convective motion of the fluid that bathes the brain,” according to Dr. John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. “If you don’t sleep, you won’t get the molecular waste removed,” he added.

Studies conducted on mice back in 2013 found that during sleep, the space between rodents’ brain cells actually expanded, allowing for the brain to sweep away harmful molecules that had built up throughout the day. And not just any harmful molecules—we’re talking about ones that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Fast forward to 2015, and we’re learning that the same seems to apply to humans. When University of California-Berkeley researchers used imaging tools to look at the brains of 26 older adults who had not been diagnosed with dementia or sleep problems, they found that people with the highest levels of beta-amyloid—a toxic protein associated with the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia—tended to have the poorest quality sleep. They also performed worse on simple memory tests compared to those who slept better and had lower beta-amyloid levels.

Of course, it’s only one study, and experts still have a lot to learn about how exactly beta-amyloid buildup affects memory. But when it comes to keeping your brain as clean as possible, sleep just might be key.

 

Sleep Helps Your Brain Regulate Your Appetite

By now, you’ve probably heard that regularly skimping on sleep can lead to weight gain. And while it’s true that most of us are more likely to snack on junk at night, and that being tired could make you more likely to skip your workout, those aren’t the only factors at play.

Just like how sleep prompts the release of growth hormone, snooze time also plays a major role in regulating the hormones that determine whether you feel like eating. Countless studies have shown that lack of sleep prompts your brain to release more ghrelin, the hormone that causes you to feel hungry. At the same time, too little sleep causes your brain to pump out less leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full.

Translation? When you’re zonked, you’re more likely to scarf down everything in sight. In fact, people who are sleep deprived tend to take in about 300 more calories per day compared to their well-rested counterparts.

That adds up to a pound gained in less than two weeks—but some research suggests that the effects could be even more dramatic. One University of Colorado-Boulder study found that just five days of sleep deprivation prompted people to load up on more comforting carbohydrates (hello, mac and cheese!)—and pack on two pounds in the process. (The good news? When subjects got back to healthier sleep patterns, they started making healthier food choices, too.)

To make matters worse, the whole thing ends up turning into a vicious cycle. When you gain weight, you up your risk for running into sleep-stealers like chronic pain, sleep apnea, and even type 2 diabetes. The sleep deprivation makes you feel even more tired, which makes you more likely to make poor food choices and less likely to have enough energy to exercise.

Sleep Helps Your Brain Keep Your Body Looking Good

Seriously, they call it beauty rest for a reason. Sleep is the time that your brain gives the green light for releasing the growth hormone that your body uses to grow new cells and repair damaged tissue.

Of course, your body needs growth hormone to do things like heal wounds or build stronger muscle tissue after a tough workout. But it also uses growth hormone to fight stress and damage caused by the sun and the oxidizing environmental pollutants that we’re all exposed to on a daily basis.

Over time, those things can cause your skin to get dull and wrinkly. And while you can’t keep your skin looking like the way it did when you were 20 forever, logging adequate shuteye can help stave off premature aging by fostering the growth of fresh, healthy cells that keep your skin looking younger, smoother, and more radiant.

And research suggests that you won’t be the only one who can actually tell the difference. In one Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study, University of Michigan researchers looked at adults with untreated obstructive sleep apnea who experienced excessive sleepiness.

After just two months of CPAP treatment, the subjects boasted improvements in their facial volume (read: more suppleness and fewer wrinkles) and less redness, while independent raters said that the subjects appeared more youthful and attractive.

Frequently Asked Questions
What does sleep do to the brain?

Sleep helps the brain re-organize itself, essentially. Brain tasks that occur during sleep include disposing of toxins that build up in the brain during the day and stabilizing memories of the day’s events. Getting enough sleep is also linked to higher levels of cognitive performance, creativity, and improved moods.

How much sleep do I need?

According to the CDC, adults aged 18 to 60 need 7 or more hours of sleep a night. Every person has different sleep needs, though, so the exact amount needed varies from sleeper to sleeper.

Our sleep calculator can help readers determine when they should be going to bed to wake up refreshed and well-rested.

How can I improve my sleep health?

To improve your sleep health or sleep hygiene and get enough rest, consistency is key. When you fall asleep and wake up at roughly the same time every day, your internal clock has an easier time staying on track and keeping you on a good sleep schedule.

