What You Need

to Know About

Learn from Some Experts

Why is Sleep So Important?

Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your

• mental health,

• physical health,

• quality of life, and

• safety.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of NIH (2012)

• Adequate and appropriately-timed sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise.

• The only thing that replaces sleep is sleep.

The Importance of Sleep

Mental Healtho Insufficient sleep linked to…

o Irritability / Behavior problems (Baum et al., 2014; Beebe, 2011; Sadeh et al., 2002; Stein et al., 2001)

oDepression / Suicide Ideation (Buysse et al., 2008; Clarke et al., 2015; Liu, 2004; Roberts & Duong, 2014; Siversten et al., 2013)

oSubstance Use (Bootzin & Stevens, 2005)

Physical Health Sleep duration and timing

affect: Food intake: increased amount,

more calories, more fat Eating patterns (skipping

breakfast, increased night eating) Physical activity Cardiovascular function Insulin metabolism and

increased diabetes risk

Physical HealthSleep Deprivation and Obesity

•Multiple studies suggest shorter sleep amounts associated with increased risk of obesity

• Sleep apnea more common in obese children, further compromising cardiovascular and metabolic health

Quality of Life Sufficient sleep in youth linked to:

Better grades, higher test scores, better attendance

Less tardiness & drop-outs Less “moodiness” Improved financial

prospects (Brookings Institute, 2011)

Other BenefitsSufficient sleep in youth also

linked to:• Less substance abuse• Less depression• Less impulsivity & self-destructive

behaviors• Teens that are “more easy to live with,” per parents

Safety – Drowsy Driving

• Drivers 16-25 years are involved in more than 50% of the 100,000 police-reported fatigue-related traffic crashes each year

• National poll: 68% of HS seniors have driven while drowsy; 15% at least once each week

• Sleep loss impairments are equal or greater than those due to alcohol intoxication (i.e. 3-4 beers)

Safety Accidental Injuries

•Sleep loss is associated with an increased risk of pedestrian injuries in children

•Sleep loss is associated with increased sports-related injuries in high school students

What is the Problem?

• American Medical Association (AMA) identifies adolescent insufficient sleep and sleepiness as a public health issue. (2016)

• Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2015) Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions. Sufficient sleep is a necessity and a “vital sign” of good health.

Circadian Rhythms – Body Clocks

• 24-hour cycle (roughly) or internal body clock

• regulates sleep and other physiological

• affected by environmental cues, like sunlight and temperature.

Typical Circadian Rhythm

https://fuzzyscience.wikispaces.com/Circadian+Rhythm

Both Sleep Time and Sleep Timing are “Biological Imperatives”

Frontiers in Neurocience, 2013

Circadian “clocks” exist in every

system and every cell in the

body!

“Misalignment” of the

circadian clock results in profound impairments in health and

function.

Sleep in Adolescents All teens experience changes in

circadian rhythms (the body’s sleep-wake “clock”) with onset of puberty.

This results in a biologically-based shift (delay) of up to several hours in both the natural fall sleep and morning wake times.

Sleep Shift – Child to Teen

www.nap.edu/read/11633/chapter/3#13

Teens sleep all day and stay

awake all night!

Teens cannot “make” themselves fall asleep earlier.

“Making Up” Sleep Myth“ Sleeping in” over the weekend does

NOT• improve daytime functioning• Alter Circadian Sleep Rhythm• Remediate permanent “ social jet lag”

- daytime sleepiness - poor academic performance

- depressed mood

What About Naps? • Short naps (20 - 30 minutes)

improve short-term alertness and performance

• Best in comfortable, reduced light environment with little noise

• Take well-before bedtime so not interfere with nighttime sleep

http://www.thebakerorange.com/news/2016/apr/12/college-students-guide-napping/

What About Caffeine?

It’s a stimulant that, in moderate doses, can • Increase alertness• Reduce fine motor coordination• Cause insomnia• Cause headaches, nervousness and dizziness

Bottom Line

Adolescents need 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep each day to function well.

Results from 40,000+ H.S. students show: 6% of 10th graders and 3% of 11th graders get

more than 9 hours of sleep. 42% of 10th graders and 56% of 12th

graders get less than 6 hours of sleep. (2012 study in 10th largest school district)

What Can You Do?TURN OFF Electronics Before

Tuck In! * 60 minutes before bedtimeWhy? - stimulate brain - create stress - produce light that disrupts sleep cyclehttps://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/electronics-the-bedroom

What Challenges Exist?

Lure of social media Need to do Homework Enjoyment of Video Games Enjoyment of on-line

Entertainment Pleasure of Reading e-books

What Can Schools Do?• • Teach about Sleep and its

Importance (K-12)• • Change staff development/ exam

days to late openings• •Allow first-period cuts/study halls for

older students (flexible schedules)• Alter athletic schedules

What Can Communities Do?

Adjust School Start Times (SST)

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. (2014)

Why Start School Later?• Biological needs in direct conflict with earlier

high school start times (before 8:30 a.m.)

• Students required to wake-up and function when their bodies and brains are programmed to be asleep

• Early wake times rob teens of needed sleep time

• Early morning sleep stages (REM) critical for learning, memory, attention, and emotional regulation

Benefits of Later School Start Times

• Fewer Health Center Visits• Fewer Accidents

Crash rates reduced in 16 – 18 year olds by 65 -70% in some communities (CDC study, 2014)

Results vary by school districts, but show fewer teens involved in car incidents with secondary schools starting after 8:30 a.m.

Challenges to Later SST Transportation (bussing) costs Athletic schedules Babysitting needs of for

younger children Afterschool employment Teacher constraints/schedules

Where Can You Go to Get More Information?

National Sleep Foundation • https://sleepfoundation.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention• http://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/

Start School Later http://www.startschoollater.net

This program was sponsored by

Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO’s) of Radnor Schools Ithan Elementary School Radnor Elementary School Wayne Elementary School Radnor Middle School

Parent-Teacher- Student-Association (PTSA) Radnor High School

Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO’s) of Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools New Eagle Elementary School Valley Forge Middle School

Sponsored by (cont.) Radnor Township School District Lower Merion School District

Leagues of Women Voters of Radnor Township• Haverford Township Central Delaware County

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:Richard Sayer, Videographer

Sweet Dreams!