Letter: Let's make sure students get enough sleep

Posted 1/19/17

To the editor:

As we enter into midterm exams at Barrington High School and consider the best ways of preparing our middle school and elementary school students for future academic challenges, …

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Letter: Let's make sure students get enough sleep

Posted

To the editor:

As we enter into midterm exams at Barrington High School and consider the best ways of preparing our middle school and elementary school students for future academic challenges, we are reminded of both the lure of cramming and the importance of prioritizing adequate sleep.  

We know that adolescents need between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep a night in order to be well rested and ready to learn (see AAP, CDC recommendations). We also know from the results of the Challenge Success survey administered at BHS last spring that few of our high school students are getting enough sleep on a regular basis (average # of hours = 6.75 hours). 

During midterms, it might be tempting for students to forgo sleep in order to study longer. The research is clear that it is counter-productive to sacrifice sleep to study more.  

Suggestions for helping support good sleep habits include: 1) choosing foods/beverages that encourage adequate rest (fruits/veggies, complex carbs, avoiding caffeinated drinks and not eating within two hours of bedtime); 2) managing anxiety by turning off devices prior to winding down, journal-writing and visualization techniques; 3) employing relaxation methods like taking a warm bath/shower, aromatherapy, muscle relaxation; 4) preparing well for exam day by making and sticking to a study schedule, considering the setting (at desk/library, not bedroom) and timing of studying (best between 6 and 8 p.m.), and 5) exercising regularly.

While we sleep, the information that we’ve taken in during the day is consolidated and organized in our memory. We are taking in what we’ve learned from the day before and actually clearing space in our brains for making new connections and enhancing learning for the next day.  

When we shorten the amount of sleep we get, we curtail our REM sleep — the part of the sleep cycle where much of the consolidation is taking place. Consequently, studying when we ought to be sleeping interrupts our brain’s ability to form and access memories and learn more effectively.

Better sleep habits result in greater long-term memory capacity, easier language acquisition, and greater focus and concentration. By ensuring that our students get the recommended amount of sleep, including during exam periods, we are equipping them for more accurate and efficient processing of the information that they are learning and better retention of that information that they will need for exams and beyond. 

All of this is to say that adequate sleep equals better grades and higher quality learning. Who wouldn’t want that for their student?

If you are interested in learning more, go to: https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep

Ann Adler, Ph.D., Sarah O’Brien, LICSW, Liana Cassar, MPH, MBA, Cynthia Rosengard, Ph.D., MPH, Kristen Kreuzkamp, Andrew Winner, Ph.D., Pam Lauria, MSN, FNP

Barrington

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