Sleep: The Basics

We spend about 30% of our day, or one-third of our day sleeping. So, why is sleep so important for us? For young people, your brains are still growing and building, and all this growth happens when we sleep. Sleep helps us to feel good, mentally and physically. A good night’s sleep can do many things for us and our bodies, including:

• lets your body heal, repair, and fight sickness
• helps you to feel energized for the next day
• improves memory and focus
• helps to stabilize your mood and feel stronger mentally so you are able to solve problems and face challenges
• makes it easier to finish tasks like studying and working
• helps body systems like your metabolism and hormones to work better
• adds to your overall long-term health

Sleep gives your body time to recharge. This TedTalk explains what’s happening in our brain when we sleep and why it’s so important to our daily life:

The right amount of sleep is different for everyone. Young people between the ages of 12 – 24 may need between 8 – 10 hours of sleep per night. Since young people’s brains and bodies are still growing, it is really important to get enough sleep during this time. Puberty can cause changes in your body clock and may make it harder to get enough sleep. That means often feeling tired later in the evening and waking up later in the morning than adults. Often young people have to wake up earlier than their body wants because of school start times or extra curricular activities. You may also be sleeping late because you may be trying to cram a lot of things before bedtime: school activities, homework/ studying, meeting friends, dinner with family, phone or screen use, etc. Many young people have reported getting less sleep because they are using their phones after bedtime. All of these factors can cause you to be sleeping fewer hours than your body actually needs.

If you feel well-rested during the day and have the energy and focus for your daily activities, you are probably getting enough sleep. Other good signs are if you can fall asleep easily at night and don’t often wake up during the night.

It’s very common for young people to struggle with getting enough sleep. Busy schedules, school, activities, and time with family and friends can all get in the way of sleep. Some signs that you might need a better night’s sleep or that your schedule could use some fine-tuning are:

• It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning
• You fall asleep in class or at work
• You don’t go to bed at the same time every night
• You feel moody and irritable
• You have trouble concentrating or focusing on tasks, like schoolwork or studying
• You feel tired often and have low energy during the day
• You easily forget things
• You often go to bed later than you want or pull all-nighters for school or work

It is normal to feel overwhelmed when your sleep schedule needs adjusting and you may not know where to start, as it can start to affect other areas of your life.

Many of us don’t get enough sleep at night. School, social life, responsibilities, stress, health problems, or other things can get in the way of a good night’s sleep. But, getting less sleep over time can affect us in many ways, including:

• feeling tired and worn down
• finding it harder to remember things – that can affect things like studying and work
• affecting your mood negatively – you might feel anxious, sad, or worried and you may be cranky and have a hard time managing your emotions with others
• feeling hungry as your body looks for other ways to get energy
• being more likely to get sick
• not feeling like taking part in usual activities and responsibilities

There are many things you can do to get your body and mind ready for a good night’s sleep.

• Check out these tips on How to Get a Better Sleep and 
• Explore these Apps & Tools to help you get a good night’s sleep.
• If you think you need support from someone else, you can speak with your doctor or access Foundry services to speak with someone (if you are over 24, you can explore these support options).