Our Year 10 students well and truly started their year positively. All students continue to impress their teachers and wider College community with their manners, commitment to their learning and respect for their environment. All of their teachers have commented on how studious and positive our Year 10 students are in the classroom, which is something to be proud of.

We celebrated this positive start with a Year 10 Breakfast at the conclusion of Term 1, which gave us an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company, fuel ourselves with energy and celebrate a successful term together with Homeroom teachers. Additionally, our Class Leaders have been proactive with their leadership roles by taking on responsibilities in their Homerooms, as well as implementing their own initiatives to create a sense of fun in their space. We hope to build on this positivity for Term 2.

The Importance of Sleep

From a wellbeing perspective, during Pastoral we began discussing and creating our own Coping Strategies Lists and filling them with the strategies that best support us when we are experiencing challenges or hard times in our lives. One of the most important coping strategies that I wanted to share with our community is importance of sleep. I have noticed that many of our students find it challenging to sleep 8 to 10 hours each night. Therefore, here are some suggestions to help create positive habits and routines at night to assist our young people with getting the recommended daily amount of sleep.

Why Do You Need 8 to 10 Hours of Sleep?

• Academic Success – This depends on how much sleep you get and your ability to concentrate, focus, remember and maintain attention
• Emotional Health – If you are lacking sleep you have less control over your emotional responses and are more likely to have conflict and feel negative emotions
• Physical Health – You are in a rapid stage of development and your body needs time to rejuvenate after a big day. If not, you will experience fatigue and have a lower immunity and may get sick more often.

What is the Circadian Rhythm?

We are referring to our built-in body clock governed by the circadian rhythm. Light exposure during the day sends signals to our body clock to keep us alert, awake and active. As the evening and night approach, our body clock starts the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep and sends signals that tell us that it’s time to fall asleep and stay asleep until sunrise. All this is what is known as the sleep-wake cycle and it’s aligned with the day and night thanks to our circadian rhythm.

When our circadian rhythm is disrupted, our sleep is directly and negatively impacted as the body can’t function properly. A person with a misaligned circadian rhythm can struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep during the night, or suffer from a more fragmented, low-quality sleep. This can lead, in turn, to a higher risk of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness, which are not good either for our overall health and wellbeing (does anyone feel this way during the day?)

How Can you Develop a Positive Sleep Schedule?
Create a Sleep Schedule, Similar to a Study Timetable

• Download the apps suggested on your phone and complete the 14-day trial. Does this help you with your sleep patterns? 
• Meditation practice before bed
• Limit your screen time at night. Put your phones away at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep as the phone light triggers your brain to stay wired! 
• Read a book
• Drink Chamomile Tea 
• Exercise and nourish your body 
• Set up Sleep Focus on your phones
• Avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch (Coca cola has caffeine in it!)
• Buy an eye mask/use ear plugs to help create a quiet and dark space
• See your GP if you are finding that you’re chronically not getting enough sleep

Apps

Jessica Baddeley
Level Leader: Year 10