Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Low, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Today's lesson is all about time online and sleep.

So here is our outcome for today's lesson.

So by the end, you'll be able to describe ways to manage your time online and keep a healthy sleep schedule.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond, and when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in our SHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

Now here are our keywords for today's lesson.

Let's go through those definitions together.

Screen time.

Any time spent on a digital device with a screen, for example, a smartphone or laptop, melatonin, a natural chemical in your body that helps control sleep by making you feel sleepy when it gets dark.

Finally, blue light, a light from screens that can keep you awake by tricking your brain into thinking it's still daytime.

And here is our outline for today's lesson.

So we're gonna begin today by asking the question, how do screens affect our sleep? Now, getting a good night's sleep is important for a young person because their brain is going through significant changes and developments during puberty.

So Aisha here is asking her, mom, can I say up and watch TV please, mom? Aisha's mom is giving her a very important reminder and she can say, no, Aisha, it's less than an hour before your bedtime and you can't have any screen time because Aisha's mom knows that screen time and the blue light that comes from devices can really impact a person's ability to get a good night's sleep.

So Aisha's mom knows how important it is not to have screen time at least an hour before bed in order to get a restful night's sleep.

So in order to make sure that she gets the recommended amount of sleep, Aisha decides that instead of watching TV, she's gonna read a book for half an hour before she goes to bed.

When we get into bed, our brain starts to perform necessary functions that help us to sleep better.

So one of them is that as bedtime approaches, our brain starts to release a sleep hormone called melatonin.

The part of our brain's responsible for wakefulness, sorry, start to slow down and calm.

And finally, the hypothalamus, which is a gland in the brain responsible for sending signals from the brain to the body signals to the brain, it's time to sleep.

So due to Aisha's screen-free bedtime, her brain was able to release melatonin at an appropriate time and so her brain was less active and in return, she enjoyed a restful night sleep.

So let's pause here and let's check our understanding about what we've learned so far.

So why is melatonin important? Is it A, a happy hormone, B, a sleep hormone, or C, a puberty hormone? So pause the video here, have a think about what melatonin is and why it's important, and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Really well done if you said that it is a sleep hormone.

So engaged in screen time before bed can seriously disrupt a person's sleep.

So Alex here likes to scroll through lots of short videos before he goes to sleep on his smartphone.

And Alex does this because he thinks that it's gonna help him to fall asleep.

So what Alex doesn't realise is that screens on digital devices like smartphones emit blue light.

Now blue light mimics daylight and it tricks the brain into thinking that it is daytime.

So what this can also do is it prevents the release of melatonin, making it harder for Alex to get to sleep.

So watching, engaging, exciting or even scary things before bed stimulates our brain.

And this mental stimulation prevents our brains from winding down and it also makes it harder to get to sleep.

Even if we do get to sleep however, our brains remain overactive and this can cause us to have a restless sleep.

So Nurse Daniel here is telling us that screen time activities like scrolling or gaming can give our brains a constant dopamine boost.

And dopamine is a reward hormone, which can make the brain crave more stimulation.

So Alex has made watching videos on his smartphone at night a habit.

But Dr.

Elsie is saying that relying on screens as a bedtime habit makes the brain associate screen time with pre sleep activities.

And this creates dependency where you might find it harder to fall asleep without screens.

So because Alex every night is spending time before he goes to sleep, scrolling on his smartphone, it has created this dependency and this association in the brain, and he's gonna find it harder to get to sleep now without a screen.

This means that every night Alex is not getting a good night's sleep because he is relying on screen time to do so.

And that screen time is meaning that when he does get to sleep, his sleep is more restless.

So we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding.

So is what Alex saying correct? So Alex is saying, going on my smartphone just before bed helps me to sleep.

So pause the video, have a think about what Alex is saying, whether it is true or false and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Really well done if you said false.

Why is this false? Well screens produce blue light, which prevents the release of melatonin and makes it harder to get to sleep quickly.

Also, screen time makes our brain more active, meaning that if we do get to sleep, the sleep is more restless.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So we have Alex here again and I would like for you to explain to him why he's getting a poor night's sleep.

So he says, even when I go to bed early, I struggle to fall asleep quickly.

I usually scroll on my phone before bed because it helps me sleep.

But even when I do sleep, I wake up blocks during the night.

So in your explanation to Alex, I would like for you to try to use the following terms, melatonin, blue light, screen time and dopamine.

So pause the video, write down your explanations to Alex, and then we'll have a think about what you could have said in just a moment.

Well done for having a go at that.

So you were asked to explain to Alex why he's getting a poor night's sleep.

And here's what you could have said.

Screen time before bed can prevent the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep.

Screens also emit blue light, meaning that they mimic daylight and make the body think that it's daytime, keeping it awake longer.

Furthermore, screen time can stimulate the brain through dopamine release, making the brain crave more stimulation and meaning that it is harder to settle down even if a person does get to sleep after screen time activities, the sleep is not as restful as sleep without screen time immediately before bed.

