Adolescents and Sleep

100 Ideas for a Good Nights SleepSubmitted by Team Thinking Lab

The Lost Hour of Sleep

“Around the world, children get an hour less sleep than they did thirty years ago. The cost: IQ points, emotional well-being, ADHD, and obesity.”

Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Nurtureshock

1. Offer a nap break at 3 PM every day2. Provide sleep chairs or sleep pods at school for napping3. Change the start of school to 9 AM so students can sleep in4. Assign fewer than 2.5 hours of homework to students5. Allow student to set their own hours – they can go to bed at 3 AM and start their day at

noon6. Pay money to kids based on the number of hours they sleep -50c per hour7. Allow kids to take a “Sleep day” similar to a sick day or a vacation day but they take it

when they haven’t slept well the night before.8. Give everyone a one-week “Sleep holiday” so they can take time off and get as much

sleep as they need, to catch up on their sleep deficit and re-set their body clocks9. Have the Sleep Holiday twice a year – at the end of winter and in Springtime10. Extend the lunch hour to allow for nap time11. Hire a sleep coach to work with students at school

School policies

Public Information and Education

1. Hold a contest and give prizes to the students who get 8 hours of sleep each night for a full week2. Have a fun educational campaign about the importance of sleep3. Educate parents with information about the importance of sleep4. Develop a sleep game for kids to play that rewards them based on the number of sleep hours per night

they get5. Promote a campaign in traditional and digital media about the importance of sleeping6. Do a campaign about the sleep deficit to build awareness about the dangers of not enough sleep7. Do a campaign to promote healthy eating at dinner8. Get a pop star to do a hit tune promoting good sleep9. Have a Pajama Fashion Show to promote sleep10. Develop a campaign that says “sleep on it” to educate students11. Target different social groups at school with targeted campaigns – science messages for the nerds,

fashion messages for the popular kids, sports messages for the jocks, etc.12. Campaign of “slow is the way to grow” or “sleep is deep”13. Teach Yoga techniques to promote sleep14. Have a campaign “Do One Less Thing” to promote lowering stress15. Educate people about the long-term problems that can result from lack of required hours of sleep16. Promote a society that is less stressful and less competitive17. Teach people that sleep deprivation causes diabetes and increases insulin resistance18. Teach people that 1 hour less of sleep increases the chance of Heart Disease by 33 %19. Promote the message that you learn more through a good night of sleep than you do by studying all

night long

Exercise and Activity

1. Limit the number of hours for sports practice/activities2. Increase the amount of physical activity required during the day at school3. Less sitting4. Have a Pilates program in school in order to help students manage their stress and

anxiety5. Tiring activity before bed time6. Hot bath required before bed time7. Take a walk before bed time to promote sleep8. Take a sauna or a hot tub to help you relax before bed

Personal and Family Habits1. Change eating times2. Avoid smoking before bed3. Avoid alcohol before bed4. Avoid fast food before bed5. Hot milk before bed6. Read a good book while trying to sleep7. More free time for the family -- to do sports or what ever makes you tired8. Organize life on a notebook in order to avoid stress9. Avoid chocolate and candies before bed10. Have parents teach children good sleep habits from a young age11. Establish a fixed time for sleeping12. Develop a sleep schedule that structures at least 6 hours and gives 8 hours of sleep to

children13. Never deny sleep time as a punishment for bad behavior14. Never prioritize homework over sleep15. Avoid heavy meals after 6 PM16. Go to bed only when sleepy17. Make a practice of going to sleep when you first feel tired instead of pushing through and

staying up until you are over tired and can’t fall asleep18. Rub lotion on your body before bedtime to help you relax your muscles and moistrurize

your skin for more comfortable sleep

Meditation and Relaxation

1. Teach meditation and relaxation techniques 2. Body massage before sleeping for everyone!3. Use Yoga techniques to promote sleep4. Practice Stress Reduction techniques5. Warn hands and fee before going to bed6. Do facial relaxation exercise to help you sleep7. Practice counting breaths as a way to relax8. Program your mind for sleep by saying, “Tonight I will get a good night’s

sleep”9. Relax/unclench hands while trying to sleep10. If thoughts from the day crowd in on you gently push them away and focus on

breathing11. Use a guided meditation to help you wind down and get to sleep

Technology

1. Shut off the Internet and Cable TV at 10 PM worldwide2. Put sensors in the bed to track how much sleep a person gets

and report back to the sleeper on how they are doing3. Regulate Internet activity after 10 PM4. Regulate usage of mobile devices after 10 PM5. Watch a boring documentary before bedtime6. Use a white noise machine to help sleep

Environmental Controls

1. Avoid radiators with high temperature in the bedroom2. Quiet environment in the bedroom3. Listen to relaxing music on the nights prior to stressful days4. Use a soothing smell in the bedroom 5. Lavender relaxation candles6. Leave a note pad and pencil by the bed to capture ideas from when you’re falling asleep

or dreaming7. Put a hot water bottle in the bed to make it cozy8. Limit visual and auditory stimuli before bedtime9. Use the bedroom only for sleeping and not for work or studying10. No TV in the bedroom11. No windows in bedroom (as in traditional Chinese homes) to keep things dark and quiet12. Sleep with a stuffed bear that mimics the human heartbeat to help you relax13. When you have to wake up early and you’re worried you’ll oversleep, set two alarms to

make sure you will hear them and to help you relax enough to get the sleep you need.

Medical

1. Get evaluated for a sleep disorder to make sure there is not some physiological reason why your sleep may be disrupted

2. Take ambien to help you get to sleep3. Develop an Insta-sleep patch

New Product Development

1. Develop a “sleep kit” with soft pajamas, ear plugs, eye shades, lovely sheets and a soft pillow and sell the package as part of a sleep promotion campaign.

2. Develop a Sleep App that would provide soothing music, guided meditations and a tool to monitor movements in the bed to make sure sleep is happening

3. Develop a “room temperature app” that would monitor body temperature and adjust the room temperature accordingly

4. Develop an app that can connect your smartphone to an electric blanket and have it automatically sense and adjust the bed temperature through the night for optimal sleep

5. Develop technology to change the wall color/pattern, window coverings and ambience of the bedroom so it is optimal for sleep depending on the season or one’s moods

6. Develop a “monster” app to get rid of monsters that may be lurking under the bed, interfering with a good nights’ sleep

7. Develop “split sheets” so that if two people are sleeping in the same bed they can each

New Product Development (continued)

1. iPhone app to regulate noise and temperature2. Insta-Sleep Patch3. “Yawn – inducing device” that will make people yawn and get sleepy 4. Dial a story (bedtime story)5. Technology that recreates the sensation of moving on an airplane to induce sleep6. Alarm clock that increases light slowly to gently wake you up7. Have “Sleep bars” like “Oxygen bars” where you can go and get a nap8. Develop a “Sleep Resort” where people can take their 1-week “Sleep Holiday” they can

get as much sleep as they need - very calming, beautiful spa like places where the rooms are insulated from noise, the sheets are gorgeous, the room smells good, there's a spa tub and they give you a massage every night. Everyone gets a fluffy bathroom and slippers

9. Develop a Facebook app to monitor sleep schedules

Team Thinking Lab

Hubert Cosico – Bordeaux, FranceInes Amaral – Coimbra, PortugalVictor Antofica – London, United KingdomRob Pollak – New York, USABetsy Bayha – San Francisco, USA