An education in sleep

Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Terry Cralle offers these back-to-school suggestions for an A+ year

Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance from Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Terry Cralle with your shoppers (with credit given, of course). The BSC is the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association.

BY TERRY CRALLE

Research has demonstrated that sleep is vitally important for everyone, much more so than previously thought, and especially for children. Sufficient sleep is critical to children’s growth and development, affecting their immune systems, learning, safety—just about everything that has a bearing on their overall well-being.

Sleep guidelines

The National Sleep Foundation recently issued new guidelines for appropriate sleep durations. Included are recommendations for the hours each age group should receive nightly:

O school-age children (ages 6 to 13): 9 to 11 hours

O teenagers (ages 14 to 17): 8 to 10 hours

O adults (ages 18 to 64): 7 to 9 hours

O older adults (ages 64+): 7 to 8 hours.

Sleep deprivation, education don’t mix

Given that adolescents require about nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that more than 90% of U.S. high-school students get inadequate sleep, which is troubling considering that the side effects of chronic sleep loss include:

O poor academic performance

O an increase in automobile accidents

O impaired cognition, poor impulse control and violence

O increased risk taking, stress response and substance abuse

O an inability to focus

O increased depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation

O decrements  in athletic performance

O impaired self-control

O irritability

O increased risk of obesity and diabetes

O impaired judgment.

Given our biological sleep requirements and the disadvantages of sleep deficiencies, it’s easy to see inherent problems in current school scheduling, with some high schools starting as early as 7 a.m. and bus pickup times starting as early as 5:15 a.m. These unusually early start times do not support consistent, sufficient sleep times for students, and likely not for the educators, bus drivers and others working within the educational system.

In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement (http://bit.ly/1LfbRBc) in 2014 advocating for school start times after 8:30 a.m. Start School Later Inc. provides Fast Facts (http://bit.ly/1v7HDGo) about sleep needs and school start times, noting that 33% of teenagers report falling asleep in class.

Sleep is fundamental

The most important lesson we can learn is that the prioritization of adequate sleep is the prioritization of quality education and quality of life. Sleep is foundational and, along with diet and exercise, forms the very basis of a healthy lifestyle.

A lack of awareness of sleep science is the biggest barrier to safe and healthy school hours. This school year, let’s work together to educate and raise awareness—both in the home and in the classroom—about the importance of sleep, and find a way to make sufficient sleep a “mandatory prerequisite” for everyone.

Terry Cralle is a registered nurse, certified clinical sleep educator, and health and wellness spokeswoman for the Better Sleep Council. Check out her website at TerryCralleRN.com.