EXTRACT FROM THE BALANCED STUDENT Chapter 5 HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT S SLEEP For more information visit www.felstead.com.au 1
CONTENTS Why sleep? 3 The magic of sleep 6 What s so good about sleep? Part One It s good for your physical health 7 What s so good about sleep? Part Two It s essential for your mental health 8 What s so good about sleep? Part Three It boosts your brain power and makes you smarter 10 What s so good about sleep? Part Four And it helps you keep a healthy body weight 12 Why can t I fall asleep? How the teenage body clock works 14 Is that really keeping me awake? Phones, computers and social media (No Mum, I wasn t texting at 1.00am on a school night) 16 Who cares if I m sleep deprived? What a lack of sleep is really costing you 19 To nap or not to nap? That is the question 21 Sleeping till noon - a teenage birth right Can you really catch up on lost sleep? 23 How to sleep better Tips for a good night s sleep 24 2
Why Sleep? It s a very good question? The reason your body seems to shut down (at least on the surface) for almost a third of your life remains a matter of debate amongst many sleep experts. However most experts agree that a good night s sleep is essential to physical and emotional wellbeing, and plays a crucial role in your ability to function effectively at school and beyond. A good night s sleep empowers you to be at your very best because: While you sleep your body is recharged with energy to face the coming day. While you sleep your body and brain grow and develop to reach their peak performance levels. While you sleep your body is repaired and rejuvenated, as it is during sleep that most physical and mental healing takes place. While you sleep your brain organises all of the information you have taken in during the day, so that you can use what you have learned most effectively. 3
In terms of your ability to function productively as a student - think of two potential options for your day. Option One: You don t get enough sleep. You wake up feeling tired, and maybe even a bit grumpy. You are sluggish and drowsy in class. You can t pay attention or remember much of what you are being taught. You fall behind in class, so you have more homework to do that night. You start your homework, but feel tired so it takes longer than it should. You also don t get the chance to do extension and revision work, because you have so much to do just keeping up. You ve spent so much time on homework, that you don t have much time for yourself - but you need some me time so you end up getting to bed late that night. So you don t get enough sleep. And you repeat the same pattern the next day, and probably the day after that... Option Two: 4
You get a good night s sleep. You wake up feeling fresh, ready to face the day. You are awake and alert in class. You can pay attention and remember most of what you are taught. You finish what you have to do during the lesson, so you don t have as much homework that night. When it s time to do your homework, you can focus and concentrate, so it doesn t take too long. You get to spend your homework time on the extension and revision work that is the key to better grades. With your homework done more efficiently, you ve got more time for yourself - time to do the things you enjoy most, or just some time to chill. You feel less tense and stressed, so you sleep much better, and wake up fresh again the next day. Then you get to repeat the same pattern the next day, and the next, and the day after that... 5
The Magic Of Sleep If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So what if there was a simple, easy way to: Have more energy each day Strengthen your immune system Feel happier and more confident Reduce your chances of suffering from anxiety and depression Have a more powerfully developed brain Remember more of what you study Do better in exams Keep a healthy body weight Improve your sporting performance Be more creative And to get all of these wonderful benefits, you didn t have to do anything. All you needed to do was close your eyes and wake up about nine hours later the next morning. Does it sound too good to be true? This is one of those rare occasions when something actually is as good as it sounds. And that thing, is sleep. 6
What s So Good About Sleep? Part One: It s good for your physical health A good night s sleep gives you the energy and vitality you need to make it through a busy day. When you sleep, your body is in fact very active repairing, refreshing and rejuvenating itself. It is during sleep that growth hormones are released into your blood stream - enabling both your body and the physical aspects of your brain to grow and develop towards their peak potential. Getting enough sleep also allows your body to fight off illness and infection by strengthening your immune system. It is when you are tired and run down that you are most susceptible to colds, influenza and all the other illnesses that abound in schools every winter. Getting sick is the last thing anyone wants - but as a senior student getting sick means falling behind in work, which means you have to work even harder to catch up, or worse still, you may get sick around exam time and not be able to perform at your best. 7