To make it easier to fall asleep quickly at night, you’ll want to disengage from electronic screens. Instead, spend the last hour or so before bed doing something relaxing, like reading a chapter in a favorite book, taking a warm bath, or doing some light stretches.

What are the health benefits of sleep?

Sleep doesn’t just benefit the brain but the whole body. Getting an adequate amount of sleep means you are also taking care of your immune system, regulating your mood, and keeping your cognition sharp.

Sleepers also find it easier to watch their weight when they’re well-rested. This is one reason that sleep apnea and weight gain are so interconnected, as the former tends to worsen the latter due to sleep loss.

Does sleep clean your brain?

Essentially, yes, research suggests that the brain accomplishes “housekeeping” tasks while you sleep, which includes flushing toxins out of your brain. These toxins build up in your brain during the day and it’s important to get enough sleep to cleanse them all out of your system.

How is this cleaning accomplished? While you sleep, cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid inside the brain and spinal cord) flows in and out to get rid of the brain’s “trash.”

How To Get The Sleep That Your Brain Needs

Imagine being at work and trying to get an important project done. You’re clacking away on your keyboard and you’re totally in the zone–when all of the sudden a coworker walks into your cubicle and stands in front of your computer screen. Suddenly, you can’t get your stuff done because somebody is literally blocking your path.

Similarly, sleep is the time that your brain uses to get all of its important projects done—allowing you to function like a healthy, productive human instead of a zombie during the day. But when you stay up late or do other stuff that makes it harder to fall asleep (like load up on caffeine before bed or spend tons of time in front of electronic devices), you become the coworker standing in front of the computer screen. With your bad habits in the way, your brain can’t get its stuff done.

So how much sleep do you actually need? Everyone’s a little different. While some people aren’t at the top of their game with anything less than nine hours, others do just fine on seven.

And anything within that range is considered healthy—so it’s really a matter of experimenting to see how you feel. If you’re tired or fuzzy during the day, you aren’t getting enough sleep, so tack on some more time and bed to see if that leaves you more alert.

If your problem is trouble falling asleep, though, the answer might not be so obvious. If you’re already sleeping for eight and a half or nine hours, it could be a sign that you need to push your bedtime back by a little bit.

More likely, you’re having trouble falling asleep because you’re stressed or are exposed to too much energizing stimuli at night, or are just plain uncomfortable. If that’s the case, try finding a calming bedtime routine to help you wind down, or take steps to make your bedroom more comfortable.

Don’t overlook what you sleep on either. You can practice the best sleep health tips but if you’re going to bed on a rock, good quality sleep will be hard to find. Finding a comfortable mattress that supports you will go a long way in helping you sleep better.

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Sleep 101: Why Sleep Is So Important to Your Health

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  • Erica Jansen
  • March 2, 2020

WHAT IS SLEEP EXACTLY, AND HOW DOES IT HELP US STAY HEALTHY?

Sleep is an altered state of consciousness where we have limited interactions with our surroundings and are relatively quiet and still (depending on the stage of sleep). Contrary to our quiet physical state, the brain is very active during sleep, carrying out many important functions. Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk. Sleep is truly interdisciplinary because it touches every aspect of health.

HOW DOES WHAT WE EAT IMPACT OUR SLEEP?

It is well-known that certain substances, such as caffeine, can affect the onset of sleep in a negative way. On the other hand, evidence is growing that shows how other foods like tart cherries, kiwi, fatty fish (like salmon and tuna), and malted milk may have beneficial effects on sleep. More recently, studies have shown that healthy dietary patterns overall—not just specific foods—could be associated with longer sleep duration and shorter time to fall asleep.

WHY IS SLEEP SO IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF POOR SLEEP?

Sleep is important for every part of the body, and it is especially important for young children as their bodies and minds develop. In young children, lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can be associated with difficult behaviors, lower capacity to learn and retain information, and a propensity for poor eating patterns and weight gain.

WHAT SLEEP NEEDS DO ADOLESCENTS HAVE, AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CURRENT CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING AROUND SCHOOL-DAY START TIMES?

Adolescents need around 8-10 hours of sleep per night, but a high proportion do not get that amount. For example, recent estimates suggest that 60 percent of middle schoolers and 70 percent of high schoolers don’t get adequate sleep on school nights. This figure is even higher for Michigan high schoolers, which is at 80 percent. One of the main reasons adolescents are so sleep-deprived is that biological changes in their brain affect when they feel sleepy. So even if they are sleep-deprived, they often can’t go to bed early because their brain is not yet prepared to sleep.

