Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. T, and today we're going to be talking about good sleep routines as part of our Unit on Physical Health.

What's so important about sleep? Our outcome for today, I can explain how to maximise my chances of getting a good night's sleep.

Before we get started on today's lesson, it's really important that we think about the ground rules that we follow when we're having discussions in our classrooms. We've got Laura firstly saying, "Listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when we disagree, we challenge the statement, we don't challenge the person." We've got Jacob saying, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." Andeep tell us to respect privacy.

He says, "We can discuss examples, but we do not use names or descriptions that could identify anyone including ourselves." And finally, Izzy reminds us to choose the level of participation that is right for us.

"Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join a discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot." So with those in mind, let's get started with today's lesson.

So let's take a look at the keywords that we'll be seeing used in today's lesson.

Our first word is insomnia, a sleep disorder where someone regularly has problems falling asleep or staying asleep.

Then we've got the word circadian rhythm, which is our internal cycle that makes us feel sleepy at night and wakes us in the morning.

Then we have the word melatonin, which is a hormone that is important for sleep.

And finally, the word routine, a set of actions or tasks you do regularly.

As we go through today's lesson, see if you can notice where these keywords are used and see if you can use them in your own responses.

So let's take a look at the lesson outline for today.

We've got two lesson outlines.

Firstly, how did diet and exercise help with sleep? And secondly, how can I create a good bedtime routine? So let's get started with our first lesson outline.

How do diet and exercise help with sleep? So how much sleep we need depends on our age, our health, and our lifestyle.

A sleep disorder is when someone regularly struggles to fall asleep, to get enough sleep, or to get enough quality sleep.

Dr.

Elsie says, "If this continues, it can lead to sleep deprivation and this can impact someone's physical and mental health." There are a number of sleep disorders, but the most common ones include insomnia.

This is when someone might find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, as in they keep waking up.

Also sleep apnea.

And this is when breathing will briefly stop and start throughout the night.

If someone is a loud snorer or feels tired even after a full night's sleep, then these might be signs of sleep apnea.

We also have restless leg syndrome, sometimes referred to as RLS, and this is when someone experiences urges to move their legs or arms in the evening or during the night.

This can keep someone awake and lead to sleep deprivation.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "There are lots of things we can do to improve our sleep, but for sleep disorders, always seek advice from a medical professional." So in this check for understanding, we're looking at a true or false statement.

A sleep disorder like insomnia can impact someone's physical and mental health.

Is that statement true or false? Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

If you said that you thought the answer was true, then you'd be correct.

A sleep disorder like insomnia can impact someone's physical and their mental health.

There are lots of things we can do to improve our sleep.

That can include maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and spending time outdoors in the daylight because all of those things contribute to our circadian rhythm.

This is how our body knows to sleep at night and to be active in the day.

Maintaining a balanced diet helps improve our sleep because it means we have all of the essential nutrients that we need to help regulate this.

Dr.

Elsie says that also avoiding caffeine and sugar before bed is important because they block the sleep promoting receptors in our brains.

One key nutrient we do need for good quality sleep is magnesium.

This helps to relax the body and the mind.

We can get magnesium from foods such as whole wheat grains in bread, rice and oats.

We can also get it from dark leafy greens, for example, spinach.

And we can also get it from some dairy products like milk and yoghourt.

Foods that contain higher levels of tryptophan can help the body produce more serotonin.

Our brains then convert that into melatonin, which is really important to help regulate our sleep/wake homeostasis.

Those higher levels of trytophan can be found in nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, kale, bananas, but also in salmon and lean meats like turkey breasts.

Exercise is also really important and ensuring that we get enough will definitely improve our sleep.

It can improve how long we sleep for and the quality of the sleep that we get.

Exercise can be anything from riding a bike, going swimming, playing a sport, or attending a class like gymnastics.

The UK Government recommends that children and young people aged between five and 18 get 60 minutes of exercise per day.

But it's also really important to spend time outdoors to improve our sleep.

Daily exposure to natural light helps to regulate our circadian rhythm and encourages our body to feel sleepy at nighttime.

Andeep says, "Going to a playground to play on the equipment, riding your bike outside, or going for a brisk walk counts exercise and gives you natural light exposure." So let's look at this check for understanding.

Which two of these snack options could help to boost our serotonin and/or our magnesium levels.

A, peanut butter on whole grain toast.

B, a pineapple yoghourt.

Or C, chocolate donuts.

Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

If you decided that the two snack options that would be best for boosting serotonin or magnesium levels, and you selected A and B, then you'd be correct, well done.