What s So Good About Sleep? Part Two: It s essential for your mental health Below is vital information, for anyone concerned about their levels of anxiety, stress or depression, that most students, (and their parents or teachers), are unaware of. So we ll put it in big print: There is an extremely strong link between how much sleep you get, and the quality of your mental health. For many students poor sleep can lead to feelings of moodiness, irritability, relationship problems or trouble coping with stress. However consistently not getting enough sleep increases the chances of you developing more serious mental health problems, and increases the chances of those problems persisting over long periods of time. A study of 20,000 17-24 year olds in New South Wales, Australia found that those getting substantially insufficient sleep were far more likely to suffer symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. 8
Of those who were averaging five to six hours sleep a night, 50% reported significant mental health problems. A study of 15,000 American adolescents found that those going to bed after midnight were 24% more likely to suffer from depression, and 20% more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who went to bed around 10pm or earlier. Poor sleep habits and mental health issues further go hand in hand as they feed off each other. For example feelings of anxiety can lead to trouble sleeping. A lack of sleep can contribute to increased levels of anxiety - and so on as the negative cycle continually reinforces itself. Getting a good night s sleep is one of the best defenses you can have to protect yourself from the worry, anxiety and stress that are so often a part of senior schooling. If you feel however that any of these issues mentioned above are beyond your ability to control, seeking appropriate professional advice is essential, and can begin with a discussion with your family doctor, school counselor, or any of the mental health associations present in your community. 9
What s So Good About Sleep? Part Three: It boosts your brain power and makes you smarter In the dynamic and competitive Information Age of the 21 st Century your teachers and examiners (and later your university or college professors and your employers) will assess you on three key criteria: 1. How well you can remember information. 2. How well you can use and apply that information to solve problems 3. Your ability to think creatively and originally. Adequate sleep is essential for all of these tasks as it empowers you to consolidate memory and execute higher order thinking skills. Memory Consolidation Think of your brain as a large system used to store and retrieve information. Different parts of the brain have various responsibilities for the storage and retrieval of that information. The information comes in during the day. 10
But it is at night that the information is sorted, processed and placed in the correct storage areas ready for use at another time. So the more you learn, the more sleep time your brain needs to consolidate and remember what you ve learned. Inadequate sleep will render all of your hard work far less useful and productive. Higher Order Thinking Skills. The area of your brain known as the prefrontal cortex is responsible for what is commonly referred to as executive function or higher order thinking skills. Among these executive functions is the ability solve problems, to think originally and creatively, to plan and set goals, to predict outcomes, to understand causal relationships and verbal reasoning. Research shows that the prefrontal cortex is one of the brain regions affected most negatively by a lack of sleep. By getting enough sleep your brain will remember more of what you have learned, and use that knowledge far more effectively and productively. What could be better than that? 11
What s So Good About Sleep? Part Four: It helps you maintain a healthy body weight You are probably well aware by now that being active and exercising regularly plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body weight. However if you re looking for ways to avoid putting on a few extra kilos, then spending some more time asleep may be one of your most simple and effective solutions. When you don t get enough sleep, your brain tells your body it needs extra energy to keep it going, to compensate for the lack of rest. It does this by producing more of a hormone known as ghrelin, which causes your appetite levels, and calorie intake, to rise. On the other hand, when you are getting adequate sleep, your body maintains higher levels of leptin, a hormone that serves to suppress your appetite by telling your brain that you are full. In a recent U.K. study it was found that teenagers who slept less than eight hours a night consumed on average 1968 calories a day. Those who slept more than eight hours a night consumed on average 1723 calories a day. 12
Not only were the sleep deprived group consuming approximately 15% more calories than their well rested counterparts, they tended to take in many of the extra calories from high fat or sugary foods, which further increased their likelihood of gaining weight. In an age of rising obesity levels and falling levels of daily activity, it may sound counter intuitive, but getting enough sleep also plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy body weight. 13
