Roosa-Karoliina Maunula (1B)

Girl 8, 17 years

4.4.2008

SLEEPING ASSIGNEMENT

MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY

We are all unique and have our specific needs but it is very useful to know about how much sleep we ideally need. For teenagers, 8 ½ - 9 ½ hours is the recommended amount to sleep each night. Still, teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep. Our society lives at a very fast pace and with school, work and extracurricular activities there simply isn’t any time for such a basic need as sleeping. We have grown into an “Open 24h” generation. Shops are open longer, sport practices stretch until late at night, shows on TV come at ridiculous times and everything in the media and technological world gives us the impression that we don’t have time to sleep. After school and work there are the hobbies and then comes the homework. To be able to sleep, you need to be relaxed and stress-free, but how is that possible when we are simply overwhelmed? Teenagers have a lot of pressure put on them about everything they should achieve. All that stress of the week leads to wanting to use up all the free time during the weekends and by so cutting on the sleeping hours. Then, the fatigue hits again on Monday morning when we need to get to school for 8am. It’s a vicious cycle and I think we should learn to rest, cut down on some of our activities and organize ourselves to be able to get those much needed hour of sleep (almost) every night and make sleep a priority. DROWSY DRIVING IS AS DANGEROUS AS DRUNK DRIVING

Sleep is the base for a well functioning body. It’s hard to believe how many things sleeping (or lack of) affects. First of all, sleep is our brains “battery recharger”. When we sleep, the body uses the time for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. These are all very important things and so, when sleep is cut short we lose normal abilities: we have difficulty concentrating, being active and working at our full potential.

The stages 3 and 4 of NREM sleep (75% of the night) are the deepest and most restorative sleep. As the breathing becomes slower and blood pressure drops, the blood supply to the muscles increases and the muscles relax. Energy is restored and tissue growth and necessary repairs occur. At the same time, essential hormones are released. During REM sleep (25% of the night), muscles turn off and the body becomes immobile. This period provides energy to the brain and body in addition to supporting daytime performance. We do also need to remember that sleeping affects our mental health. If you don’t sleep enough, you may be: irritated, impatient, very sensitive, emotional or even feel depressed. Sleep is important for all aspects of your life as at the end of the day, it even affects those around you!

“The one-third of our lives that we spend sleeping, far from being “unproductive,” plays a direct role in how full, energetic and successful the other two-thirds of our lives can be.”

-NSF “I HAD SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO DO TODAY... SLEEP”

My sleeping diary from Friday march 14th to Friday march 21st

FRIDAY-SATURDAY 02.00-9.30 7.5 hours SATURDAY-SUNDAY 04.00-10.00  6 hours SUNDAY-MONDAY 23.00-8.00  9 hours MONDAY-TUESDAY 23.00-8.00  9 hours TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY 23.30-7.30  8 hours WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY 01.00-8.00  7 hours THURSDAY-FRIDAY 01.00-10.00 9 hours

I was quite surprised to see that I had slept that much! On the weekends, I am lacking around 2 hours of sleep each night which leads to fatigue during the beginning of the week. When I don’t have school the next day, I tend to go to sleep much too late. It is the only time I don’t have to wake up bright and early. On this particular weekend, I had activities on both nights and that’s why I only managed to go to sleep at those times. On Wednesday evening I did homework (at the last minute) until 1am... and it showed the next day! When I don’t sleep enough, I have difficulty concentrating at school and feel impatient. I have found that bicycling to school in the morning helps a lot when you haven’t slept enough, as it gives you fresh air and exercise first in the morning. To ameliorate my sleeping pattern I should follow a few simple tricks to make it a little better and help eliminate all unnecessary tiredness.

- Realize just how important sleep is, you can’t fake it. The only thing that helps is SLEEPING. - Take short “power-naps” in the afternoon. - Avoid coffee, tea, chocolate, nicotine and alcohol late in the day because they will interfere with your sleep. - Establish a “sleeping schedule” and try to stick to it. - Learn to do work and assignments in advance, this leaving much less to do at the last minute and giving a chance to go to sleep earlier. - Avoid watching TV late at night. It only stimulates the brains and makes them more alert, giving more difficulties to fall asleep.

I think I am not that bad at sleeping and as much as I have things to ameliorate there’s also positive in my sleeping habits. Mainly, I need to go to sleep earlier on the weekends, which will also help during the week, and learn not to be at the last minute. In our society it is difficult and challenging for a teenager to get enough of the rest that we need to grow, do well in school, be in a good mood and feel happy, but it isn’t impossible. This said, I pledge to (try to) ameliorate my sleeping habits.

INSOMNIA

Insomnia refers to an inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep for an adequate length of time. This may cause chronic tiredness, which can affect you badly in your everyday life. Sleeping pills are easily prescribed to people suffering from insomnia but they should be used with precaution and not too often. The body may become dependent on them and by so also tolerant to them, making the needed dose always bigger. It is important to find other ways to sleep because “The drugs don’t work, they just make it worse” in the long term.

- Exercise during the day often helps you sleep, but avoid doing it shortly before going to bed. - Make sure you’re bedroom is sleep-adequate. A comfortable bed is just as important as a well ventilated cool room wich is as dark and quiet as possible. - Cut down on drinks containing caffeine, especially late at night and don’t eat big meals before bedtime. - Get up at the same time every morning, even if you have had a sleepless night, and don’t go to sleep until you feel tired. - Find a way to relax and relieve stress before going to bed, for example reading, taking a bath, writing in a diary or listening to your favorite music.

SOURCES http://www2.netdoctor.co.uk http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.2417141/k.C60C/W elcome.htm

”VIRTAA, uuden sukupolven terveystieto” by Lasse Kannas, Kari Eskola, Pia Räsänen, Pertti Mustajoki (2005)