How Schools Can Promote Healthy Sleep Habits for Students
In the last decade, the issue of sleep has gained particular relevance and has even become a great problem for many modern people. The rapidly changing world, the constant vanity, and stress are so familiar to everyone, and it would seem that problems with sleep are a logical consequence.
However, not many people think that a lack of sleep can be a problem for children too. Some parents allow their children to stay up late and do not even suspect that they are taking the first step so that their child’s academic performance falls.
Is there a connection between sleeping problems and academic success? Most likely, everyone who works with children and adolescents says yes. This is a worth-attention issue but how can you help children understand the value of sleep and teach them healthy sleep habits? Below you will find a practical guide.
Top 4 Tips to Promote Healthy Sleeping
According to statistics, college students sleep on average 6-6.9 hours. It is believed that the optimal sleep time for an adult is 6-10 hours. But as for 6 hours, this time may not be enough for everyone. And as for more hours of sleep, they are a gift for those who delegate their academic tasks and seek help on the Online Writers Rating custom writing services reviews platform. In this case, sleepless nights spent on writing an essay are excluded.
So, most teenagers sleep 6 hours a day. But how to do well in school when there is an obvious lack of sleep? You, as a teacher, need to teach them to take special care of the sleep. Especially if at the moment you are working with the primary school problems.
Student years will be even more stressful so you need to teach your pupils healthy sleep now. What is more important, in the future they will be able to pass on their healthy habit to their children. So by wanting to help your students, you will make a special contribution not only to their future.
How healthy sleep can help a child achieve academic success? Here are the main points you should rely on. Use them as the main thesis statements to explain to your kids the importance of healthy sleep on the first lectures.
- Lack of sleep will lead to a decrease in immunity.
- Because of the lack of sleep, the child’s psyche will be shaken and it will be difficult to cope with stress.
- Healthy sleep will relieve irritation and help avoid mental health problems.
- The concentration of attention decreases. It will be difficult for the child to cope with elementary tasks.
- Memory and assimilation of new information is slow, so the brain is in a “sleepy” mode.
- Increase in weight and decrease in physical activity, which will subsequently affect intellectual abilities.
- Lack of production of hormones, which are very important in adolescence.
This is the basis from which you can start if you have not done this before. Below you will find practical tips to help you teach your students healthy sleeping.
Lecture On the Importance of Sleep
Prepare an educational lecture on the importance of sleep. By the way, you can give more than one lecture, conduct such training once a quarter. Of course, you will need to prepare new and different information, but this approach will allow your students to understand the whole essence of the problem.
Rely on the way your students perceive information better. Perhaps you should give the lecture in a question and answer format, or focus on visual information. Focus on your students and find an approach that will definitely work. Here are some practices you may start with.
Start a Sleeping Diary
Lectures on the importance of sleep for teens may not be enough. For this reason, you need to show your students all this information in practice. But to make it not only easy, but also fun, give your students the task of keeping a sleep diary. Such a diary should include the following:
- The time the student went to bed.
- The woke up time.
- Total sleep duration.
- Sensations after waking up.
- Description of the state of health after the first lesson.
- How much time did they spend doing their homework?
After a week, review this data with students. So each student will be able to understand how sleep affects the feeling, well-being, and so on. This will be a good reinforcement of the lectures and then the students will be more motivated to improve the quality of their sleep.
Make A Memo for Students
Once your students have a clear understanding of the importance of sleep, you should provide them with a general reminder for good sleep. You can specify the following in this memo:
- Ventilate the area before going to bed.
- 1-1.5 before bedtime, keep away from gadgets, reading or watching TV.
- Provide darkness in the bedroom.
- Do not leave your smartphone near the pillow.
- Use sleep masks.
You probably know the approximate daily routine of your students, and based on this, you can create an approximate daily schedule that will provide students with enough time to sleep. Of course, each student is unique, but such a schedule can be a starting point for customization based on personal characteristics.
Educational Lecture for Parents
Not all parents understand the importance of sleep and how it can help their child achieve academic success. Therefore, they allow children to go to bed after midnight, and on weekends they generally give free rein about the time to go to bed.
If parents are aware of the importance of sleep and how they can help the child, then they will do their best to help. So try to get all the parents together and have an informative conversation with them.
Also, identify those students who are more lethargic on a consistent basis. Most likely they have a systematic sleep disorder and need special attention. Try to help this student and talk to the parents about the problem personally.
The Final Words
Such easy steps from the sleep school will help to improve the quality of teens sleeping. It will be very pleasant to watch how the sleepiest student turns into an excellent pupil and those who did not have enough energy seem to wake up. So start acting as early as possible!