Are you tired of feeling tired? If so, you’re not alone. Many Americans don’t get enough sleep. But you may not know just how much sleep—or the lack of sleep—affects you and your family.

Sleep is a natural part of life, but many people know very little about how important it is and some even try to get by with little sleep. Sleep is something our bodies need to do; it is not an option. Even though the exact reasons for sleep remain a mystery, we know that during sleep many of the body’s major organ and regulatory systems continue to work actively. Some parts of the brain actually increase their activity dramatically, and the body produces more of certain hormones. Sleep, like diet and exercise, is important for our minds and bodies to function normally.

Problem Sleepiness Has Serious Consequences

Sleepiness due to chronic lack of adequate sleep is a big problem in the United States and affects many children as well as adults. Children and even adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep each night to do their best. Most adults need about 8 hours of sleep each night.

When we get less sleep than we need each night, even by 1 hour, we develop a “sleep debt.” If the sleep debt becomes too great, it can lead to problem sleepiness—sleepiness that occurs when you should be awake and alert, interferes with daily routine and activities, and reduces your ability to function. Even if you do not feel sleepy, the sleep debt can have a powerful negative effect on your daytime performance, thinking, and mood and can cause you to be drowsy or fall asleep at inappropriate and even dangerous times.

Problem sleepiness has serious consequences. It puts adolescents and adults at risk for driving or workplace accidents. In children, it increases the risk of accidents and injuries. In addition, lack of sleep can have a negative effect on children’s performance in school, on the playground, in extracurricular activities, and in social relationships.

Inadequate sleep can cause decreases in:

• Performance
• Concentration
• Reaction times
• Consolidation of information learning

Inadequate sleep can cause increases in:

• Memory lapses
• Accidents and injuries
• Behavior problems
• Mood problems

* Text adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Star Sleeper, last referenced 3/10/04.

Additional Resources

• American Psychological Association: Sleep Deprivation May Be Undermining Teen Health
• National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Interactive Sleep Quiz
• National Institute on Aging: A Good Night’s Sleep
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep
• The National Sleep Foundation
• U.S. National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus: Sleep Disorders