Key Stage 5 – Shifting sleep problems

Notes for teachers

At a glance

Disruptions to our biological rhythms, such as our sleep-wake cycle, puts a strain on the body and can lead to serious health problems.

In this activity students are asked to advise a company which uses shift work on how to help their employees avoid shift work disorder. They work in groups to research three possible solutions using evidence from scientific papers to support their advice.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students define the terms: circadian rhythm, endogenous pacemaker and endogenous zeitgeber
  • Students research solutions to shift work disorder using scientific papers
  • Students explain how the solutions help reset the sleep-wake cycle

Each student will need

  • Copy of page 1 of the pupil worksheet

Each group will need

  • A copy of page 2-4 of the pupil worksheet
  • Access to the internet and text books

Possible Lesson Activities

  1. Starter activity
  2. Show the class the animation 'What makes you tick?'.
  3. Supply students with the pupil worksheet. Ask them to read through the information on page 1 and write down the meanings of the terms: circadian rhythm, endogenous pacemaker and endogenous zeitgeber, with examples for each.
  4. Discuss as a class what shift work is and how it affects the body and leads to health problems. More information on this can be found using the weblinks below.
  1. Main activity: Researching solutions
  2. Ask students to read through the task on page 1 of the pupil worksheet. They have been set a challenge by an internet shopping company to help their employees avoid shift work disorder. They have been given three possible solutions to research: changing how often shift patterns are rotated, using light therapy and using drugs. Make sure students understand what is meant by the rotating shift patterns. Employees work one shift for a week, then they work the next shift for another week and so on. The shifts rotate in a clockwise direction.
  3. Give each group of 3 pages 2-4 of the pupil worksheet. Each student should concentrate on researching one solution. They will need internet access for research. They may find text books useful for background reading as well.
  4. Before they start, discuss with them how to read the scientific research. They should type the name of the paper into a search engine in order to find it. For many of the papers they will only be able to access the abstract. For some they may be able to read the conclusion as well. This will be enough for them to summarise the findings of the study.
  1. Main activity: Summarising findings
  2. Ask groups to rejoin and discuss what they have found out.
  3. They should write down their recommendations to the company along with their reasoning, which should be based on scientific evidence. They may recommend using just one solution or a mixture.
  1. Plenary
  • Ask a representative from each group to summarise their advice to the company.
  • Ask each student to work alone to make notes on how each of the solutions works, using what they have learnt about the sleep-wake cycle.

Weblinks

Further information about the science behind the animation at a level suitable for KS5 students.

Review on shift work disorder and possible treatments with links to relevant studies.