The problem with these delayed bedtimes is that school or before-school activities often start very early, so adolescents may end up chronically sleep deprived. In school districts that have enacted later school start times, research is consistently showing that students get more sleep and as a result have fewer motor vehicle accidents, better grades, and improved mental health.

EVERY SPRING AND FALL WE CHANGE OUR CLOCKS BY AN HOUR. WHAT HEALTH IMPACTS DOES THIS CHANGE HAVE ON INDIVIDUALS AND ON THE PUBLIC’S HEALTH?

There are many calls from the sleep-research community to eliminate daylight savings time. When our clocks are pushed forward, people lose one hour of sleep. This one-hour sleep loss is associated with significantly more motor vehicle accidents as well as cardiac events. When our clocks move backward, we might think that extra hour helps us. But our sleep patterns are disrupted by any change like this, so the fall time change may also lead to negative health impacts. In general, these universal time changes create a significant and negative burden on the public’s health.

HOW IMPORTANT IS SLEEP FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH?

Sleep and mental health go hand-in-hand. Good sleep is essential for maintaining our baseline mental health, as one night of sleep deprivation can dramatically affect mood the next day. Chronic exposure to poor sleep quality is associated with depression, anxiety, and other conditions. There are also bidirectional associations—meaning that experiencing anxiety and depression very often affects sleep, which then impacts our ability to cope with the anxiety and depression, and so on.

HOW DOES ALCOHOL IMPACT SLEEP?

Although alcohol may help a person fall asleep quickly, it hinders sleep quality, often causing fragmented (interrupted) sleep. When consuming alcohol, it is recommended to do so several hours before bedtime so that the alcohol is completely out of the system before sleep.

DOES SCREEN TIME REALLY AFFECT OUR SLEEP?

There is evidence to show that screen use right before bed could impact sleep. One reason is that the blue light emitted from these devices can affect the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that helps signal to the body that it is time to fall asleep. Other reasons include the content of what is on the screen. If you watch a scary movie, read an emotionally-driven article, or consume any other anxiety-producing content on your screen, it can affect your ability to fall asleep. Sleep clinicians recommend putting away all screens at least one hour before bed and to instead do some light reading or other relaxing activity.

About the Author

Dr. Erica Jansen is a nutritional epidemiologist who focuses on diet and sleep in relation to pediatric health. Her research covers how early nutritional environments affect childhood obesity and the timing of puberty, how various aspects of sleep—duration, timing, and quality—affect development of cardiometabolic risk, the bidirectional associations between sleep and diet, and epigenetic markers that underlie relationships between sleep and cardiometabolic health.

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Teens and Sleep

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  • Eric Suni
  • October 4, 2023

An overview of why teens face unique sleep challenges and tips to help them sleep better

Sleep is essential for teenagers because it plays an important role in their physical and mental development. Most teens should get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, research indicates that many teens get far less sleep than they need.

Teens face numerous challenges to getting consistent, restorative sleep. Recognizing those challenges helps teens and their caregivers make a plan so that teens get the sleep they need.

How Many Hours of Sleep Does a Teenager Need?

Experts recommend that teens between the ages of 13 and 18 get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. But this recommendation changes for preteens and adult teenagers.

Age group Age range Recommended hours of sleep per 24 hours
School-age
6-12 years
9-12 hours
Teen
13-18 years
8-10 hours
Adult
18 years and older
7 hours or more

Every teenager is different, though, and some teens need more than the recommended amount of sleep per night while others may require less.

Why Is Sleep Important for Teens?

Sleep is vital for people of any age. But especially in teens, profound mental, physical, social, and emotional development requires quality sleep.

Thinking and Academic Achievement

Sleep benefits the brain and promotes attention, memory, and analytical thought. It makes thinking sharper, recognizing the most important information to consolidate learning. Sleep also facilitates expansive thinking that can spur creativity. Whether studying for a test, learning an instrument, or acquiring job skills, sleep is essential for teens.

Given the importance of sleep for brain function, it is easy to see why teens who do not get enough sleep tend to suffer from excessive drowsiness and lack of attention that can harm their academic performance.

Emotional Health

Most people have experienced how lack of sleep can affect mood, causing irritability and exaggerated emotional reactions. Over time, the consequences can be even greater for teens who are adapting to more independence, responsibility, and new social relationships.

