Don’t Snooze on
Sleep
“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep.”
— Mesut Barazany
The Sleep Numbers
01
The Cost of Sleep Deprivation
02
Sleep Hygiene
03
Tips & Resources
04
Table of contents
Why so few teenagers and adults are getting enough sleep
Insufficient sleep negatively affects nearly every aspect of health and cognition!
What does good sleep require?
Practical takeaways
— William Shakespeare
Macbeth
Sleep is “the balm of hurt minds…the chief nourisher in life’s feast.”
The Sleep Numbers
01
Why so few teenagers and adults are getting enough sleep
70%
4
28%
Some Sleep Numbers
Of teenagers live with a “borderline to severe” sleep debt
The number of days it takes the body to recover from one hour of sleep debt
Of teens fall asleep at school more than once a week
Adults aren’t much better!
What is the message this sends children about the important of sleep?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared a sleep loss epidemic throughout industrialised nations.
Is it coincidence that in countries where sleep time has declined dramatically, there is also the greatest increase in physical and mental health issues?
The Cost of Poor Sleep
Chronic insufficient sleep is associated with:
What About Pulling An All-Nighter?
Going 24 hours without sleep is comparable to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1%, which is above the legal limit in some countries. It’s unsurprising then, that the kinds of impairment you see are similar to intoxication:
Stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline increase without sleep It’s your body’s attempt to compensate for the fatigue you’re experiencing. For every additional hour you go without resting, the side effects of sleep deprivation become more severe.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION has long been used as an interrogation technique
Within the framework of torture as defined in the United Nations Convention (UNCAT), intentionally forcing a person to have less than 6 hours of continuous, restful sleep must be considered a form of degrading treatment that could amount to cruel and inhuman treatment.
In sleep deprivation studies on lab rats, the test subjects ultimately died, and research on the long-term impacts of lack of sleep cannot be ethically conducted on humans.
Pérez-Sales, P. (2019). The 6/24 rule: A review and proposal for an international standard of a minimum of six hours of continuous sleep in detention settings. Torture Journal, 29(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v29i2.116321
Sleep Hygiene
What does it take to get good sleep?
Good Sleep Hygiene Habits:
Comfort
20-Minute Naps
Exercise & Sunshine
Wind Down
Block out Light
Routine
Opt for high-quality mattress, pillow, and bedding.
As tempting as it is to try and stock up on sleep during an afternoon nap, it can negatively impact that night’s sleep!
Try to get at least 20 minutes of exercise per day, and 30 minutes of exposure to natural light.
Quiet reading, low-impact stretching, listening to soothing music, and staying off screens helps the brain prepare for sleep.
Blackout blinds and a sleep mask reduce disruption to your circadian rhythm.
As much as possible, try to build and stick with a consistent bedtime routine and wake up around the same time each day.
Teens are biologically disposed to a later sleep pattern than adults or children, so:
Going to bed early and waking up early (in alignment with a typical school schedule) is at odds with their natural circadian rhythm.
Exposure to blue light (screens) before bed exacerbates this effect.
It’s not their choice or their fault.
Even very responsible teens should not be to set their own bedtime: they’re simply not yet capable of the self-regulation required!
The Elephant in the Room
Tips:
Screen Time & Sleep
Screen “Curfew”
A family media protocol should include clear limits on screen time, and allot time for healthy activities such as sleep, family time, schoolwork, and exercise.
Teens do best when they are given the chance to participate in creating their own guidelines, so consider sitting down together and making a plan for screen time.
Set a screen time boundary: encourage your teen to reduce screen use earlier in the day when possible. Decide where to charge smartphones, ideally outside of the teen’s bedroom.
Support Mental Wellness
Create a calming bedtime routine to replace screen use, including activities such as reading or chatting. Listen to your teen’s worries, such as the fear they might be missing out on social updates, and find ways to work solutions into the media plan.
Model The Behavior You Want to See
To help teenagers adopt healthy sleep hygiene and screen habits, parents and caregivers should strive to be positive role models.
Finally…
Setting age-appropriate bedtimes and screen time limits, practicing good sleep hygiene, and educating yourself and your child about the issues associated with insufficient sleep will help build healthy habits and contribute to more positive outcomes for your child!
Thanks
Resources
What have you noticed in your own routine that helps improve your sleep?
What have you noticed in your own routine that negatively impacts your sleep?
What do you do when you wake up and can’t get back to sleep?