No, Mr Sandman isn’t the geography teacher...
TEENAGERS LOVE THEIR SLEEP ...AND IT HAS IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR US ALL
IT is a well-known fact that sleep is important for people of all ages, getting the recommended eight to ten hours of rest per night has immense benefits, such as: improved concentration, better memory, reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, and even an increased life expectancy.
However, even with the knowledge of the benefits and importance of sleep, many people still sacrifice their resting hours for activities such as work, reading and eating.
The age demographic that gets the least amount of sleep is teenagers, as an estimated less than 85% of teens get the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep each night.
Why should teenagers prioritise sleep? It has been scientifically proven that adolescents who get better quality and quantities of rest outperform those who get less sleep, in terms of academics. However, sleep is not only beneficial for the improvement of grades - getting the recommended eight to ten hours a night can impact one’s athletic career immensely.
During sleep, your muscles experience an increase in blood flow, bringing them oxygen and nutrients that aid in muscle repair and recovery. Allowing students with athletic commitments to improve and perform to a greater level.
Why don’t teens take up the opportunity of a good night’s sleep? This is more than likely down to the number of distractions that are now present – particularly social media.
A few decades ago, social media didn’t exist and so there were little to no external influences to invade your quiet time, meaning that any decision to stay up late was more of a conscious decision. However, modern technology now poses more of an intrusive approach, which means that any issues that are dealt with during the day, or left until the next day, are now with the person 24/7.
This means that unless a conscious decision is taken to switch off, or limit access and exposure to the device that affects your brain and emotions, the chance of getting a satisfactory eight to ten hours of sleep is low.
So, how can teenagers begin to manage and maintain the amount of sleep they get each night?
This all comes down to self-discipline, since no matter how many times a child’s parents say, “you need to get a good night’s sleep” this comment is invariably ignored in favour of the gaming, watching films, and chatting online with other likeminded “night owls.” Therefore, this
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School sixth-former NIA VAIKLA explains why she feels sleep is vital for students
journey of self-discipline must follow a routine, much like parents do with young babies or children, starting with:
● Completing all essential tasks during the day to reduce stress
● Turning your phone off to reduce distractions
● Falling asleep and waking up at the same time each day to implement a routine
● Paying attention to what food and drink is consumed at what time during the day and avoiding it at night, such as caffeinated drinks and foods.
Sleep should be respected and treated as a privilege to be enjoyed when you can. There are so many times in life when sleep can become a rare commodity and only when experienced in that situation does one then truly appreciate the value and benefit of sleep.