So peanut butter and whole grain toast and a pineapple yoghourt gives lots of serotonin and increased magnesium, all helping for sleep.

So circadian rhythms are the physical, mental, and behavioural changes that our bodies experience throughout the day and night.

They influence our sleep patterns, our appetite and digestion, hormone release, and also our temperature.

Our circadian rhythm helps us to get good quality sleep.

And for a teenager, this should look like, "Falling asleep within 30 minutes of going to bed," says Jun.

"Getting between eight to 10 hours of sleep per night," says Sofia.

And "Sleeping straight through the night or waking up no more than once in the night," says Lucas.

The average teenage circadian rhythm cycle could look like this.

Between 3:00 and 7:00 AM, energy's at its lowest and it might be hard to feel fully awake until about 8:00.

Between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, the body temperature starts to rise and so does your level of alertness and focus.

Between 2:00 and 5:00 PM we might notice that energy levels dip.

You might experience a slump or crave a snack.

And between 10:00 to 11:00 PM, we might start to feel sleepy, because melatonin rises and makes you start to feel tired.

So let's look at this check for understanding.

There are three sentences here.

Can you complete these sentences about improved sleep using the same words.

Our blank is our internal clock that helps our bodies to know when to wake and when to sleep.

Disruptions to our blank can impact our sleep, appetite, hormone release and body temperature.

And taking short breaks to get some natural lights can help to reset your blank.

So which words can be used to complete every single one of those sentences? Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

If you identify that the missing words in these sentences a circadian rhythm, then you'd be correct.

So our circadian rhythm is our internal clock that helps our bodies to know when to wake and when to sleep.

Disruptions to our circadian rhythm can impact our sleep, appetite, hormone release and body temperature.

And taking regular breaks can to get some natural light can help reset your circadian rhythm.

So let's look at Task A.

Sam is struggling to sleep.

Can you give her three recommendations for achieving better sleep? She says, "Recently I have been really struggling to sleep.

I find it hard to fall asleep and then hard to wake up.

I've been revising for exams. I've been indoors most of the day, sitting at my desk making revision cards.

Because I've been working so hard, I've mostly been snacking on sugary foods to keep my energy levels up, but this now means I'm wide awake when I want to sleep." Can you have a look at what Sam has said and identify three recommendations to help her get better sleep? Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

So you were thinking about your responses to help Sam who's been struggling to sleep.

So the recommendations you might have suggested could be, staying indoors means your body can't tell when it's day and night.

You should take regular short breaks from studying to go outdoors to get some natural light to help reset your circadian rhythm.

You may have also said that sitting down all day means you haven't done any exercise to help tyre up your body.

Try to aim for 60 minutes of exercise a day.

This could be a brisk walk, a cycle ride, or any kind of sport.

And finally, you may have said that she could try eating snacks like nuts, seeds, or foods with higher levels of serotonin and magnesium like yoghourt, 'cause that could help for improved sleep.

So if you came up with any of those recommendations, well done.

So let's go to our second lesson outline for today.

How can I create a good bedtime routine? So having a good bedtime routine can also help us achieve better sleep.

This should include avoiding screens for at least an hour before bed, regular bedtimes, regular wake times, having a good sleep environment, having a good wind down routine before going to sleep.

It is really important to avoid screens before we go to bed.

Lucas says, "My mom tells me to put my smartphone away an hour before I go to bed." And Sam says, "My dad makes sure that the TV and the tablet are turned off too." The thing is, devices like smartphones, computers and tablets emit something that's called blue light.

And that blue light can interrupt our production of melatonin, which delays our circadian rhythm telling us to go to sleep.

Going to bed should always be associated with sleep.

So if we watch TV in bed, we blur that association, which can make it harder to fall asleep, especially if we're watching something exciting.

So let's come to this check for understanding.

Complete the sentences by adding the missing words.

Devices like smartphones, computers and tablets emit blank light.

This can interrupt our production of blank, which delays our circadian rhythm telling us to sleep.

Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

Well done.

If you manage to complete the sentences using the word blue, devices like smartphones, computers and tablets emit blue light.

And then also melatonin.

This can interrupt our production of melatonin, which delays our circadian rhythm telling us to sleep.

Then you've got both of those correct, well done.

So there are many benefits to having a regular sleep routine.

Firstly, it can improve stronger circadian rhythms, and this means our bodies can anticipate sleep, which can lead to less interrupted sleep.

It can improve our focus and mood.

Regular sleep patterns to get the right amount of sleep can improve our alertness, focus, and mood during the day.

It can also help to prevent sleep disorders.

Having an irregular sleep pattern can make sleep disorders like insomnia worse.

