March 28, 2005

Materials from NHLBI for National Sleep Awareness Week®

The week of March 28–April 3 is National Sleep Awareness Week®, when the nation turns its eyes towards the importance of healthy sleep. Whether you are a health care professional, teacher, parent, or just interested in sleep, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has several online resources available for immediate download and review. Best of all, the following items are all available at no cost, so check them out now!

Learn about Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms

Ever wonder what changes occur in the body during sleep, or how problem sleepiness affects our concentration and energy levels? What about how much sleep animals, like tigers or birds, need?

Sleep is a behavioral state that is a natural part of every individual’s life. We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. Nonetheless, people generally know little about the importance of this essential activity. Some of the topics covered are:

Misconceptions about Sleep Major Concepts Related to the Biology of Sleep including: Stages of sleep and how they affect us Sleep debt Sleep changes over the lifespan Daily sleep rhythms What happens when those rhythms are disrupted Dreams Sleep requirements of various species Sleep Disorders

To learn more about sleep click on the following link or copy and paste it into the Address field of your Internet browser. 
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/sleep/guide/info-sleep.htm

Interactive Sleep I.Q. Quiz

Now that you’ve learned about sleep, take this interactive quiz to test that knowledge. You might learn even more! http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/patpub/patpub-a.htm

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Focus on Children’s Sleep

Children ages 7 to 11 need at least 9 hours of sleep on a regular basis, and inadequate sleep in children can impair attention, learning, or performance of everyday activities. Use the following links on how you can help

• Your young patients sleep well (for Pediatricians)
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/peds/peds.htm

• Parents understand how important sleep is to children's health and development
• Why sleep is important for children
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/
  parents/whysleep.htm
• Interactive Quiz on Sleep for Parents
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/
  parents/parents.htm
• Sleep Tips for Your Kids
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/
  parents/tips.htm
• How to Keep a Sleep Diary
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/
  parents/diary.htm

• School teachers use fun, sleep education materials and activities
• In elementary classrooms
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/starslp/
  teachers/activities.htm
• In high school science classes
  http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/
  nih3/sleep/default.htm

Office of Prevention, Education, and Control
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH
Building 31, Room 4A10
31 Center Drive, MSC 2480
Bethesda, MD 20892-2480