Prolonged sleep loss may negatively affect emotional development , increasing risks for interpersonal conflict as well as more serious mental health problems.

Sleep-deprived teens are more likely to report anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Improving sleep in adolescents may play a role in preventing and managing these mental health conditions.

Physical Health and Development

Sleep contributes to the effective function of virtually every system of the body. It empowers the immune system, helps regulate hormones, and enables muscle and tissue recovery.

Substantial physical development happens during adolescence, which can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep. For example, researchers have found that adolescents who fail to get enough sleep have a troubling metabolic profile
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, evaluated through blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other factors. These findings may put them at higher risk of diabetes and long-term cardiovascular problems.

Decision-Making and Risky Behavior

Sleep deprivation can affect the development of the frontal lobe, a part of the brain that is critical to control impulsive behavior. Not surprisingly, numerous studies have found that teens who do not get enough sleep are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors  Trusted SourceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats.View Source like drunk driving, texting while driving, riding a bicycle without a helmet, and failing to use a seatbelt. Drug and alcohol use, smoking, risky sexual behavior, fighting, and carrying a weapon are also more common  Trusted SourceNational Library of Medicine, Biotech InformationThe National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.View Source in teens who get too little sleep.

Behavioral problems can have widespread effects on a teenager’s life, putting their safety in jeopardy, harming their academic performance, and sometimes damaging their relationships with family and friends.

Accidents and Injuries

Insufficient sleep in teens can make them prone to accidental injury and even death. Of particular concern is an elevated risk of accidents as a result of drowsy driving. Studies have found that sleep deprivation can reduce reaction times with an effect similar to that of significant alcohol consumption. In teens, the impact of drowsy driving can be amplified by a lack of driving experience and a higher rate of distracted driving.

Are Teens in America Getting Enough Sleep?

By almost all accounts, many teenagers in America are not getting the recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Around 6 out of 10 middle schoolers and 7 out of 10 high schoolers do not get enough sleep on school nights. 

Insufficient sleep has been found to be higher among girls and people assigned female at birth. Older teens report getting less sleep than younger adolescents. Surveys have also found that teens who identify as Black, Asian, or multiracial have the highest rates of sleeping less than eight hours per night.

Why Is It Hard for Teens to Get Good Sleep?

There is not one specific reason for sleep insufficiency among teens. Instead, several factors contribute to this problem, and these factors may vary from teenager to teenager.

Delayed Sleep Schedule and School Start Times

Adolescents develop a strong tendency toward being a “night owl,” staying up later at night and sleeping longer into the morning. Experts believe this is a two-fold biological impulse affecting the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle of teens.

First, teens have a sleep drive that builds more slowly, which means they do not start to feel tired until later in the evening. Second, the body starts producing melatonin later in the day, which is the hormone that helps promote sleep.

If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., but school start times in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning. Because of the biological delay in their sleep-wake cycle, many teens simply are not able to fall asleep early enough to get eight or more hours of sleep and still arrive at school on time.

With reduced sleep on weekdays, teens may try to catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but this can exacerbate their delayed sleep schedule and inconsistent nightly rest.

Time Demands

Many teenagers have a jam-packed weekly schedule. School assignments, work obligations, household chores, social life, community activities, and sports are just some of the things that can require their time and attention.

With so much to try to fit into each day, many teens do not allocate sufficient time for sleep. They may stay up late during the week to finish homework or during the weekend when hanging out with friends, both of which can reinforce their night owl schedule.

Additionally, pressure to succeed while managing these extensive commitments can be stressful, and stress has been known to contribute to sleeping problems and insomnia.

Use of Electronic Devices

Electronic devices like cell phones and tablets are ubiquitous, and research has found that 89% or more  Trusted SourceNational Library of Medicine, Biotech InformationThe National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.View Source of teens keep at least one device in their bedroom at night.

Screen time late into the evening can contribute to sleeping problems. Using these devices can be stimulating, and incoming notifications can disrupt sleep. Evidence also points to suppressed melatonin production from exposure to the light from smartphones.

Sleep Disorders

Some teens have poor sleep because of an underlying sleep disorder. Adolescents can be affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. OSA frequently causes fragmented sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Though less common, teens can have sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, which involves a strong urge to move the limbs when lying down, or narcolepsy, which is a disorder affecting the sleep-wake cycle.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be a challenge to quality sleep in teens as well as adults. Insufficient sleep can contribute to these conditions as well, creating a bidirectional relationship that can worsen both sleep and emotional wellness.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder  Trusted SourceNational Library of Medicine, Biotech InformationThe National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.View Source , can make it harder for teens to sleep well. Lack of sleep may also contribute to more pronounced symptoms of these conditions.

