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Year 4

The importance of sleep and rest

I can explain the importance of a good night's sleep.

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New
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Year 4

The importance of sleep and rest

I can explain the importance of a good night's sleep.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sleep is important for our bodies to repair, develop and grow.
  2. We should aim to have between nine and twelve hours of sleep every night.
  3. A bedtime routine is important for getting enough good quality sleep.
  4. We should avoid screens and sugary snacks before going to bed as this can disrupt our sleep.
  5. We should also rest during the week by relaxing and doing what we enjoy.

Keywords

  • Sleep - a natural state of rest for the body and mind that helps us stay healthy and happy

  • Healthy - when something is healthy it means it is good for us, our minds and bodies

  • Routine - doing things regularly at a particular time of the day

  • Rest - to relax or sleep to allow your body and mind to take a break and have more energy

Common misconception

Children need less sleep than adults as they are younger.

Children need more sleep than adults because their bodies need to develop and grow. Children are constantly learning and sleep helps them to remember information.


To help you plan your year 4 rshe (pshe) lesson on: The importance of sleep and rest, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Remind pupils that creating a healthy bedtime routine is part of gaining responsibility as they get older. You could suggest that pupils complete a 'sleep diary' where they track how much sleep they had and how they feel the next day.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:physical activity,moving our bodies, for example, by playing games, dancing or swimming
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moving our bodies, for example, by playing games, dancing or swimming

Correct Answer:healthy eating,eating a range of foods in the right amounts
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eating a range of foods in the right amounts

Correct Answer:hygiene,keeping ourselves clean and healthy
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keeping ourselves clean and healthy

Correct Answer:hydration,drinking enough water to keep the body healthy
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drinking enough water to keep the body healthy

Q2.
Which are healthy habits for looking after our teeth?
Correct answer: visiting the dentist regularly
eating lots of sugary foods
Correct answer: using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
Correct answer: brushing for two minutes twice a day
not flossing until we are adults
Q3.
Match the habit to whether it is healthy or less healthy for our body.
Correct Answer:eating lots of fruits and vegetables,healthy
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healthy

Correct Answer:eating lots of sugary foods,less healthy
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less healthy

Correct Answer:having hours of screen time each day,less healthy
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less healthy

Correct Answer:getting sixty minutes of exercise a day,healthy
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healthy

Q4.
A skeleton is a set of that are connected together.
Correct Answer: bones, bone
Q5.
Which of these statements are true?
Correct answer: A healthy week should be fun and can still include things we enjoy.
We only need to rest during the week if we do exercise.
Everyone likes to eat the same foods.
Correct answer: We need a balance of different foods to stay healthy.
Q6.
Different food groups contain different . These are important for good health, development and growth.
Correct Answer: nutrients

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:sleep,a state of rest that helps us stay healthy and happy
tick

a state of rest that helps us stay healthy and happy

Correct Answer:healthy,good for us, our minds and bodies
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good for us, our minds and bodies

Correct Answer:rest,to allow your body and mind to take a break and have more energy
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to allow your body and mind to take a break and have more energy

Q2.
A means doing things regularly at a particular time of the day.
Correct Answer: routine
Q3.
Which of these statements are true?
Children need less sleep than adults as they are younger.
Correct answer: Children should aim to have between nine and twelve hours of sleep every night.
If we rest during the day, we won't be able to sleep well at night.
Correct answer: Sleep is important for our bodies to repair, develop and grow.
Q4.
Which of these are features of a healthy bedtime routine?
Correct answer: going to bed at the same time each day
using a digital device before bed
Correct answer: eating a banana or other healthy snack before bed
eating a sugary snack just before bed
Q5.
We should avoid screens before bed because they give off which tricks our body into thinking it's daytime.
Correct Answer: blue light, bluelight, a blue light, a bluelight
Q6.
If you are finding sleep or rest tricky, or know someone who is, who is it important to speak to?
a friend from school
Correct answer: a trusted adult
a friend from a club
a younger sibling