We all know that sleep is important, but how important is it and how much do we actually need? What are the distractions that keep us from getting the rest we need at night?
Recent studies have shown that 1/3 of teens are sleep deprived getting around 7 hours a sleep a night when you actually need 9 hours of sleep a night to function at your highest potential during the day!!! You may say to yourself, “Oh I’m definitely one of the 2/3 of teens who are getting enough sleep” but how many of you can say you consistently get 9 hours of sleep on a normal night??? Hmmm… That’s what I thought!
And we all know one of the major culprits of teens not getting enough sleep at night. What do you think it might be?? Yep, you’re right, technology. Check out the articles, “Really? Using a Computer Before Bed Can Disrupt Sleep” and Screen Time Before Bedtime you’ll learn more about how using tech before bed can lead to you getting less zzzzz’s.
A recent article in the Atlantic entitled, Sleep Deprivation Makes Us look Sad and Unattractive, talks about why sleep is called beauty sleep! When you get sleep you not only feel better and more energetic, but you look more attractive! And another article from the Atlantic, Building Better Athletes with Sleep, talks about how athletes perform better when they get more sleep.
And kids, did you know that getting enough sleep at night can help you maintain a healthy weight? The New York Times article Lost Sleep can Add to Weight Gain gives you more insight on just how sleep can help your body.
Once you’ve read all the articles and taken notes, chose one of the benefits of sleep that you find most interesting or maybe it’s something you want to make sure you remember and create a sleep advocacy poster. You may have to do a little more research on this specific sleep benefit to ensure your poster is filled with accurate, up to date information.
Here’s the rubric so you know exactly what to include:
Other Resources used in Health Class that could be helpful to your research:
Brain Pop: Tim and Moby talk about sleep.
Articles:
Building Better Athletes with Sleep
“Really? Using a Computer Before Bed Can Disrupt Sleep”
Sleep Deprivation Makes Us look Sad and Unattractive
Lost Sleep can Add to Weight Gain
TED Talks:
Health and Happiness 