15 Sleep Myths

1. 15 Sleep Myths Fact or Fiction?

2. 1. Teenagers who fall asleep in class have bad habits and/or are lazy?Fact or Fiction? Fiction! According to sleep experts, teenagers need at least 8.5 – 9.25 hours of sleep each night, compared to an average of seven to nine hours each night for most adults. Their internal biological clocks also keep them awake later in the evening and keep them sleeping later in the morning. However, many schools begin classes early in the morning, when a teenager’s body wants to be asleep. As a result, many teens come to school too sleepy to learn, through no fault of their own.

3. Insomnia just means you have difficulty falling asleepFact or Fiction? Fiction! Difficulty falling asleep is but one of four symptoms generally associated with insomnia. The other three are: waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep; frequent awakening; waking up feeling unrefreshed.

4. 3. Everyone dreams at nightFact or Fiction? Fact! Though many people fail to remember their dreams, dreaming does occur for every person, every night. Dreams are most vivid during REM or rapid eye movement sleep.

5. 4. It’s OK to have a TV in your bedroom in order to get to sleepFact or Fiction? Fiction! It is best to take homework, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep to strengthen the association between bed and sleep and ensure the room is calm without excessive stimulation.

6. 5. Daytime sleepiness always means a person isn’t getting enough sleepFact or Fiction? Fiction! Excessive daytime sleepiness is a condition in which an individual feels very drowsy during the day and has an urge to fall asleep when he/she should be fully alert and awake. The condition, which can occur even after getting enough nighttime sleep, can be a sign of an underlying medical condition or sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea.

7. 6. Not getting enough sleep can give you acneFact or Fiction? Fact! Not getting enough sleep makes you more prone to pimples. Lack of sleep can contribute to acne and other skin problems.

8. 7. Health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and depression are unrelated to sleepFact or Fiction? Fiction! Studies have found a relationship between the quantity and quality of one's sleep and many health problems. For example, insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity; More and more scientific studies are showing correlations between poor and insufficient sleep and disease.

9. 8. It’s natural to not be able to get to sleep before 11pm in adolescenceFact or Fiction? Fact! Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence -- meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.

10. 9. During sleep your brain restsFact or Fiction? Fiction! While your body rests, your brain doesn't. An active brain during sleep prepares us for alertness and peak functioning the next day.

11. What would kill you first – lack of sleep or lack of food? Lack of sleep!Fact or Fiction? Fact! Fortunately this has only been tested on rats but we can survive longer from lack of food than from lack of sleep.

12. 11. The human body never adjusts to night shift workFact or Fiction? Fact! All living things (people, animals, even plants) have a circadian or about 24-hour rhythm. This affects when we feel sleepy and alert. Light and dark cycles set these circadian rhythms. For shift workers, the light and dark cycle doesn't change. Therefore, a shift worker's circadian rhythm never adjusts.

13. 12. Boredom makes you feel sleepy even if you have had enough sleepFact or Fiction? Fiction! When people are active, they usually don't feel sleepy. When they take a break from activity, or feel bored, they may notice that they are sleepy. However, what causes sleepiness most is sleep loss: not getting the sleep you need. Children who don't get enough good sleep feel sleepy when they're bored. Boredom, like a warm or dark room, doesn't cause sleepiness, it merely unmasks it.

14. 13. Snoring is not harmful as long as it doesn’t hurt othersFact or Fiction? Fiction! In extreme cases, snoring may indicate the presence of a life-threatening sleep disorder called sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea snore loudly and arouse repeatedly during the night, gasping for breath. The good news: With treatment, patients can improve their sleep patterns.

15. 14. It’s fine to stay up late and catch up on your sleep on weekendsFact or Fiction? Fiction! Adolescents tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.

16. 15. The amount of sleep you need is genetically determinedFact or Fiction? Fact! While children need more sleep than adults, how much sleep any individual needs is genetically determined.