WORLD SLEEP DAY 19 MARCH 2021

SLEEP WELL TO LEARN WELL

Did you know that most of us spend 30% of our lifetime sleeping!

Just like your phone, your body and mind need to be recharged each day-with a good night of sleep!

When we sleep our bodies have time to repair and grow. This helps us manage our mental health, helps us learn better, boosts our immune system and improves our memory!

How much sleep do we need?

Primary school aged children: 9-11 hours

High School and College age: 8-10 hours

What happens If I don’t get enough sleep?

When we don't get enough sleep we can be more irritable, moody, aggressive, restless, impulsive, have more accidents when driving, run the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

School children may get lower grades at school, have poor memory, have trouble with their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing and impact on the mental health of others around them.

Tips for getting a good night sleep:

• Exercising during the day will help you deal with stress and anxiety and will help your body burn up energy making it easier for you to fall and stay asleep over night
• If you get into the habit of sleeping during the day, even for a short while, you may start to shift your body clock. For the same reason, avoid having very late nights and long sleep-ins at the weekend
• During the evening, give your body plenty of time to digest a meal. A heavy meal late on or close to bedtime is hard for your stomach to deal with
• The last hour before bed is the most important hour of all. Your body is naturally getting ready to sleep with the release of melatonin, you are probably yawning, and your muscles are beginning to relax. Switch off the computer, the TV, the iPad, and don’t use your mobile phone as the light that comes from their screens can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone (melatonin) and stop you falling asleep
• Try Journaling, reading or mindfulness breathing exercises instead to help you relax and switch off your mind before bed.
• Keep as close to a regular bedtime and waking up time as possible –Even on the weekends & school holidays! It helps to ‘set’ your body clock and maintain a good sleep routine.

If you can establish good sleep habits and a consistent with a sleep routine, you should soon find that you are waking in the morning feeling more refreshed. 

If you are concerned about yours or your child's sleep habits, contact your School Health Nurse via the office. You can also visit www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au for fact sheets and resources.

Nurse Tayla