Survey shows sleep deficit

A survey at Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus has found students are getting two to two and a half hours less sleep than recommended.

Taking part in the national Big Sleep Project as part of National Science Week, a group of students from the school have maintained a sleep diary each night for a week to record the amount of sleep they were getting.

Relieving principal Mr Nick Dent said the information gathered by students would be passed onto organisers of the Big Sleep Project and used in data collection for a scientific study into how much sleep people are getting on average and the effects of not enough sleep.

"Students should be undertaking around eight-and-a-half to nine hours sleep per night," Mr Dent said.

"However, information gathered in the study so far has indicated that the average is six-and-a-half hours."

Mr Dent encouraged students to turn off their mobile phones, computers and television at the wall and go to bed early in order to get sufficient sleep since brain development depended on the amount of sleep gained.

Newsletter, 23 Sep 2010 Nick Dent, BWSC Umina