Sleep Management

Week of :  February 3-8

Theme:  Sleep Management

 

     Date                    News                             Greeting             Sharing               Activity

Mon	Good Morning! The theme this week is Sleep Management. Before we begin find someone that sleeps the same way you do (side, back, belly).	Partner greeting	n/a	EF organization
Tuesday a.m.	Hello All! How much sleep did you get last night? Are you still tired or feel well rested. Mark a tally on the board under how you slept last night.	Movie star greeting	Present a chart on the board or overhead to fill in with columns for average bed time, wake time, number of hours of sleep	Fill in chart and discuss.
Tuesday p.m.	Same	Silent greeting	Informal discussion of sleep from notes in chart below and brain waves illustration	Cross word Puzzle (your copy has answers)
Wed	We dream about 4-5 times a night, so the average 80-year old will have had 131 400 dreams in their lifetime. How many dreams have you had, and how many can you remember?	Step in Greeting	Think, Pair, Share: Tell about your most memorable dream with someone in the group. Volunteers share out.	Continue Think, Pair, Share
Thursday	Stretch and touch your toes, today is going to be a great day! Welcome! Start everyday with a good night’s sleep!	Pick a Greeting you like!	Whip share- techniques to fall asleep	Discuss techniques to fall asleep with suggestions from below
Friday	Rise and Shine group! It’s Friday. You made it through another great week!	Telephone Greeting	Pair up and pick a section to read, get prepared to present	Pair Present: and informal discussion

 

GREETINGS

Partner Greeting:  use any greeting to welcome someone in the class rather than around the circle in the usual style.

 

Movie Star Alias Greeting: introduce yourself to everyone using your first name and your pet’s name or the name of the street you live on as your last name. For example, “Hi my name is Marie Westlake. The group responds by

 

Silent Greeting: students brainstorm types of silent greetings. Model and practice some of them, such as nod heads, smile, eye contact with raised eyebrows, hand shake, wink, etc.

Step in Greeting:  students stand in a circle. One by one, students step into the circle and greet everyone: good morning, everyone. Class responds in kind, adding the student’s name: good morning, Christin.

Telephone Greeting: students silently maintain eye contact with someone across the circle. They work together to determine who greets first, and to try to mimic pricking up a phone at the same time. The greeter greets the person she has chosen, holding a pinky near her mouth and a thumb near her ear. The person being greeted does likewise, responding in kind. This can be done simultaneously or suing the circle format.

Name	Time goes to bed	Time gets up	No. of hours in bed

 

Your Brain Needs Sleep, so you can: Remember what you learn Pay attention and concentrate Solve problems and think of new ideas	Your Body Needs Sleep, so your: Muscles, bones, and skin can grow Muscles, skin and other parts can fix injuries Body can stay healthy and fight sickness
When you get enough sleep you can: Pay attention better in school Be creative and think of new ideas Fight sickness Be in a good mood Get along with friends and family Solve problems better	Without enough sleep you can: Forget what you learned Have trouble making good choices Be grumpy and in a bad mood Have trouble playing games and sports Be less patient Have trouble listening to parents and teachers

 

 

Pair Read and Present: give each pair a section of the article to read (cut one copy of article between headings). Have the pairs read their section together, make notes if they need to, then present their section to the class. Some may choose to read straight from the section they have, but encourage synthesizing the information and talking to the class instead of reading to them. Perhaps you would like to take the section on “How can I get more Sleep?” It is a big one.

FRIDAY ACTICTY

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Most teens need about 8½ to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. The right amount of sleep is essential for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play sports without tripping over their feet. Unfortunately, though, many teens don't get enough sleep.

Why Aren't Teens Getting Enough Sleep?

Until recently, teens were often given a bad rap for staying up late, oversleeping for school, and falling asleep in class. But recent studies show that adolescent sleep patterns actually differ from those of adults or kids.

