The Function of Sleep

The Function of Sleep

Report by Alice (L6) - 

On Friday 8 December the L6 attended our final lecture of the term on The Functions of Sleep from Dr Fancourt. This was very pertinent to us, as we were all ready for the end of term and a long rest.

We started off looking at the views of sleep throughout time. This has changed drastically from the 16th century, when Shakespeare described sleep as the 'honey heavy dew of slumber', to more recent, negative views, for example Margret Thatcher saying that 'sleep is for wimps'. We also looked at the state of teenage sleep today, learning that most teenagers are habitually under slept, and that there has been a rapid decline in the sleep duration of teenagers.

We moved on to look at the reasons why we need to sleep. We discovered that sleep allows our bodies to rest and repair, increasing energy levels and even speeding up the process of healing from injury. Sleep also gives our body the opportunity to remove neural waste products from daily mental exertion. Lastly, Dr Fancourt emphasised how sleep can improve school performance.

Not only does sleep improve memory and academic performance, but it is also associated with better behaviour. Sleep helps improve academic performance as it allows the brain to process information received during the day. We learnt about a study which proved how memory is enhanced when people study for a test the night before, rather than on the morning of.

Dr Fancourt then addressed how we can improve the sleep of teenagers. There are many factors which mean that teenagers in particular do not get enough sleep. These range from a reduction in parental influence and increase in caffeine consumption to increased anxiety and stress and use of mobile phones and laptops. Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 are recommended to get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep, and there are many ways we can make sure we achieve this. Having a calm and peaceful bedroom, avoiding bright light, and exercising during the day are just a few of the suggestions.

We finished the lecture by looking at The Sleep Charity website and finding out how to sleep better! We really enjoyed this lecture and it certainly reminded us of how important it is for us to be getting enough sleep.