What is sleep hygiene?

To prevent bugs and diseases we all understand that we need to adopt good hand-hygiene so that we create the right environment for fighting infection. Sleep is actually quite similar in that we have to create the right environment in order to get a good night's rest.

Why is sleep so important?

During sleep, your body heals itself and restores its chemical balance. Your brain forges new connections and helps memory retention. Without enough sleep, your brain and body systems won’t function normally and for children and young people, lack of sleep can have a real impact on behaviour, concentration and wellbeing.

Babies, children, and teens need significantly more sleep than adults to support their rapid mental and physical development. Most parents know that growing kids need good sleep, but many don't know just how many hours kids require, and what the impact can be of missing as little as 30 to 60 minutes of sleep time.

To find out more about the importance of sleep for you and your pupils take a look at this video clip: www.ted.com - Russell Foster - Why Do We Sleep?

How much sleep do we need?

To help children and young people sleep at their best, it's good to know how much sleep is enough. Sleep needs change throughout our lives. Children and teens need more sleep than adults do so that they fuel their growth and development.

The Sleep Council have produced a sleep chart to help you: How much sleep does a child need.pdf

6 golden rules for a good night's sleep

A regular bedtime
Spend 30 minutes before bedtime preparing for bed and do something relaxing
Avoid watching TV, using games or looking at screens before bed.
Avoid eating and drinking before bed and avoid caffeine
Avoid vigorous exercise a few hours before bed.
Have a bedroom environment that is sleep friendly: free from screens, noise and a consistent temperature.

Sleep by Age

Pre-school children, ages 3-5

This is an age when children’s daily lives begin to become busier and wider, and their days become more full of activity. Somewhere around ages 4-5, many children will give up daytime naps. This is a crucial stage in a child’s sleep development. These years are a time to establish solid sleep habits and sleep routines, and to build children’s ability to manage their sleep with more independence throughout the night, including learning to soothe themselves back to sleep when they wake during the night. This also a stage in a child’s life when sleep problems, if left un-addressed, can become chronic.

School-age children, ages 6-12

These middle-childhood years are a time of tremendous growth for children—physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially. During these years, children’s sleep patterns tend to become stable, with much more night-to-night consistency. Naps become rare, as children experience low levels of daytime sleepiness. With full school days and after-school activities now the norm, children’s bedtimes are often pushed later into the evening. Children may also need to rise earlier in the morning. It’s easy for children’s sleep schedules to become irregular, with bedtimes, in particular, varying from night to night. The result? Children during this stage of life are at higher risk for insufficient sleep.

Teenagers

Research shows that most teens do not get the sleep that they need on a daily basis. Each person has their own need for sleep. This need may vary from one person to another. Teens are at an important stage of their growth and development. Because of this, they need more sleep than adults. The average teen needs about nine hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested.

There are many factors that keep teens from getting enough sleep. Causes for their lack of sleep could include the following:

Rapidly changing bodies
Busy schedules
Active social lives
A wrong view of sleep - it's not that important!
Technology and gaming
A noisy environment

Teaching Resources for promoting good sleep

Explore the benefits of good quality sleep and learn strategies for better quality sleep

Using peer-to-peer discussion, videos and activities, students discover the importance of sleep and learn about simple actions that can improve a person’s quality of sleep.