As I tell my students, I was once a fifth grader. I remember lying awake in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, fretting over the work that I hadn’t done, my stomach in knots. “That’s why I give you as much time as I can to finish your work in school. You will have some homework, it’s true, but I definitely want it to be manageable. Because—believe it or not—one of my biggest goals for you is that you get a good night’s sleep.”
When I talk to parents, I add that if none of the tips and tricks work, they should talk to their doctor. (I didn’t find out until I was an adult that I had restless leg syndrome. I wonder if I could have gotten help earlier?) From my personal experience, I add that they might try having their child go to bed later. It’s possible that Alicia doesn’t need as many hours of sleep as a typical 10-year-old child.
Especially now, I also ask parents if they are sleeping well too. Since the start of the pandemic, anger is on the rise. For example, murders are up 30%! Drug overdoses are also up 30%. Depression rates are up nearly 400%. Which of the tips we talked about in class would help the adults sleep better? After all, as teachers, we know the anxiety and angst that adults experience can definitely impact the children in the home.
Maybe this year, the sleep talk is one every class can use.
As one student declared, “I didn’t know other people had this problem. I thought I was the only one!”
It is always shocking to me how many students do not sleep well or nearly enough. They then wonder why their stress levels are high and energy levels are low. I have always been a strong proponent of at least eight hours of sleep (I think my body is happiest at the almost impossible nine and a half!) and I know I am intellectually, physically, and mentally not my best when I don’t have quality rest.
Thanks for having these conversations with your students. We all need to learn how to practice effective self care! I especially love how you opened up the class for their suggestions, so everyone can learn together and realize they are not alone.
Jan,
This really resonates with me. This is the level of care we need for ourselves and our students. Today I threw out the lesson plan and spent my seventh-grade class period discussing our emotional wellness and strategies for ending amygdala hijack, among other things. And, lack of sleep came up as a struggle for us all, too.
Thank you for a timely reminder of some of the most basic self-care.