Well done if you mentioned anything that I have there and great work on your explanations.

So we're moving on now to the second part of our lesson where we're gonna be asking the question, what impact can a lack of sleep have? So a lack of sleep can have social, mental and physical impacts on a person.

This is particularly true for young people because their brains are still developing.

So Dr.

Elsie is telling us something really interesting here.

She's saying that young people actually need between eight to 10 hours of sleep each night.

And she's saying that's at least.

So sleep is very, very important for young people as their bodies and their brains are developing.

So during puberty, the growth hormone is released during sleep.

So if somebody's consistently not getting enough sleep, this actually suppresses the release of growth hormones and can slow a young person's growth and development.

Now, here are some of these physical impacts that a lack of sleep can have.

So a lack of sleep can actually weaken a person's immune system.

It's their ability to fight off and get better when they're feeling unwell.

High blood pressure or hypertension, high cholesterol, feeling very tired or fatigued and finally swollen or sore eyes.

So a lack of sleep can even have a massive physical impact on a person.

So we're gonna pause here and I'm gonna check our understanding.

So how many hours of sleep a night should a young person have? Is it six to eight, eight to 10, or 12 to 14? So pause the video, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Well done if you said eight to 10 hours, yes, young people should be getting at least between eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.

So a good night's sleep can actually improve our ability to think properly and focus during the day.

Nurse Daniel here is saying that a lack of sleep impairs our focus and the ability to process and retain information, which can make it harder to learn and stay engaged in school or work.

A lack of sleep can have other impacts on the brain as well.

Things like problems with memory.

So struggling to retain information, trouble with problem solving, difficulty making decisions, slower reaction times, increased likelihood of mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

And finally, an increase in risk taking behaviours.

So we can see here that a lack of sleep not only has a massive physical impact, but also a massive impact on our brain.

Now, if we don't get enough sleep, we can experience an impact on our emotions as well.

So a lack of sleep can cause mood swings or irritability.

A mood swing is where a person is feeling one minute one way, and then quite suddenly feeling very, very different.

So feeling happy one minute and then sad or down, frustrated or angry in the next.

So it can also make feelings of anxiety, sadness or even stress worse.

When our emotions are dysregulated, this means they're not regulated properly, it can impact us socially as well.

So it can make it harder to communicate effectively with others, particularly if a person is feeling quite irritable because they've not slept properly, it can make it harder to maintain friendships and relationships.

If a person's feeling very fatigued or again they're struggling to regulate their emotions, it might make it harder to maintain friendships.

It can make people engage in behaviours that other people around us don't like.

And it can lead to conflict with friends and family because of irritability.

So if a person experiences a lack of sleep over a long period of time, it can lead to more serious consequences such as difficulty in school or work due to the effect that a lack of sleep has had on their concentration and their ability to focus.

It can have an impact on long-term health conditions like high blood pressure or hypertension.

It can also cause long-term mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

So we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding.

So true or false, the only impact lack of sleep can have is making you feel tired.

So you're gonna pause the video here, have a think about whether that statement is true or false, and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Well done if you said false.

Of course, this is false.

Lack of sleep can have a massive impact on a person.

It can impact a person mentally, physically and socially.

If a person doesn't sleep properly for a long time, it can lead to long lasting effects on their health and life.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So what I would like for you to do is to explain the potential impacts that a lack of sleep can have in each area of life.

So we have three areas here, physical health, mental health and social life.

So for each of those, you are gonna tell me that the impact that a lack of sleep can have.

So pause the video, write down your answers, and then we'll go through what you might have said in just a moment.

Great work there.

So you were explaining the impacts that a lack of sleep can have on each area of life.

So for physical health, you may have said that it can weaken the immune system and cause long-term health conditions like high cholesterol or high blood pressure, for mental health, you may have said that lack of sleep can cause problems with memory, difficulties in problem solving and making decisions.

It can also cause mood swings and irritability and long-term conditions like anxiety or depression.

For social life you may have said that it makes it harder to communicate effectively with others, harder to maintain relationships and can lead to conflict with friends and family due to increased irritability.

So well done if you mentioned any of those things in your impacts column.

And we are moving on now to the final part of our lesson where we're asking the question, how can I improve my sleep? So we know that sleep is vital and it's vital for us to function properly in our day-to-day lives.

And there are some really easy steps that we can take to make sure that we have a good night's sleep.

So Nurse Daniel here is saying that the first step in having a consistent sleep schedule is simply to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

And what this does is it helps to regulate your natural body clock.

Another important step is to create a calming bedtime routine.

So Aisha is saying that before she goes to bed, she reads a book.

Andeep is saying that before he goes to bed, he meditates.

And Laura is saying that she listens to calming music.

So that all creating this atmosphere which is conducive to a great night's sleep.

Lovely and calm.

It's also important that both before bed and when we're in bed, we don't do any screen time activities that are gonna stimulate our brains too much.

So Dr.

Elsie says that screens emit blue light, and this should be avoided at least an hour before bed.

