6th grade: SLEEP + MENTAL HEALTH_sandbox

6th grade: SLEEP + MENTAL HEALTH_sandbox

SLEEP + MENTAL HEALTH — TEACHER NOTES 

Teacher notes are designed to supplement the slide deck for lessons throughout THAT HEALTH CLASS. At the start of each set of notes is a general introduction for educators – this information does not have a corresponding slide. Following the INTRO FOR EDUCATORS, every slide in the deck has a set of notes including more detailed definitions, extra examples, and ideas for in class exercises. There are no supplemental notes for the LET’S TALK ABOUT IT and SCENARIO conversation starter slides, because these are simply meant to be jumping off points for class discussions if needed. 

The goal of these supplemental notes is twofold: 

  • To offer both basic background information for educators who feel less confident   teaching a given lesson 
  • To offer a deeper dive into biology, physiology, and data for educators craving more information

Listen to our podcast episode on this topic for more information. We also have a long list of favorite resources pointing to much more content about any and all of the topics covered in this curriculum.

Description of this Class for Parents and Caregivers

Description of this Class for Parents + Caregivers — Español

INTRO FOR EDUCATORS: 

Sleep is a magic elixir, a time when the body resets, heals, and integrates memories. Adults generally value sleep like gold, but kids tend to approach it from the opposite perspective. For them, maximizing sleep can conflict with a wide array of academic, extracurricular, and social commitments, some virtual and some in real life. 

This unit teaches how sleep changes during the puberty years and the mental health benefits of sleep, offering students data to support the recommendations that they get in bed a little earlier (and without a device by their bedside!).

 

ICE BREAKER

What happens to the body and the brain during sleep? Name the big 4 and you win a prize! (PS the prize is better sleep)

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

  • Learn how melatonin makes a person sleepy.
  • Understand how much sleep people need.
  • Recognize the connection between sleep and mental health.
  • Strategize how to maximize sleep. 

 

THE SLEEP HORMONE

Everyone has an internal clock that sets their day and night time routines. This clock is controlled by the hormone melatonin. The internal clock shifts during puberty, which is why most teenagers naturally stay up later than they used to. 

Melatonin is released by the brain when the surrounding environment gets dark. Before electricity, this happened when the sun went down. Now, not so much.

As kids become teenagers, the release of melatonin is pushed back by an hour or two, rising later in the night. The entire sleep cycle is pushed, so teenagers will generally sleep in later than people of other ages as well. School and other early morning commitments throw a major wrench here.

Overhead lights also drive melatonin release later. So does the blue light emitted from screens. This video about night mode explains the science behind blue light.

Devices like computers, phones, and gaming consoles keep some kids up even later for 2 reasons:  

  1. The content on there is interesting, keeping people engaged.
  2. The light from the screens tells the brain it’s not time for sleep (especially blue light) by delaying the release of melatonin.

This is the video in the slide: How Puberty Makes You Stay Awake. 

This is a short primer on melatonin from The Cleveland Clinic.

 

EVERYONE NEEDS ZZZs

It doesn’t matter how old a person is, sleep is important. That said, the amount of sleep a person needs depends upon their age.

The average amount of sleep needed by age group is listed here: 

  • Baby: 14-16 hours (in a 24-hour period)
  • Toddler: 12-14 hours 
  • School age kid: 10 hours
  • Teenager: 9-10 hours
  • Adult: 8-9 hours

These amounts represent averages! Some people need more sleep than the recommended amount, while others truly need less and cannot get to the suggested number of hours no matter how hard they try.

Achieving exact sleep amounts shouldn’t be a stressor. Get to know your body. 

But don’t make up excuses for yourself based upon what you wish were true. In other words, if you know you feel better after 10 hours of sleep per night and you’re able to achieve it with a little bit of effort, don’t tell yourself a story that you are fine with 8 because that’s what you’d rather aim for.

Stressing over sleep usually only leads to an inability to sleep! It’s common for people to get into bed and think through thoughts for the day. This can make them feel more alert rather than drowsy.

It’s also common for people to want to fall asleep early, especially if they have a big event the next day, only to find that they simply cannot. Sometimes the act of laying in bed trying to fall asleep can cause more frustration. If this happens, there are lots of strategies for how to overcome it (they are coming up soon!)

 

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SLEEP NEEDS

Healthcare providers will always say that people need lots of sleep. The reason why is in this video: How Much Sleep Do People Need (by age). 

If you have an extra 6 minutes, this is a great video from TEDed about The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep.

 

SLEEP IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH...

The amount of sleep you get (or don’t get) affects mood and wellbeing.

After a bad night’s sleep, it's common to feel grumpy and irritable… and the opposite is also true! People generally feel awesome after a good night’s sleep.

Sleep really affects people’s moods – this is true for people of all ages. When babies don’t get enough sleep they rub their eyes, are super cranky and might not even want their food. As people get older their crankiness might show up differently but it’s the same idea – not getting enough sleep can make you feel really crummy, physically and emotionally. You might feel sad, frustrated, angry, or have low energy. 

If you go through long stretches without healthy amounts of sleep, it can even make you feel really low.

If you need help getting more sleep, talk to a trusted adult. 

 

...AND MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS SLEEP

One of the reasons people can have trouble getting enough sleep is their mental health. Mental health issues like depression and anxiety can interfere with sleep routines. They can make it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep throughout the night, and wake up in the morning. 

(There are also lots of things other than mental health that can keep people up at night, like an uncomfortable bed, caffeine, or thinking about things that happened during the day.)

Depression can be made worse by lack of sleep and poor sleep can be a symptom of depression. If you notice that your mood has not been great, take note of how much sleep you’ve been getting and try putting into practice some techniques below to improve your sleep hygiene.

This video from TEDEd offers 3 minutes on How Sleep Affects Your Emotions.

 

TRAIN THE BRAIN

Melatonin is released later and later as kids get into the teen years. But if they engage in before-sleep routines earlier than they feel tired, they can signal to the brain that they want to go to sleep, which slowly shifts melatonin release earlier.

People can create pre-sleep routines to signal to the brain that they want to go to sleep earlier. Doing these routines around the same time every night gets the body into a rhythm. 

These routines can include things like:

    • Brushing teeth
    • Washing face
    • Drinking a warm drink 
    • Dimming lights or using a more focal reading light
    • Journaling
    • Reading

Put away all devices at least an hour – but ideally 2 hours – before you want to fall asleep. Huge tip here: DO NOT sleep with devices in your room. This goes for people of all ages!

Avoid caffeinated or sugary foods and drinks in the evening. These don’t impact melatonin, but they do change the brain’s readiness for sleep. Caffeine and sugar increase energy and alertness rather than decreasing it.

Plan for wake up! Wake up to natural light or with an alarm that gradually increases in volume. Avoid hitting the snooze button on an alarm repeatedly… unless you set your alarm extra early and build in time to hit snooze. Think through the realistic amount of time it takes to get ready each morning and plan backwards from when you need to walk out the door – this avoids an unnecessary rush.

 

SUMMARY

Sleep is really important for overall well being. But getting enough can feel challenging. Sleep patterns change during adolescence, so if you’re feeling like you’re not getting enough rest at night, you can do something about it.

 

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

  1. How much sleep do you actually get every night? What gets in the way of you going to sleep when you're "supposed" to?
  2. Think about a recent time when you stayed up WAY too late at a sleepover,
    watching a movie, or scrolling through your phone. How did you feel the next day?
    How did you act with other people?