Sleep is essential for daily activities, performance, learning, and overall health. Insufficient sleep—getting too little sleep or not enough quality sleep—is a leading cause of accidents, lost productivity, and illness.
NICHD supports many areas of research on sleep, including how sleep occurs, how a lack of sleep affects health and behavior, and conditions that disrupt sleep. This website provides some general information about sleep and about the specific areas of sleep research within the NICHD research portfolio. The website is not meant to be all-inclusive.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with its National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), leads NIH research efforts on sleep and sleep disorders. If you are looking for in-depth information about sleep and sleep disorders, please visit the NHLBI or the NCSDR websites.
In August 2021, NICHD co-hosted the #ScienceOfSleep Across the Lifespan Q&A Series along with the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Learn how sleep impacts the health of teens, adults, and older adults 
.
General Information
Sleep is a complex biological process that helps people process new information, stay healthy, and re-energize.
Learn more about sleep deficiency, sleep deprivation, and sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.
Sleep is regulated by two processes that work together: sleep drive and the circadian clock.
When a person is sleeping, the brain cycles through two basic phases, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep.
How much sleep you need depends on several factors, including your age.
Learn common misconceptions about sleep, including details on snoring, “catch-up” sleep, and how much sleep you need as you age.
Pregnancy, certain disabilities, and diseases, including depression and cancer, can affect sleep.
Untreated sleep disorders can raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression.
Some natural products (available without a prescription) may help someone fall asleep or stay asleep. But you should always check with your doctor before taking them.
Research
NICHD supports research to study the biological processes behind sleep, how lack of sleep affects people, and how sleep disorders affect health.
Find a Study
NICHD conducts and supports a variety of clinical research projects related to sleep.
More Information
Find answers to other common questions about sleep, such as how sleep affects you and your infant, and tips on getting a good night’s rest.
Links to websites of groups that study or provide information about sleep.
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