Annie Schlecht, owner of Zen Sleep Consulting, came to Barnes County North March 29 to talk to the ninth graders about the importance of sleep.
Schlecht felt it was important to educate this age group because they are more susceptible to sleep deprivation for several reasons. First, teenagers’ sleep needs are higher than that of adults. They need between eight to 10 hours of sleep each night.
It’s also common for teens to have a shifted circadian rhythm — night owl tendencies — which doesn’t pair well with early school start times, Schlecht said.
Finally, their use of screens late into the evening hours for homework and social media/entertainment really impacts their ability to fall asleep, Schlecht said.
Schlecht also taught the class some simple lifestyle hacks to improve their quality of sleep.