Why Can t I Fall Asleep? How the teenage body clock works Once every 24 hours your body tells you it is time to go to sleep for the night. Once every 24 hours your body tells you it is time to wake up for the day. These sleep / wake patterns are largely determined by what is known as your internal body clock, or circadian rhythm. And your internal body clock is regulated by a powerful hormone known as Melatonin. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland about 5-8mm in length located near the center of the brain. To put it in simplistic terms, melatonin production is light sensitive. Your body produces melatonin as it gets dark to chemically make you feel drowsy and send you to sleep. Your body stops producing melatonin as it gets light to help you to wake up. 14
Now for the bad news for teenagers who are trying to get their body clocks to send them to sleep and wake them up so as to fit in with a standard school day. Around about puberty, your melatonin production cycle shifts approximately two to three hours later into the night. You will produce melatonin later at night than mature adults do, and you will stop producing melatonin later in the morning than mature adults do. So yes, in case you were wondering, you are hardwired to go to sleep later at night, and sleep longer in the morning than your parents. 15
Is That Really Keeping Me Awake? Phones, computers and social media (No Mum, of course I wasn t texting at 1.00am on a school night) No discussion about teenage sleeping habits would be complete without considering the impact of technology and social media on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Our purpose in this section is not to be debating the merits of mobile phones, ipads, laptops, Skype, Facebook and all other forms of social or electronic media. They are a large and vital part of your life. Our purpose here is to be considering the impact they have on your sleeping patterns. If you are using social media in a balanced, reasonable manner, fall asleep soon after you put your head on the pillow, and get a good nine or so hours sleep a night, you can probably skip the next few pages. However if you are using your phone or laptop, are on Facebook or Skype late at night, and are having trouble sleeping, especially if you take a long time to fall asleep after getting into bed, you may want to pay some extra attention here. 16
The first point to raise is the most obvious one. If you are awake texting around midnight or beyond, then there aren t enough hours left in the night for you to get enough sleep and still get up for school. It s as simple as that. The second point is a bit less obvious. Social media and technology serve to stimulate your mind. But your mind needs to wind down and relax for you to fall asleep. So unfortunately the late night over stimulation of your brain that comes with technology and social media can serve to keep you awake long after your head has reached the pillow. The third point is less well known, but it may be the most important one. Remember your body produces melatonin in response to darkness. If you are exposed to bright light, including that from a laptop or smart phone, late at night it will inhibit your melatonin production and make it harder for you to fall asleep. 17
Different types of light affect melatonin production in varying ways. Brighter light, especially blue light suppresses melatonin production to a far greater extent than yellow light, such as that given off by a fire. And wouldn t you know it, the light from a screen - T.V., computer or phone - is some of the brightest blue light you ll meet all day (or night). 18
Who Cares If I m Sleep Deprived? What a lack of sleep is really costing you You may be feeling a bit tired and run down. Perhaps your moods are swinging frequently. You may not be able to pay attention in class, or remember what you have just read. You may not be solving problems as well as you can. You may be craving extra calories to keep you going. You may be getting sick too often. If you ticked many of the above boxes, then there s a very good chance you are sleep deprived. Chances are that your schedule is very full, and getting less sleep is one way to fit more into your day. It may be you are trying to sleep, but not having much luck. 19
Even just one hour s lost sleep each night can make a huge difference in your life. The effects of long term sleep deprivation can include: Reduced mental ability impacting upon your memory, ability to concentrate, problem solving skills and creative abilities. Negative impacts on your mental health including higher incidence of moodiness, depression, anxiety and risk-taking behavior. Lowered physical wellbeing, a lack of energy, and a weakened immune system. Weight gain due to the effect a lack of sleep has on your metabolism. It s not easy getting enough sleep with so much on your plate during senior school. By understanding the very real negative effects of sleep deprivation you can be in a better position to make informed choices about how much sleep you try and get each night. 20
To Nap Or Not To Nap? That is the question You may come home so exhausted after a day at school that you need to have a nap to freshen up for all of the homework and other activities you still have ahead of you. However is having a nap in the afternoon a good idea or a bad one? Yes and no. The exact answer probably changes for each individual. Having a nap can certainly recharge both your mind and your body. Studies have shown that napping can increase alertness and improve your memory by consolidating what you have learned during the day. However long naps during the day can also throw out your body clock and make it harder for you to fall asleep at night. So it becomes a question of what works well for you. If a nap means you are more productive, and it helps you to stay relaxed which means you actually sleep better at night - then it could be a good idea. 21
