Sleep
Benefits Sleep
Sleep is incredibly important in supporting overall health and wellbeing. It promotes brain function, emotional health, mental health, physical development, and rational decision-making. On top of this, adequate sleep reduces accidents and injuries, did you know that drowsy driving causes thousands of car accidents each year? If you aren't feeling well physically, mentally, or emotionally -- taking a nap might be a good place to start.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.
Sleep and Mental Health
Poor sleep for any reason from a night where you were up late cramming for a test to insomnia can negatively impact your mental wellness. The CDC reports research findings which state that participants in the study who slept 6 hours or less each night were 2.5 times more likely to experience frequent mental distress. Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health found that people experiencing chronic insomnia are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. The same research study concluded that improving sleep is associated with a concurrent improvement in mental health.
Let's Break the Stigma
In a study of middle school students in 9 states, 57.8% did not get an adequate amount of sleep on school nights.
A national study found that 72.7% of high school school students did not get an adequate amount of sleep on school nights.
According to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adolescents, with 9.4% of teens affected.
Please talk to your primary care provider if you are having persistently poor sleep or are consistently having trouble falling or staying asleep. Health care providers can help you determine if you have a sleeping disorder. If you do not have a primary care provider, talk to your school social worker or someone in the wellness center, they are eager to help connect you to the resources you need.
Sleep Hygiene
Improving sleep hygiene promotes a good night's rest. Sleep hygiene may look like creating a short bedtime routine with relaxing elements like a warm shower, turning off screens an hour before bed, and only using your bed for sleeping (not sitting in bed to do homework or read). Here are some more ideas:
Spend some time in the sunshine each day, this will help your internal clock better understand when it is daytime and when it is time for sleep. Not to mention all the other health benefits of sunshine!
Ideally, spend the last hours before you go to bed without blue light exposure. Blue light comes from screens on our phones, computers, TVs, and similar devices.
Avoid sleeping in on the weekend to "catch up" on sleep.
Establish a sleep schedule, including a bedtime and wake up time, then stick to it. Even on the weekends! Consistency is key.
Do your best to create a supportive environment for sleep. Dark, cool, and quiet rooms are the best. If this isn't possible, try using earplugs or a sound machine or eye mask to create better sleeping conditions.
Create a bedtime routine that incorporates calming elements you can commit to practicing consistently. This could be as simple as brushing your teeth and using your favorite soap in the shower. Maybe you would like doing the same calming yoga sequence before climbing in to bed or unwinding with a book.
Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers
Talk with your student about the sleep hygiene practices they would like to implement, ask them to decide how you can help support them. Would they like you to remind them an hour before bed to put away their phone and turn off the TV?
Model good sleep hygiene. Practice what you preach! Consider which areas you can improve your own sleep hygiene habits.
Sleep Resource Library
Scroll through our sleep resource library for videos on sleep and other related resources. Click on the videos and infographics to visit their webpages. Check out our Community Directory for more resources.