Sleep and sickle cell disease

PDF download is not available for Arabic and Urdu languages at this time. Please use the browser print function instead

Learn about how long the average person should sleep, what happens when you sleep and why sleep is important.

Key points

  • Teenagers should sleep for about nine hours each night.
  • Sleep allows your brain and your body to rest and take a break.
  • Your body needs sleep to help you concentrate, do school work, exercise and be in a good mood.
  • If you do not get enough sleep, you may feel tired, less energetic and more sensitive to pain.
 

Sleep is an important part of your life. An average human spends about a third of their life sleeping.

Did you know...?

  • A baby sleeps for about 16 hours a day.
  • A preschooler sleeps for about 11 hours.
  • A nine-year-old sleeps for about 10 hours a day.
  • A teenager sleeps, or should sleep, for about nine hours.

Sleep is a very special state when we rest and take a break. When you sleep, your brain does not know what is going on around you. The muscles in your arms, legs or torso don’t move much. In fact, every part of your body slows down. Even your brainwaves (signs of brain activity) are different than when you are awake.

Why is sleep important?

Blue Copey character sleeping in a bed

Your body needs a certain amount of sleep to work well. Sleep can affect all areas of your life, including how you concentrate, complete school work, perform in athletics and sporting events, and even if you are in a good or bad mood.

Our minds and bodies are restored by sleep. If you don't have a good night of sleep, you will often feel tired, less energetic, crabby and more sensitive to pain. In fact, research studies show that losing sleep makes people feel more pain the next day.

Dernières mises à jour: janvier 4th 2024