If a nap throws out your body clock so badly that it means you sleep very poorly at night, then it s not such a great idea. You may want to also consider how long your nap is, and how late in the day you take it. As a general rule, a shorter nap early in the afternoon will impact less upon your night time sleeping than a long snooze around 4pm will. As an alternative to napping, a 15-20 minute meditation session after school can provide many of the benefits of a nap, without having the same impact on your night time sleep. Another alternative to taking a nap may be going out and doing some moderate exercise. Listen to your body, but sometimes pushing through a little bit and being active can be just the thing to freshen up both your mind and your body and it will also help you to sleep better at night. 22
Sleeping Till Noon: A Teenage Birthright Can you really catch up on lost sleep? It makes sense. You don t get enough sleep during the week, so you catch it up on the weekends by sleeping till noon. It s not that simple. Yes, paying off your sleep debt by sleeping longer on the weekends has advantages, and is better than simply becoming more and more sleep deprived. However studies show that you can never truly catch up for the lost sleep, and that sleeping longer on Saturday and Sunday morning can throw out your body clock - making it much harder to fall asleep on school nights, and so your sleep debt starts to rise again. Moderation is probably the best advice - some extra sleep on the weekend, but not enough to throw out your body clock, and nothing is as good as an extra hour or more sleep each night of the week to reduce your sleep debt. 23
How To Sleep Better Tips for a good night s sleep For those of you having trouble sleeping, there is rarely one simple thing that you can do to fix the problem. However there are a number of strategies you can use to improve the situation over time, and sometimes a bit of experimentation to see what works well for you is the best way to proceed. Below are a number of practical steps you can take to improve your sleep habits, but if you find that your situation is becoming chronic, a discussion with your family doctor may be the best course of action. 1. Establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine If you get into bed with a busy, active mind, it is going to be much harder to fall asleep. If however you can find ways to calm and relax your mind before going to bed, it can make it much easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. For example studies show that that the slower brainwave activity associated with calmer, more relaxed states boost the production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a vital role in the sleep process. 24
As part of a relaxing routine you may want to stop your homework a bit earlier, take a warm bath or shower, read in soft light or listen to soothing music. You may also find that learning some basic relaxation or meditation techniques, or perhaps listening to guided meditation CDs, or MP3 files designed to help you relax can be extremely useful and we will talk more about this later in the book. 2. Be prepared to switch off your phone and computer earlier Perhaps not what you wanted to hear, but the mental stimulation and bright blue light that go hand in hand with technology and social media can make it harder for you to fall asleep. Enjoy your time on social media, but be prepared to make the responsible decision to switch off your phone and computer an hour or two earlier to help your mind wind down and relax before getting into bed. 3. Maintain a regular bedtime and awakening schedule Be aware that changing your wake up time from 7am on school days to let s say11am on weekends can throw out your body clock quite substantially, and make it harder for you to fall asleep at a reasonable time on school nights. 25
Maintaining regular sleep and wake times makes it easier for your body clock to stay in sync, and thus can reduce the amount of time it takes for you to fall asleep after putting your head on the pillow. 4. Be active and exercise regularly (but finish a few hours before bedtime) Have you noticed how well you generally sleep if you have spent much of the day outside, being active, and getting plenty of fresh air into your lungs? Have you noticed how spending the whole day indoors, hunched over books or computers, can leave you feeling mentally tired, but when it comes time to put your head on the pillow you end up lying awake for hours? Your body is made to be active, and burning up energy during the day especially outdoors - helps you feel physically (as opposed to mentally or emotionally) tired at night and helps you to sleep. Exercise also releases more endorphins into your blood stream. Endorphins are the natural feel good chemicals that reduce stress, improve mood and help both your body and mind to feel calm and relaxed. It is important though to stop vigorous exercise at least two to three hours before bed, as otherwise 26
