Wellbeing
PIVOT survey feedback
Sleep and your child
As you will be aware this year at BPPS we have been utilising the PIVOT PL software to help monitor student wellbeing trends and address needs of individuals and cohorts of students. Whilst our data trends are on the whole very positive, an area that students have highlighted is that of their sleep habits.
The recommended daily amount of sleep for adults is around 8 hours a night, but children and young people may need more. Experts suggest that 9-11 hours of sleep is best for 6-13 year olds. Sleep allows our bodies and minds to rest and recharge. When students experience healthy sleeping patterns and good quality sleep, they are more likely to have healthy bodies, experience full cognitive function and have stable moods. Without enough restful sleep, students may struggle to function properly. In these cases, concentration may be impaired, and it may be harder for students to retain memories and have clear thought processes.
Quality is just as important as quantity when it comes to sleep for students. Evidence shows that good sleep routines can help sleep come more easily and can improve how well someone sleeps. Good sleep routines include:
• Keeping bedtime around the same time every night
• Sleeping in quiet, dark, cool room
• Reducing the use of mobile phones and other blue-light emitting devices in the last hour before bedtime
When we experience heightened emotions or high levels of stress during the day, this can have an impact on our ability to fall asleep and can also impact the quality of sleep that we experience. If we don’t sleep well, research shows that we are more likely to experience heightened emotions and become increasingly sensitive to stressful situations. Sleep can impact our ability to regulate our behaviour. Poor sleep can impact how students perceive and judge the different situations that they find themselves in throughout the school day. If they find themselves in new or challenging situations, students who aren’t sleeping well may be less likely to assess these situations accurately. This can result in students struggling to react with appropriate behaviours.
How is your child sleeping?
Perhaps using these conversation starters will help you both have an understanding of their sleep habits and health:
• Do you think you get enough sleep?
• How much sleep do you think you need?
• Why is sleep important?
• What advice would you give a friend who is struggling with sleep?
These resources provide greater insight into this topic should you wish to further investigate this wellbeing topic:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/sleep/better-sleep/sleep-better-tips
In wellness,
Nick King