The Get Better Sleep Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
1 min
The Get Better Sleep Quiz
Image: Daly and Newton/Getty Images

About This Quiz

When your quality of sleep degrades, your whole life — from work to family — begins to fray at the edges. The good news is that there are all sorts of ways to get an improved night’s rest. Do you know some of the basics of getting better sleep?
If you routinely want better sleep, you should adhere to what sort of schedule?
Make sure you catch up on your sleep on the weekend.
Alternate shorter nights of sleep with longer ones.
Wake up at the same time each day.
The human body and mind are creatures of habit. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, you will more often find peaceful rest. This means getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

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Is working out late in the evening bad for your sleep?
yes
no
It depends on the person.
Exercise makes you tired but also revs up your mind. Studies have not shown much connection between sleep and exercise time but if you think it's affecting you, experiment with exercising at a different time. Exercise (as opposed to no exercise) is positively associated with a good night's sleep.

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How long should a nap last?
less than 15 minutes
less than 30 minutes
Ideally, naps should last less than 30 minutes. If it's longer than that, we begin to enter deep sleep.
less than 1 hour

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How long before bedtime should you start putting away your computer and smartphone?
about an hour
Bright light stimulates the human brain to remain alert and awake. You can help your brain, mind, and body begin winding down by avoiding glowing devices starting an hour before bed. And let’s be honest, that disco ball and strobe light in your bedroom closet isn’t helping, either.
about 15 minutes
Just take your smartphone to bed like you always do.

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Most people rest best when their sleeping area is about what temperature?
65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 Celsius)
Ideal sleeping temperatures vary from person to person. But according to the Sleep Foundation, most people get their best rest when temps are between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius)
75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celsius)

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How many hours do we dream each night?
We don't dream every night.
one hour
two hours
We typically spend two hours dreaming each night. We just don't usually remember dreaming.

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What’s the maximum lifespan of a quality mattress?
5 years
9 years
Grandma’s mattress from 1985 has to go. A high-quality mattress might last you a decade — a cheap one, on the other hand, might be shot in just a couple of years.
25 years

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What's the most popular sleep position in America?
on the side
on the stomach
fetal position
Some 41 percent of Americans in a National Sleep Foundation poll picked the fetal postion (on your side, shoulders hunched and knees bent).

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What's the best sleep postion?
on your back
Although only 8 percent of Americans sleep in this position, experts say sleeping on the back is the best option because your head, neck and spine are in a neutral position.
on your side
on your stomach

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If you simply must sleep on your stomach, what’s one way you can reduce your chances of experiencing neck or pain problems?
Use a softer pillow.
Sleeping on your stomach tends to through your spine and neck out of alignment. Using a (very) soft pillow can bring your spine into a straighter line and hopefully keep neck pain to a minimum.
Sleep on your partner’s chest.
Take muscle relaxers.

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You Got:
/10
Daly and Newton/Getty Images