the increased bodily activity associated with exercise can actually keep you awake. 5. Sleep in a room that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool This may seem obvious, but it is important to ensure that the environment in your bedroom is conducive to sleep. A dark room, a comfortable bed and pillow and a quiet environment are all essential to sound sleep. Don t be afraid to ask parents and siblings to be respectful of your need for quiet if the noise from a stereo or T.V. is keeping you up. As part of the falling asleep process, your body temperature needs to fall, so sleeping in a room that is slightly cool, and not overheated, can be beneficial. 6. Try not to have your bedroom as a work/study space. For many students, their bedroom is also their office - full of school books, assignments, computers etc. For many students there may not be another option, your room is the only dedicated, quite space where you can concentrate and get your studying done. 27
If however there is room in your home, try to separate your sleep and your homework space. That way your room can remain your own personal sanctuary, a place where you can get away from your study and not be surrounded by it. Many experts also advise that an ordered, tidy room, as opposed to a messy, cluttered room can help create a calm, relaxing environment that is conducive to sleep. (Of course for many teenagers having an excessively tidy room may be pushing the quest for a good night s sleep that bit too far ) 7. Avoid caffeine within six hours of going to bed Caffeine is a stimulant. It keeps you awake. So try and avoid it within six hours of going to bed, as it takes a long time to move through your bloodstream and leave your system. This sounds good in theory, but in reality it can be a difficult balancing act. You feel drowsy. But you need to stay awake and be alert to study. So you have a cup of coffee or an energy drink to pick you up. It gives you a boost to help you work. 28
Then you get into bed and are still wound up, so you can t sleep. So you feel tired and drowsy the next day. And the cycle continues If you can get into the habit of getting enough sleep, hopefully you will feel less drowsy the next day and less in need of caffeine, which can then help you to maintain better sleep habits going forward. Whilst most people associate caffeine with coffee, it is also found in high quantities in energy drinks, chocolate and cola drinks, so be wary of how much of these you consume within six hours of bed time. 8. Know how naps affect you We spoke of naps earlier. If you are coming home from school and having a nap, then finding it hard to sleep at night, chances are your nap is part of the problem. Napping too late in the day will throw out your body clock and make it harder for you to fall asleep. Whilst it may be difficult at first, if you can avoid napping late in the afternoon, and then get to bed earlier that night, it will probably help you improve your internal sleep/wake rhythms. 29
9. Don t try and solve problems late at night Your pre-sleep routine should be relaxing and calming. For many of us though, the time before getting into bed, or the time we spend lying awake with our head on the pillow, has become the chief problem solving time of the day. It doesn t matter what those problems may be - trouble with family, friends, partners, worries over school work, personal issues, etc. - lying awake worrying, or trying to solve those problems is a sure fire path to insomnia. A good suggestion here is to write down you problems and possible solutions earlier in the day, or at the latest 30 minutes before bedtime. That way you know that you can return to them when you need to, but can create an oasis of calm and quiet thoughts as you prepare to go to sleep. There are other chapters in the book devoted to relaxation techniques to switch your mind off from worrying and problem solving and these techniques can be extremely useful in helping you clear your mind before bedtime. 10. If you can t fall asleep - get up Tossing and turning and not being able to fall asleep is an extremely frustrating experience. 30
The tension and anxiety that comes with not being able to sleep, apart from being extremely unpleasant and upsetting, can also make it even harder to fall asleep. Sometimes the best thing to do if you can t fall asleep is to get up. If after 20-30 minutes of tossing and turning you still cant find sleep, get up, move around a bit. You may want to read, watch some television, listen to music or a relaxation CD, have an appropriate snack or maybe a bit of a stretch. (Don t switch on your computer or phone.) Take your mind off not being able to sleep. Unfortunately falling asleep is something you can t force yourself to do - so don t try and fight it too hard. After you ve broken the cycle, and reset your mind and your mood, gently get back into bed and hopefully sound sleep won t be too far away. 11. Keep a sleep journal There will probably not be one single thing you do that radically alters your sleep patterns. It will be more likely that a combination of strategies and changes, worked at over time, will lead to 31
positive, lasting improvements in your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. So keep a sleep journal. Record in it when you go to bed and when approximately you fall asleep. Record when you wake up in the morning, and if you woke up at night. Write down the things you did that you felt affected your sleep, either positively or negatively. You can also use it to record the things you were thinking or feeling before going to bed. Doing this will help you build up a better knowledge of your sleep habits, and will help you know what works for you, and what doesn t. You will then be best placed to implement long lasting, positive changes that can help you get the good night s sleep you both need and deserve. 32
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