So avoiding screen time activities will encourage the brain to release melatonin, that sleep hormone earlier and improve our sleep.

Now we're gonna pause the video here again and we're gonna check our understanding.

So screens producing blue light should be put away at least what before bed? Is it 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 20 minutes? So pause the video and have a think about your answer.

Well done if you said 60 minutes.

Yes, any screens, any device that produces blue light should be put away at least one hour or 60 minutes before bed.

So we sleep better in certain environments.

So for the best sleep, your room should be a cool temperature.

Ideally this is between 16 to 18 degrees and this is considered optimal.

It should be quiet.

Now, if you live in a noisy house or it's noisy outside, what you can do is try wearing earplugs and the room should be dark.

So this means reducing outside light and blue light.

So Andeep is saying that if you want to make the room as dark as possible, you could even wear an eye mask to bed.

So another important step is to limit things like sugar and caffeine, and even eating big meals too close to bedtime.

People should try to avoid caffeinated drinks like coffees or teas or even sugary food late in the afternoon and evening.

Now this is because eating sugar or drinking caffeine can be overstimulating, which in turn makes it harder to fall asleep.

Regular physical activity can also make it easier to sleep.

So what exercise does is it helps to regulate the body's sleep patterns.

It can even shorten the time it takes to get to sleep and the quality of a person's sleep overall.

However, it's best to avoid exercising too close to bedtime because it can actually have the opposite effect, make a person's brain feel more stimulated and make it harder for them to get to sleep.

We're gonna pause again here and we're gonna check our understanding.

So true or false, physical exercise during the day can improve sleep at night.

So pause the video, have a think about your answer and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Well done if you said true.

Yes, physical exercise during the day can improve sleep at night.

However, it's best to avoid exercising too close to bedtime because this can have the opposite effect.

Another important step is ensuring access to natural sunlight.

And doing this during the day can help to regulate something called the circadian rhythm.

So a circadian rhythm is the 24 hour cycle that our body goes through each day.

It begins with us waking up in the morning and it ends with us sleeping at night.

And ensuring that you get some access to natural sunlight can help to regulate this rhythm.

Some people may find that when they go to bed, their brain starts to become active.

They may feel that when they lie down, they have racing thoughts or worries from the events of the day.

And that can set in.

And one way to tackle this is to practise mindfulness.

So when you get to bed, practise doing some breathing exercises or even meditating before bed.

Dr.

Elsie's telling us that if you're experiencing any concerns around your mental health.

So if you feel that racing thoughts are worrying too much at the end of each day is starting to affect you, it's important to speak to a trusted adult.

We're gonna check our understanding here.

So what I would like for you to do is to change two words in this sentence to make the statement correct.

Ensuring access to natural moonlight during the night helps us to regulate our circadian rhythm.

So two words in that statement can be changed to make this statement correct.

Have a read through, think about what those two words are and then we'll go through the correct answer together.

Well done if you said sunlight and day.

Yes, so ensuring access to natural sunlight during the day helps to regulate our circadian rhythm.

Well done if you got that correct.

And finally, we are gonna put our learning into practise.

We have Alex here again, and I would like for you to write a list of three to four things that Alex can do to improve his sleep.

So Alex is saying, I'm trying to get into better sleeping habits, but I'm not sure where to start.

So give him three or four things that he can do to improve his sleep.

Pause the video, have a think about your answers, and then we'll go through some possible ideas together.

Great work on that.

So what we're gonna do, We're gonna have a look at some things that you might have said.

So you might have said that it's important to have good routines for sleeping, and you should try to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.

It's important to put away any blue light emitting screens at least an hour before bed as these affect your body's natural processes.

You might have also said that it can be helpful to create a calming environment and atmosphere that helps your body settle and your brain release melatonin.

For example, you could read a book in bed before going to sleep, and it could also be helpful to exercise in the day and go outside in natural sunlight during the day.

Exercise helps to regulate the body's sleep patterns while sunlight helps to regulate your circadian rhythm.

We're gonna end today's lesson with a summary of what we have learned.

So screens from digital devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets produce blue light, which mimics sunlight.

This suppresses the brain's ability to release melatonin and makes it harder to get to sleep.

A lack of sleep can impact our mental and physical health as well as our social life.

A good night's sleep is essential for helping us to function throughout the day.

In order to help our sleep pattern, it's important to reduce screen time by putting digital devices that emit blue light away for at least an hour, oh, sorry, at least an hour before bed.

You could also read a book or practise mindfulness before bedtime to help aid sleep.

Now, if any of the topics covered in today's lesson affect you in any way or you have any concerns, here are some places that you can go to, to access support.

So Childline, a website and phone line which is available to offer confidential advice and support.

CEOP, which helps protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

And finally, internet matters which teaches children and parents how to stay safe and happy online while using the internet.

And I'd like to end today's lesson by saying a really big well done for all of your fantastic learning that you've done today.

And I hope you've taken some useful advice about getting a better night's sleep.

I look forward to seeing you in another RSHE lesson soon.