Students Need Their Sleep!

Exam season is upon us so now more than ever it is essential to stress the importance of sleep- particularly to any friends or family we know powering through their revision!

According to researchers carrying out international education tests, sleep deprivation seems to be significantly contributing to pupils’ low achievements at school. The study found sleep deprivation to be such a serious disruption that lessons were actually having to be taught at lower levels of advancement to accommodate for sleep-starved pupils. Derk-Jan Dijk, director of the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey explains that "sleepiness is a problem at all stages that are relevant to learning, memory and academic performance."

Chad Minnich from the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center thinks we underestimate the impact of sleep; "If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your optimal level”. Data from the Center shows that internationally, on average, children who get more sleep gain higher achievements in Maths, Science and Reading. Dr. Fitzpatrick goes further to claim that lack of sleep is going to leave pupils more emotionally volatile, potentially more disruptive as well as physically struggling to learn!

Trying to study without sleep is going to be tough as your brain will be running on empty. Make sure you exercise, try to implement a bedtime routine, keep your bedroom quiet, dark and cool, relax your mind first with a bath and a good book and don’t play on your computer whilst in bed because the light from the screen will confuse your brain and make it harder to fall asleep.

If you or someone you know is struggling to get to sleep during this stressful time– check out some of our products here at The Snoozery, like our relaxing Sleep Balms and Pillow Sprays by This Works full of soothing essential oils to help relax the mind before sleep and try to follow some of the tips and tricks on this blog!

Which door would you choose?

In an recent feature in Best Magazine women were asked to choose between three doors: behind the first stood their dream man, behind the second the promise of a passionate night with a film star and behind the third and final door- their perfect bed; with fluffy pillows and a guaranteed 10 hours of undisturbed sleep.

You won’t guess which door all but one woman chose… The third!

It seems that due to stress and worry, kids or discomfort in bed we are all in desperate need of a good nights sleep. But that may be easier to come by than you think - changing your sleep environment to a darker, cooler, quieter and more comfortable space can have an enormous impact on your quality of sleep. So take a peek at our carefully selected range of Sleep Masks, Earplugs and Pyjamas and help yourself to get that great nights sleep you deserve - so in the future - you won’t have to turn down Brad Pitt just for a few hours of peaceful shuteye! 

      ....OR....     

Sleep Tight! ;)

Waking up in the middle of the night?

Many of us wake up intermittently in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and endure a “witching hour” of wakefulness.

The most likely causes of this are changes in your environment, stress or age.

Going way back into our evolutionary pasts, we could only sleep well if we felt safe and secure. And the same applies today - anything that threatens our feelings of safety and security will disturb our sleep.

Actually, we all wake very briefly at the end of each of our sleep cycles, but usually are blissfully unaware. It’s just a case of rolling over and drifting back to sleep most of the time. But if something is worrying you or your attention is seized by something going on in the environment around you, you will become more awake at that point.

Changes to the nervous system and hormones as we get older also mean that as we progress through adulthood, our sleep becomes progressively lighter and more fragmented. Which means we wake up more and find it harder to get back to sleep. Bummer.

Top tip for a great night’s sleep: Try to make your bedroom feel isolated, comfortable, safe and secure. (And remember to lock the back door / turn the oven off etc. etc.)

How can a piece of paper and a pen help you sleep better?

Many of us have busy lives - work, kids, socialising, doing that thing we've been meaning to do for ages but never quite seem to have the time for - and at times can feel overwhelmed.

And feeling overwhelmed is a guaranteed recipe for stress.

And stress can affect our sleep.

A simple and effective way to reduce worry at night is to write a list during the day.

Yes it's blindingly obvious, but often it's the simplest of things that make the difference.

Make sure your list is:

1. Specific and selective
2. Realistic and achievable

Hyper-organised, closet control-freak? Consider keeping a facsimile of a list of your lists in the bedside drawer...that should reassure you...

Top tip for a great night's sleep: Write a list of all the things you need to do and remind yourself that you "have a plan" if you start thinking about them at night.