How Can Teens Get Better Sleep?

Teens who are having sleep problems should start by talking with their doctor about how much sleep they are getting and how it impacts their daily life. Their pediatrician can work to identify any underlying causes and craft the most appropriate and tailored treatment.

Depending on the cause of sleep problems, medications may be considered; however, in most cases, treatment with medications isn’t necessary for teens to get better sleep.

A beneficial step is for teens to review and improve their sleep hygiene, which includes their sleep environment and habits. Some healthy sleep tips that can help in this process include:

  • Budgeting eight hours of sleep into your daily schedule and keeping that same schedule on both weekdays and weekends.
  • Creating a consistent pre-bed routine to help with relaxation and falling asleep fast.
  • Avoiding caffeine and energy drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.
  • Putting away electronic devices for at least a half-hour before bed and keeping them on silent mode to avoid checking them during the night.
  • Setting up your bed with a supportive mattress that’s the best mattress for you. And don’t forget to bring your best pillow.
  • Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Sleep hygiene modifications may be included in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a form of talk therapy for sleeping problems that has demonstrated effectiveness in adults and may be helpful to teens. CBT-I works by reshaping negative ideas and thoughts about sleep and implementing practical steps for better sleep routines.

How Can Parents Help Teens Get Better Sleep?

For many parents and caregivers, a first step is asking their teenage children about their sleep. Encourage teens to see a doctor while also working with them to make gradual sleep hygiene improvements. Some research has found that teens whose parents set a firm bedtime get more sleep and have less daytime drowsiness .

Another avenue for caregivers is advocating for later school start times with their local school district. A number of districts have delayed school start times and seen benefits such as increased attendance, improved academic performances, and fewer car accidents involving students.

Parents and caregivers can also work with their teens to avoid overscheduling and balance commitments that can generate stress with maintaining adequate time for sleep.

Teens and Sleep Read More »

How Can Sleep Affect Men’s Health?

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  • Hidaya Aliouche, B.Sc.

Sleep is known to affect several systems and processes in the body. Overarchingly, sleep deprivation is associated with negative health consequences.

With regards to specific effects of sleep on men’s health, dysfunctional sleeping patterns have been shown to impact erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, hypogonadal symptoms, low testosterone, and male infertility.

What is considered to be appropriate sleep?

The average number of hours of sleep required for an adult is between 7–9 for optimal health. However, a considerable number of adults do not meet this requirement. A study conducted in 2012 demonstrated that 29.2% of men achieved an average of 6 hours or less of sleep each evening. the institute of Medicine further estimates that between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorder; this epidemic is associated with societal changes which include increased reliance on technology, increased working hours, and poor sleep hygiene.

In addition, non-standard shift working patterns can divulge significantly from circadian patterns which further increases the risk of impaired sleep quality.

The interrelationship between disrupted or inadequate sleep and the manifestation of disease

The relationship between health and sleep is bi-directional. There are several medical conditions associated with inadequate or disrupted sleep which include restless leg syndrome, insomnia, hypogonadism, sleep apnea, and depression.

Furthermore, several studies have revealed that short and sleep or disrupted sleep can produce health conditions including diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, and several endocrine and cardiovascular disorders. Moreover, poor sleep also impacts the patients’ perception of symptoms and their severity alongside the clinical responses observed.

Combined with independent risk factors such as age, body mass in tax, mental health conditions that affect the perception of symptoms such as depression, and clinical characteristics, sleep functioning can moderate clinical symptoms and impact the quality of life experienced by patients.

Sleep and erectile dysfunction

In the general population, longitudinal studies have revealed that approximately 50% of men experienced erectile dysfunction to some degree. Several studies have reported that sleep can affect erectile dysfunction. For example, a cross-sectional analysis of 2676 men over the age of 67 found that those with a sleep dysfunction called nocturnal hypoxemia were more likely to experience moderate or complete erectile dysfunction.

In the same study, a similar condition that disrupts sleep, sleep apnea, was studied in relation to erectile dysfunction. In a randomized sham-controlled trial, a total of 61 men were assigned to groups to investigate whether the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) could improve erectile function in men who suffered from both erectile dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea.