These studies show that during the teen years, the body's circadiancircadian rhythm (sort of like an internal biological clock) is temporarily reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. This change in the circadian rhythm seems to be due to the fact that the brain hormone melatoninmelatonin is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early.

These changes in the body's circadian rhythm coincide with a time when we're busier than ever. For most teens, the pressure to do well in school is more intense than when they were kids, and it's harder to get by without studying hard. And teens also have other time demands — everything from sports and other extracurricular activities to fitting in a part-time job to save money for college.

Early start times in some schools may also play a role in this sleep deficit. Teens who fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school, meaning that they may only squeeze in 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. A couple hours of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal, but can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time.

Why Is Sleep Important?

This sleep deficit impacts everything from a person's ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, more than one quarter of high school students fall asleep in class, and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to poorer grades. Lack of sleep also damages teens' ability to do their best in athletics.

Slowed responses and concentration from lack of sleep don't just affect school or sports performance, though. More than half of teens surveyed reported that they have driven a car drowsy over the past year and 15% of students in the 10th to 12th grades drive drowsy at least once a week. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration estimates that more than 100,000 accidents, 40,000 injuries, and 1,500 people are killed in the U.S. every year in crashes caused by drivers who are simply tired. Young people under the age of 25 are far more likely to be involved in drowsy driving crashes.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles, such as feelings of sadness and depression. Sleep helps keep us physically healthy, too, by slowing our body's systems enough to re-energize us after everyday activities.

How Do I Know if I'm Getting Enough?

Even if you think you're getting enough sleep, you may not be. Here are some of the signs that you may need more sleep:

       difficulty waking up in the morning

       inability to concentrate

       falling asleep during classes

       feelings of moodiness and even depression

How Can I Get More Sleep?

Recently, some researchers, parents, and teachers have suggested that middle- and high-school classes begin later in the morning to accommodate teens' need for more sleep. Some schools have already implemented later start times. You and your friends, parents, and teachers can lobby for later start times at your school, but in the meantime you'll have to make your own adjustments.

Here are some things that may help you to sleep better:

       Set a regular bedtime. Going to bed at the same time each night signals to your body that it's time to sleep. Waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns. So try to stick as closely as you can to your sleep schedule even on weekends. Don't go to sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than you do during the week.

       Exercise regularly. Try not to exercise right before bed, though, as it can rev you up and make it harder to fall asleep. Finish exercising at least three hours before bedtime. Many sleep experts believe that exercising in late afternoon may actually help a person sleep.

       Avoid stimulants. Don't drink beverages with caffeine, such as soda and coffee, after 4 PM. Nicotine is also a stimulant, so quitting smoking may help you sleep better. And drinking alcohol in the evening can also cause a person to be restless and wake up during the night.

       Relax your mind. Avoid violent, scary, or action movies or television shows right before bed — anything that might set your mind and heart racing. Reading books with involved or active plots may also keep you from falling or staying asleep.

       Unwind by keeping the lights low. Light signals the brain that it's time to wake up. Staying away from bright lights (including computer screens!), as well as meditating or listening to soothing music, can help your body relax. Try to avoid TV, computer and telephone at least one hour before you go to bed.

       Don't nap too much. Naps of more than 30 minutes during the day may keep you from falling asleep later.

       Avoid all-nighters. Don't wait until the night before a big test to study. Cutting back on sleep the night before a test may mean you perform worse than you would if you'd studied less but got more sleep.

       Create the right sleeping environment. Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains (and make sure they're heavy enough to block out light) and turn down the thermostat in your room (pile on extra blankets or wear PJs if you're cold). Lots of noise can be a sleep turnoff, too.

       Wake up with bright light. Bright light in the morning signals to your body that it's time to get going. If it's dark in your room, it can help to turn on a light as soon as your alarm goes off

If you're drowsy, it's hard to look and feel your best. Schedule "sleep" as an item on your agenda to help you stay creative and healthy.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2009
Originally reviewed by: Mena T. Scavina, D