Regular bedtimes help to create a stable sleep pattern.

It can also influence our hormone regulation.

So a regular sleep pattern means that hormones like melatonin are released at the right times to help us sleep.

It's important to have a consistent sleep routine.

Laura says, "We can still have a lie in at the weekend, can't we?" And Alex replies.

"Well, being consistent means doing it every day because this will help to reinforce our natural sleep wake homeostasis." So let's look at this bedroom and think about how we can have an effective sleeping environment.

So external factors like weather and lights can really affect our sleep.

You should keep curtains or blinds closed at night.

Having a bedside light means you can reduce the light before bed.

This helps your mind start to relax so you can turn off the ceiling light.

Keeping our bedrooms just for sleeping.

So not having any screens helps our bodies to wind down.

And having things like rugs and comfortable bedding can help keep you warm in a cold room and regulates your temperature.

Ideally, we're staying between 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.

Sofia says, "However, lots of us share a bedroom with siblings who may have different bedtimes or use the bedroom for other activities, like studying." So other things that can help include wearing earplugs to block out noise, wearing an eye mask to block out light, and sectioning off an area of a room to play and an area to sleep.

So let's look at this check for understanding.

A good bedtime routine has A, regular bedtimes and wake times.

B, a comfortable sleep environment.

C, easy access to electronic devices.

Pause your screen while you think about your response.

If you identified that the correct answers were A and B, regular bedtimes and wake times and B, a comfortable sleep environment, then you'd be correct, well done.

Laura says, "My Nan always has a warm bath before bed, she says, this means she always gets a good night's sleep.

Does this actually help?" And Dr.

Elsie responds, "Yes, it can help your quality of sleep.

Warming your body up in warm water and then letting it cool down lowers the body's temperature.

This helps to signal to the brain that it's time to sleep." So a wind down routine helps to relax your body and mind and signals that it's time to start getting ready to sleep.

So this wind down routine could include, having a warm shower or bath to help lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

This can make you feel relaxed, which helps you to go to sleep.

It could also include dimming the lights in your room because this mimics the reduction of sunlight and helps to produce melatonin ready for sleep.

Also, making sure that there are no digital devices at least one hour before bed in order to avoid blue light waking you up and disrupting your circadian rhythm.

Reading in bed can be helpful.

It can help to distract from daily worries or stresses as long as you choose a book that isn't too exciting.

And you could also drink a glass of milk to increase levels of magnesium because that can help us to relax.

Or try some relaxation or mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing or gentle yoga.

This can help to calm your mind and reduce any stress that you might be feeling.

So let's look at this check for understanding.

It's a true or false this time.

Dimming the lights in your room can help to produce melatonin ready for sleep.

Is that true or false? Pause your screen while you think about your answer.

If you said the answer was true, you'd be correct.

Well done.

So let's look at Task B.

Jacob's bedtime is at 9:00 PM but he's been struggling to go to sleep then.

Can you create a wind down routine for Jacob to follow? So we've got the timings of 7:45, 8:00, 8:15, 8:30, 8:45, and 9:00.

So if 9:00 PM is his bedtime, what could he do for that time that runs up to it to make sure that he creates an effective wind down routine? Pause your screen while you think about your response.

I hope you've come some useful ideas for Jacob to have a good wind down routine.

But your recommendations may have looked like this.

So you could start that routine by having a glass of milk or some caffeine free herbal tea.

Then he could have a warm bath or shower because this can help to relax someone's body ready for sleep.

At 8:15, making sure that smartphone or any other screens are put away to avoid that blue light.

At 8:30, making sure the room is comfortable.

Draw the curtains or blinds and dim the lights to mimic a reduction in natural light.

8:45, read a book that distracts from any daily stresses, and at 9:00, turn the lights out and hopefully get a great night's sleep.

Well done.

So today we talked about good sleep routines.

How much sleep we need depends on our age, health, and lifestyle.

Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep can be signs of insomnia, which can impact someone's physical and mental health.

There are lots of ways we can improve our sleep, and that can include maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, spending time outdoors in the daylight to boost our melatonin.

All of that can help maintain our circadian rhythm, which encourages our bodies to feel sleepy at nighttime.

We then talked about having a good bedtime routine because this can help us to achieve better sleep.

A good bedtime routine could include avoiding screens for at least an hour before bed, having regular bedtimes and wake times, and having a good sleep environment, and a good wind down routine.

Well done for your contributions today.

See you next time.

If you are looking for more support or more information, you can visit the NHS Live Well site.

This site gives advice about healthy living and exercise.

Or the NHS website, where you can get general health advice about prevention, and how to access their different services.