Drifting off
A brief, light transition lasting several minutes. Breathing, heartbeat and brain waves begin to slow.
Health & Science Quiz
Bing Sleep Quiz – Test Your Knowledge of Sleep
Does a nightcap help you sleep? Can you really catch up on the weekend? Flip through twelve sleep myths and facts, collect a moon for every right call, and wake up a little wiser.
Start the quiz ☾We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep, yet sleep remains one of the most misunderstood parts of daily life. Folk wisdom tells us that some people can thrive on four hours, that a glass of wine helps us drift off, and that we can bank lost hours on the weekend. Science paints a more interesting picture: sleep is an active, carefully organized process that affects memory, mood, metabolism, immunity and safety.
This Bing Sleep Quiz works like a deck of cards. Read each statement and decide whether it is a myth or a fact, then flip the card to see the evidence. Afterward, the guide explains how much sleep each age group needs, what happens during each sleep stage, how your body clock works, and practical habits that support better rest.
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Health information, not medical advice. This quiz is for general education and draws on public health sources such as the CDC and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. It is not a substitute for professional advice. If you have ongoing sleep problems, talk to a doctor or other qualified healthcare provider. This independent quiz is not affiliated with Microsoft or Bing.
7+ hrsRecommended nightly sleep for adults aged 18–60, according to the CDC
~90 minTime before the first REM period typically begins
⅓Approximate share of our lives spent asleep
24 hrsAwake that long, impairment resembles a 0.10% blood alcohol level
Myth or fact?
Take the Bing Sleep Quiz
Decide whether each card is a myth or a fact. Tap a button, swipe the card left for myth or right for fact, or use your arrow keys. Each correct answer lights up one of the twelve moons.
Sleep by age
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Sleep needs change dramatically over a lifetime. Babies may sleep most of the day, while most adults need at least seven hours a night. These ranges come from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and refer to sleep per 24 hours.
Newborn0–3 months
14–17 h
Infant4–12 months, incl. naps
12–16 h
Toddler1–2 years, incl. naps
11–14 h
Preschool3–5 years, incl. naps
10–13 h
School age6–12 years
9–12 h
Teen13–17 years
8–10 h
Adult18–60 years
7 h or more
Adult61–64 years
7–9 h
Older adult65+ years
7–8 h
Quantity is only part of the story. The CDC also emphasizes sleep quality: waking up repeatedly, struggling to fall asleep, or feeling tired even after a full night can all be signs that sleep is not doing its job. In a CDC analysis of 2014 survey data, about a third of U.S. adults reported regularly getting less than the recommended amount.
Inside the night
N1 N2 N3 REM
The Stages of Sleep, Mapped Across One Night
Sleep is not one long, uniform state. Your brain cycles through non-REM and REM sleep several times each night. Deep sleep dominates the early hours, while REM periods grow longer toward morning. The chart below is a simplified illustration of a typical eight-hour night.
Light sleep
Body temperature drops and brain activity slows further. You spend more time here than in any other stage.
Deep sleep
The slowest brain waves and the hardest stage to wake from. It occurs mostly in the first half of the night and is vital for feeling refreshed.
Dream sleep
The eyes dart, breathing quickens and most vivid dreaming happens. Arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed so you do not act out dreams.
Biology
Your Body Clock: What Makes You Sleepy
Two systems work together to decide when you feel sleepy: a sleep drive that builds the longer you are awake, and a roughly 24-hour circadian rhythm that keeps time with light and darkness.
The master clock
A tiny region of the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) receives light signals from the eyes and keeps your body’s daily rhythms in time with day and night.
Melatonin
Produced by the pineal gland, this hormone rises when it gets dark and helps signal that it is time to sleep. Bright light, including light from screens, can delay its release.
Adenosine & caffeine
Adenosine builds up in the brain while you are awake, increasing the urge to sleep. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine’s effects, which is why it keeps you alert.
Why teenagers stay up lateDuring puberty, the body clock naturally shifts later, so many teens do not feel sleepy until late evening. This biological change is one reason the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Nature’s sleepersHalf a brain Up to ~20 h Short bouts Mid-flight
How Animals Sleep
Sleep appears to be nearly universal in the animal kingdom, but the way creatures do it varies wildly. These examples are favorite trivia material.
Dolphins
Dolphins can rest one half of the brain at a time while the other half stays alert, allowing them to surface for air and watch for danger.
Little brown bats
Among the sleepiest mammals, these bats can spend most of the day asleep, saving energy for nighttime insect hunting.
Giraffes
Giraffes are among the lightest sleepers, often resting in brief naps, sometimes while standing, to stay alert to predators.
Frigatebirds
Research tracking these seabirds found they can sleep in short bursts while flying, sometimes with one brain half at a time.
Sleep hygiene
Simple Habits for Better Sleep
Health organizations broadly agree on a set of everyday habits, often called sleep hygiene, that make good sleep more likely. Small, consistent changes tend to work better than dramatic overhauls.
- 1Keep a steady scheduleGo to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends.
- 2Make the bedroom dark, quiet and coolBlackout curtains, earplugs or a fan can help; many people sleep best in a slightly cool room.
- 3Dim the screensPut phones, tablets and laptops away before bed; their light and content can keep the brain alert.
- 4Watch caffeine and alcoholCaffeine can linger for hours, and alcohol may make you drowsy but tends to disrupt sleep later in the night.
- 5Get daylight and movementMorning light helps set your body clock, and regular physical activity is linked to better sleep.
- 6Don’t lie awake for longIf you can’t sleep after about 20 minutes, get up, do something calm in dim light, and return when sleepy.
Know the signs
When to Talk to a Doctor
Occasional bad nights are normal. Persistent problems are different, and several common sleep disorders are very treatable once they are diagnosed.
Insomnia
Ongoing trouble falling or staying asleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is widely recommended as a first-line treatment.
Sleep apnea
Breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Loud snoring, gasping and heavy daytime sleepiness are common warning signs.
Restless legs
An uncomfortable urge to move the legs, usually in the evening or at night, that makes it hard to settle.
Narcolepsy
A neurological condition causing overwhelming daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep episodes.
!
Drowsy driving is dangerous. CDC workplace-safety material notes that being awake for 17 hours can impair you about as much as a 0.05% blood alcohol level, and 24 hours about as much as 0.10%. If you feel drowsy, don’t drive.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bing Sleep Quiz?
It is a free, 12-card educational quiz in which you decide whether common statements about sleep are myths or facts, with an evidence-based explanation for each. It is independent, not affiliated with Microsoft or Bing, and not a substitute for medical advice.
How many hours of sleep do adults need?
The CDC recommends 7 or more hours per night for adults aged 18 to 60, 7 to 9 hours for ages 61 to 64, and 7 to 8 hours for adults 65 and older.
What are the stages of sleep?
Sleep includes three stages of non-REM sleep (N1, N2 and deep N3 sleep) and REM sleep, when most vivid dreaming occurs. The brain cycles through these stages several times each night.
Does alcohol help you sleep?
Alcohol may make you feel drowsy at first, but it tends to disrupt sleep later in the night and can reduce sleep quality, so it is not a good sleep aid.
Can you catch up on sleep on the weekend?
Sleeping in can reduce some sleepiness, but it does not fully reverse the effects of regular sleep loss. A consistent schedule with enough sleep each night is the better approach.
When should I see a doctor about sleep?
Talk to a healthcare provider if you regularly struggle to fall or stay asleep, snore loudly or gasp during sleep, feel very sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed, or if poor sleep affects your daily life.