Activity

Kids Sleep

Key Learning

Students will explore the science behind sleep and examine their own sleep patterns by conducting a sleep study and reflective journal.

The Australian Curriculum

Science / Science Inquiry Skills / Questioning and predicting
With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientificinvestigation, and predict what the findings of aninvestigationmight be (ACSIS231) (ACSIS232)

Science / Science Inquiry Skills / Processing and analysing data and information
Construct and use a range of representations, includingtablesandgraphs, to represent and describe observations,patternsorrelationshipsin datausingdigital technologiesas appropriate(ACSIS090) (ACSIS107)

Comparedatawith predictions and use asevidence in developing explanations(ACSIS218) (ACSIS221)
/ Mathematics / Statistics and Probability / Data representation and interpretation
Construct displays, including column graphs, dot plots and tables, appropriate fordatatype, with and without the use of digital technologies(ACMSP119)

Interpret and compare a range ofdatadisplays, including side-by-side column graphs for two categorical variables (ACMSP147)

Pose questions and collect categorical ornumerical databy observation or survey(ACMSP118)

Discussion Questions

1.  What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed? Discuss with another student.

2.  What has a new study found about using electronic devices before going to bed?

3.  The light emitted from electronic devices can affect how well we sleep. True or false?

4.  When it gets dark, your brain clock decides it is sleep time and tells another part of your body to release what chemical?

5.  Why do we need sleep?

6.  If we don’t get enough sleep it can affect our...

a.  Concentration

b.  Memory

c.  Learning

d.  All of the above

7.  What can we do to get a better night’s sleep?

8.  Experts say that turning off screens at least an hour before going to bed is a good idea. True or false?

9.  How much sleep do you think you need each day?

10.  Conduct your own sleep study. Record how long you use electronic devices for before going to bed and how many hours of sleep you get each night. Examine your results.

Activities

The science of sleep

·  After watching the BtN Kids Sleep story invite students to participate in a class discussion. Find out what your students know about the science behind sleep, what they learnt from the story and what questions they have about the topic. Hold a class survey using the following questions.

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·  Many activities we are not consciously aware of continue when we are at rest to keep our bodies going. All of these require energy. Ask students which of the following activities occur while we are asleep (they are all true, except exercising).

Sleep study and reflective journal

·  Introduce students to the task of keeping a reflective journal on their sleep patterns and their use of technological devices before bedtime. The purpose of a reflective journal is an opportunity for students to write a personal account of events and experiences, and to then reflect on their own learning. Before starting the journal discuss with students the aim of the study.

·  Students will record data in their journals on a daily basis over one week, using the following table.

Sleep study and reflective journal

Students can test how fast their reactions are as part of their daily study. Ask students to take part in this game and record their findings each day. Do the results vary depending on how much sleep they get? http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf

Students will present their findings in a column graph. The number of hours of sleep will be compared against the number of hours spent using technology before bedtime.

Students will calculate the average time they spend asleep each night (using the data collected over the one week period).

The journal provides the opportunity for students to reflect on their own learning. Provide regular opportunities for students to write individual journal entries to reflect the following questions:

Invite students to volunteer to share their findings. Suggest that they could illustrate their ideas, and also include any questions they have about the work.

Further Investigation

How does having a regular sleeping routine benefit your physical and emotional health? Find out more about circadian rhythms and how to get into a good sleeping routine. Reach Out gives tips to help you sleep and what to do if you’re having trouble. http://au.reachout.com/Circadian-rhythms-and-depression

8 Related Research Links

ABC News – Experts say exposure to artificial light from tablets is causing sleep disorders

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-01/artificial-light-leading-to-increase-in-sleep-disorders/4790448

Child and Youth Health – Sleep: are you getting enough?

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=152&id=1771

CBBC – How well did you sleep last night?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/22468382

CBBC – Sleep study shows a lack of sleep affects our genes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/21587755

Behind the News – Sleep Study

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3001006.htm

BBC News – How much sleep does a child need?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8522604.stm

Behind the News – Teen Sleep

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3279441.htm

©ABC 2013