Go to bed!

* Image from Russell Foster’s Ted Talk: Why Do We Sleep?

Did you know that 1/3 of all teenagers are sleep deprived? According to the National Sleep Foundation, You need at least 9 hours, and most of you aren’t even clocking in at 7. Why is that?

Fear of Missing Out is one reason, but so is the desire to study hard and do better in school. But guess what? Those extra hours you spend awake studying aren’t really doing much for you, as you’re much less likely to remember what you studied.

Your brain needs time to reboot. So does your body. We all need a bedtime. If your parent’s aren’t giving you one, do the grown-up thing and set one for yourself.

Watch the TED talk below, read some of these articles, and reflect on your own sleep habits. Then create a sleep advocacy skit describing to your classmates one of the benefits of or barriers to getting a good night’s sleep…

Sleep Advocacy Skits- Rubric Spring 2015

The Mash: Screentime Before Bedtime

NY Times: Lost Sleep Can Lead to Weight Gain

The Atlantic: Building Better Athletes with Sleep or Sleep Deprivation Makes us Appear Unattractive and Sad

HuffPost Healthy Living: 5 Ways to Change the World in Your Sleep

TED Talk: Russell Foster: Why do we sleep?

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Amy Lauren Smith The Health Teacher Amy Lauren Smith is an internationally recognized health education consultant and curriculum specialist with over 20 years of experience

Posts for Choices Magazine

Each week, I contribute a blog post to the website for Choices, Scholastic’s health and life-skills magazines for teens. You can check it out by