Overall, men who were randomized to CPAP showed no change in erectile dysfunction; however, when further examined in terms of patients who used the CPAP machine for over four hours per night, those who did so experienced a significant improvement. A placebo trial showed that a medication commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction did not significantly improve erectile dysfunction in these men.

These results suggest that in men with obstructive sleep apnea, sleep quality contributes to the condition, and may not respond to first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction with a PDE5 inhibitor; suggesting that in fact, correcting the underlying sleep impairment could produce more significant improvement in erectile dysfunction.

Alongside obstruction to breathing, non-standard shift work that has a significant effect on sleep has been shown to impact erectile dysfunction. A correlation between insomnia and erectile dysfunction has been confirmed by several studies. Some of these studies suggest that the correction of poor sleep in isolation may lead to a clinical improvement in manifestations of erectile dysfunction. This body of research continues to grow.

Sleep and lower urinary tract symptoms

Aging male populations commonly experience lower urinary tract symptoms. This is frequently associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy. Symptoms include poor urine stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder, straining, changes to the frequency of urination, urination hesitancy, and nocturia.

The urge to urinate is often exacerbated during the night, which leads to disrupted sleep and a decrease in overall sleep quality. A survey conducted on 5335 men who were diagnosed with lower urinary tract symptoms demonstrated that only 13% reported continuous sleep periods of more than two to three hours, illustrating the degree to which urinary tract symptoms can affect sleep.

Other studies have verified an association between lower urinary tract symptoms and other sleep-affecting conditions. For example, men with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to experience urinary tract symptoms compared to those who do not. The severity of obstructive sleep apnea in this context has been found to correlate the most strongly with daytime frequency, urgency, and frequency of nocturia.

CPAP machines have been found to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms in those with obstructive sleep apnea. For example, a man with both lower urinary tract symptoms and obstructive sleep apnea who implemented CPAP for 12 months showed a significant increase in bladder compliance, as well as decreases in nocturia frequency and nighttime urination volumes.

Insomnia is also considered to be an aggravator of lower urinary tract symptoms as well as non-standard shift work.

Sleep and male fertility

Several studies have demonstrated that sperm counts have been decreasing over the past 40 years (50 to 60%). Unlike the linear correlation between erectile dysfunction and sleep, the relationship between sleep and male fertility is less clear.

Evidence suggests that an inverted U shape relationship exists, meaning that excessive and insufficient sleep are equally associated with reduced fertility. In a study of 198 infertile men, this relationship was found. However, interestingly no differences in semen volume, sperm motility, luteinizing hormone, or follicle-stimulating hormone were observed.

An additional study found via testicular biopsies in idiopathic infertile men that full circadian disruption – as manifested by too little or too much sleep – may affect the oxidation state of the testicle, shifting spermatogenesis.

Despite these correlative studies, no studies have assessed the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on fertility. With regards to non-standard shift work which impairs sleep quality, this has been suggested to impair spermatogenesis, although findings from studies have been inconsistent: some studies have demonstrated that men performing shift work had higher odds of experiencing infertility, while others have found no effect.

Conclusion

Poor sleep affects men and women alike. However, the unique effects in men concern urological problems, including erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, hypogonadism, and male infertility.

Alongside these, poor sleep is associated with a higher risk of several health problems that affect the quality of life including but not limited to cognitive impairment, social impairment, mood disturbances, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and associated manifestations such as atrial fibrillation.

References

  • Kohn TP, Kohn JR, Haney NM, et al. (2020) The effect of sleep on men’s health. Transl Androl Urol. doi:10.21037/tau.2019.11.07.
  • Irer B, Celikhisar A, Celikhisar H, et al. (2018) Evaluation of Sexual Dysfunction, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Quality of Life in Men With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and the Efficacy of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy. Urology. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2018.08.001.
  • Soterio-Pires JH, Hirotsu C, Kim LJ, et al. (2016)The interaction between erectile dysfunction complaints and depression in men: a cross-sectional study about sleep, hormones, and quality of life. Int J Impot Res. doi:10.1038/ijir.2016.4.
  • McBride JA, Kohn TP, Rodriguez KM, et al. (2018) Incidence and characteristics of men at high risk for sleep apnea in a high volume andrology clinic. J Urol. 10.1016/j.juro.2018.02.1358.

Further Reading

How Can Sleep Affect Men’s Health? Read More »

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