Staying Healthy

Healthy Sleep Habits
“Research shows that teens need about nine hours of sleep a night. Most teens don’t get enough sleep, usually because their schedules are overloaded or they spend too much time texting or chatting with friends until the wee hours of the morning. Other teens try to go to sleep early, but instead of getting much-needed rest, they lie awake for hours. Over time, nights of missed sleep can build into a sleep deficit (or sleep debt). Teens with a sleep deficit can’t concentrate, study, or work effectively. They also can have emotional problems, like depression.” – Kids Health 2015

Enough Sleep means:
+ Improved memory
+ Increased alertness
+ Reduced inflammation
+ Improved immune function
+ Improved metabolism

Not Enough Sleep means:
– Impaired judgment
– Depressed mood
– Decreased ability to learn new information
– Impaired metabolism
– Impaired immune function

Five tips for bedtime:
It may be a challenge to change up your bedtime routine, but if you stick to it your efforts will pay off. These ideas can help:
• Prepare for school the night before by laying out your clothes, backpack, etc. That way, you can set your alarm for later and catch some extra zzzzzs in the morning.
• Try to set up a routine by going to bed at roughly the same time each night. As your body readjusts its internal clock, it will actually become easier to fall asleep at its designated time.
• Avoid screen time at least one hour before bedtime. The glow from your device passes through your eye and signals your brain to delay the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. Playing video games and using social media also stimulates the brain, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.
• Make your bedroom a cozy environment that you enjoy. If you feel comfortable in the space you sleep in, chances are you’ll feel more relaxed and fall asleep more easily. Note: If you like things neat, try setting aside 10 minutes before you go to bed to tidy things up and avoid the stress of a messy room.
• Try to go to bed earlier if you’re not getting enough sleep. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you consistently find yourself feeling drowsy during the day, try heading to bed an hour or two earlier. Tiredness is your body’s way of telling you to get more sleep!

Civil War

This week in sixth grade they tested their Civil War knowledge with a Civil War board game! Kids traveled through battles and important events and were tested on their Civil War skills to make it through the battle and win the war!