Power Naps And The 8 Hours A Night Rule

 

Whilst it is true that many teenagers do have bad bedtime habits, it actually is not their fault completely. During your teen years, the body’s sleep clock is reset to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning, which could be why your teen finds it hard to get up for school in the morning. Teens' brains make the sleep hormone melatonin later at night than kids’ and adults’ brains do, so teens generally find it harder to fall asleep. Multiple studies have proven just how much sleep you get impacts your ability to remember words or facts, highlighting the importance of sleep during exam season for students. Further studies have shown that the less sleep you get, the more your mind focuses on negative emotions, highlighting also how important sleep is for mental health. We highly recommend that you try and encourage your child to get into a good sleep routine for their own benefit.

 

How many hours of sleep should teens get each night?

The National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that teens should sleep 8 -10 hours a night. Doing this in a regular routine will stand your child in good stead for the revision season, so that they are prepared and as mentally and physically healthy as possible.

 

Tips for 8-10 hours of sleep

• Ensuring all their electronics, including their phone have been switched off at least an hour before bed
• Keeping roughly the same bedtime each night to regulate their body clock
• Exercise regularly 
• Avoid caffeine 
• Create a comfortable sleeping environment 
• Don’t nap too much

 

The Benefits of Napping 

For teens who sleep below 8-10 hours a night, napping has been proven to be a remedy. It has also been found that one power nap of around 20 minutes per day, could be beneficial for your child and help lead to exam success. Hear us out.

Power naps increase concentration and creativity. When your child’s attention starts to slip, a short nap can make a dramatic impact on their study performance. Naps refresh the brain and body, reducing fatigue during the day. and can improve memory, logical reasoning and the ability to complete complex tasks. Studies have proven that single daytime naps enhance the consolidation of information learned before napping, which is why having a quick power nap when your child comes home from a long day of school, or after a few hours of morning revision, really could be beneficial for retaining all they have learned in the day and also sets them up for their afternoon/evening of revision.

A trial also found evidence that naps relieve stress, therefore important for reducing the chance that your child will get burnt out. You can read more about exam burnout here and how to recognise the signs.

 

How does sleep work during nap time?

Stage 1: The lightest and briefest stage of sleep, lasting only up to  7 minutes 

Stage 2: This lasts about 10-25 minutes. The muscles relax. This is still fairly light sleep

Stage 3: This is a deeper, more restorative stage of sleep and it is likely to be difficult to wake up in this stage. Usually 20-40 minutes.

Rapid eye movement - REM:  the body's muscles are temporarily paralysed. This is where dreaming takes place.

During a night's sleep, your body goes through these cycles multiple times, but during a nap, it usually only has time to go through one of these, which is why it is easier to wake up refreshed from a quick nap. Any longer, your body goes into a deep sleep, which can cause grogginess when you wake up, the opposite effect of a quick nap. It is also important to note that you don’t need to feel like you are fully asleep when taking a power nap. It is important to just lie down in a dark room, close your eyes and clear your mind of thoughts and just relax. 

 

The Art of Napping

Duration: About 20 minutes.

When: 8 or more hours before bedtime, to not cause sleeping problems. A nap after around 3 to 4 hours of study (not including breaks) is ideal, just before lunch. If your child comes home from school and has an evening of revision ahead, it sometimes is beneficial to take a power nap just as they get home, so they feel refreshed to study again.

Where: Preferably their bedroom - where they normally sleep, so that they can associate this space with sleeping.

Remember: Set an alarm for about 20 minutes, and only nap once a day.

Next time you catch your child going for a quick kip, think before you disturb them. Naps following these best practices are a powerful tool which students should embrace as an integral part of a revision plan to aid them with their exam success and overall health.