Sleep Habits

This passage describes different sleep habits and how they can affect our bodies.

Lexile Level: 1030L

Categories: Sports & Health

Scientists say that most people in the United States get far less sleep each night than they need. Recent studies show that our cognitive abilities decline when we do not get enough sleep. This means that sleep deprivation affects our motor control, our memory, our reaction time, and our ability to solve problems. Scientists say that the physical impact of being sleep-deprived for many days is much like being drunk. Most doctors recommend that adults sleep between seven and nine hours each night. The average American adult sleeps about five or six hours. Studies show that we need different amounts of sleep at different ages. When we are children, we might need as much as twelve hours of sleep in every twenty-four hour cycle. The elderly often sleep as little as four or five hours each night. Studies have also shown that sleep habits differ in a variety of cultures.