Sleep & Mental Health

Bedtime Tips

Healthy Habits

Why sleep?

Relaxation

Random

100

Give 2 examples of what might make the room you sleep in a bad place for sleep.

Lights on, TV on, people making a lot of noise, no bed, too cold/too hot, pets, people sharing your bed, etc.

100

True or False:

Exercising for at least 30 minutes during the day will help you sleep better at night.

True!

100

True or False: One sleepless night affects your brain in the same way as drinking too many *adult beverages*.

True! If kids are too young to have adult drinks, they're also too young to function without sleep.

100

Which of these activities can help you relax at bedtime?

a) Writing in a journal

b) Coloring a coloring page

c) Reading a book

d) Drawing

e) All of the above

100

When we're so hungry that it makes us angry, we say that we are "hangry."

What does it mean if we are "tangry"?

Being "tangry" means we're so tired that it makes us angry.

200

Which of these are ok to drink when it's almost bedtime?:

a) Milk

b) Soda

c) Tea

d) Water

e) Juice

d) Coffee

Milk, Water, and Juice are ok to drink near bedtime. Coffee and Tea have caffeine in them, so they'll keep you awake (unless you use the decaffeinated type). Some types of soda have caffeine in them, and all soda has a LOT of sugar. Too much sugar at bedtime might make it hard to sleep.

200

Sleep experts say you should stop drinking caffeine at least _________ hours before bedtime.

a) 6 hours

b) 1 hour

c) 3 hours

d) 45 minutes

Sleep experts say you should stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime.

200

True or False:

People who never get enough sleep are more likely to have a mood disorder.

True! Scientists found that people who never get enough sleep are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.

200

Choose a team to compete with. You will both get on your phones and start playing some sort of relaxing music or sounds on YouTube. Whoever starts playing their video first will get the points for this question.

Congratulations!

200

Which of these sodas are NOT good to drink in the evening, and why?

CocaCola, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper all have caffeine in them. Caffeine makes it harder to sleep at night, even if it's been hours since you drank it.

300

Which of these choices will help you sleep better?

a) Doing a lot of jumping jacks and push-ups right before you go to bed.

b) Listening to calm, relaxing music while you color, read, draw, write in a journal, do yoga, or build with Legos right before you go to bed.

The answer is B!

Exercising during the day definitely helps you sleep better at night. But exercising at night actually wakes you up and makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. It's more helpful to do quiet, calm activities right before bedtime.

300

Using coping skills during your day that make you feel less stressed will also help you sleep better at night.

What is stress?

What are 3 things you can do to handle stress in a healthy way?

Stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid — which can give you a stomachache, a headache, or a bad feeling in your chest.

Any 3 self care activities are ok

300

True or False:

Kids who get enough sleep at night have better behavior at school the next day. Kids who didn't sleep enough are more likely to be angry at school the next day and more likely to make bad choices.

True!

300

Which of these WILL NOT help you relax at bedtime?

a) Easy yoga poses

b) Dancing

c) Taking a shower or bath

d) Focus on breathing slowly and deeply

b) Dancing is a great way to exercise during the day, but dancing at bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep.

300

How many hours of sleep do elementary school kids need every night?

9-12 hours

400

Which choice will help you sleep better?

a) Go to bed at the same time every night.

b) Go to bed at a different time every night.

A) Going to bed at the same time every night helps you get better sleep.

400

If you feel really sleepy when you come home from school, you will probably want to take a nap. How long should your nap be?

a) 2 hours

b) 1 hour

c) 20-30 minutes

d) 4 hours

The answer is C. Napping for more than 30 minutes during the day will make it harder for you to sleep at night.

400

Layla and Jordon are both 5th graders, and they both wake up at 7:00am to get ready for school. Last night Layla went to bed at 10:00pm, and Jordon went to bed at midnight. At school today, which kid will be able to focus for longer and remember more important information?

Layla will feel better, learn better, and behave better at school because she got 9 hours of sleep. Kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. 10 or 11 hours of sleep would be even better.

400

Get on your phone and start playing a "mindfulness" video on YouTube. Play it for about 40 seconds, loud enough for us to all hear it.

Now explain what "mindfulness" is.

Mindfulness means paying full attention to what is happening right now. It means slowing down to really notice what you're doing, what you’re feeling or hearing, or anything else you notice. It's a good way to relax and can help you sleep better.

400

Will the drinks in this picture help you get a good night's sleep? Why or why not?

No, drinking these will make it really hard to get as much sleep as you need! These are all "energy drinks," which means they have a LOT of caffeine. Caffeine keeps us awake.

500

True or False:

The light from electronic screens (like TVs, phones, computers, and tablets) makes it more difficult to get a good night's sleep.

True! TVs, phones, computers, and tablets all create blue light. Blue light actually tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime. To sleep better, try not to look at electronic screens for 1 hour before bedtime. If you like to have the TV on while you fall asleep, cover your eyes so the light can't get to your brain.

500

Our habits during the day can affect how we sleep at night. You can fall asleep faster and get better sleep if you . . .

a) Always wear your socks inside out.

b) Eat at least 8 ounces of carrots every day.

c) Spend at least 5 hours a day playing video games.

d) Spend at least 15 minutes outside in the sun during the day.

d) Spending time outside in the sunlight for at least 15 minutes will help you sleep better at night. Spending 1 or 2 hours outside in the sun is even better.

500

Which of these is true:

a) People who don't sleep enough are more likely to be overweight.

b) People who don't sleep enough are more likely to get sick with colds, the flu, stomach viruses, etc.

c) People who don't sleep enough are more likely to have high blood pressure and heart problems.

d) People who don't sleep enough are more likely to get Type 2 diabetes.

e) All of the above.

e) All of the above! Sleeping the right amount every night helps keep us safe from obesity, weak immune systems, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

500

"Progressive muscle relaxation" can help you fall asleep faster. What is progressive muscle relaxation?

a) Lifting weights at bedtime to make your muscles stronger

b) Relaxing all your muscles at the same time

c) Slowly flexing and relaxing one body part at a time until all the muscles in your body are totally relaxed

c) Slowly flexing and relaxing one body part at a time until all the muscles in your body are totally relaxed.

Let's try it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDKyRpW-Yuc

Script for Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Kids:

Tense your feet by curling your toes…like you’re digging your toes into the sand at the beach.