I was chatting with my class about where I was yesterday and organically through the discussion the issue of going to sleep at night came up as a class issue when we were discussing the fitbit sleeptrack function. We have decided to do a science experiment in Jan '25 to track if going to sleep improves by adopting the use of sleep meditation at bedtime.

They were so excited by this and even suggested using a pie chart through use of percentages which they have not even been taught yet!!

It was such a healthy conversation between them all as it turns out all of them find it very hard to go to bed at night. One of them even said finally I might have a solution!!! Anyway, below is the letter I have just sent to parents with all the details and a sleep tracker template if any of this is relevant to you and your class! I put in the connections to some of the different curriculum areas also.

Thanks,

Ger

Project Timeline and Approach:

Baseline Data Collection

• The first two weeks of January (Monday, January 8th – Sunday, January 21st) will involve tracking students’ sleep habits without using any sleep meditation.

• Students will record:

  • The time they go to bed.

  • The approximate time they fall asleep.

  • Any wake-ups during the night (optional).

  • The time they wake up.

Sleep Meditation Experiment

• The next two weeks (Monday, January 22nd – Sunday, February 4th), students will listen to a guided sleep meditation before bed and track the same data.

Analysis and Findings

• After collecting data for both periods, we will analyze and compare results in class to determine if sleep meditation has made a measurable difference.

How You Can Help: I would ask for your support in helping your child track their sleep data during both phases of this project. If listening to a sleep meditation does not suit your household, that is perfectly fine. Your child can still participate by analyzing data from classmates who used the meditation.

Curriculum Connections: This project aligns with several key areas of the 5th Class curriculum, including:

• Maths: Data collection, creating and interpreting graphs (e.g., bar charts, pie charts), and analyzing trends.

• Science: Formulating questions, conducting an investigation, recording results, and reflecting on findings.

• SPHE (Social, Personal, and Health Education): Exploring the importance of sleep, mindfulness, and self-care.

Participation Notes: Participation in data collection is entirely voluntary. Students only need to submit their results if it is appropriate for your household. However, all students will still participate in data analysis and representation using class data.

Sleep Tracker Instructions: Your child will bring home a Sleep Tracker Sheet to record observations for both the baseline and experiment phases. Please encourage your child to:

1. Note the time they go to bed.

2. Estimate how long it takes to fall asleep.

3. Record any wake-ups (optional).

4. Write down the time they wake up.

Thank you for supporting this exciting and practical project. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We look forward to seeing what insights the students uncover!

Kind regards,
Ms Kelly
 

Sleep Tracker Sheet

Name: ___________________________

DateTime to BedApprox. Time AsleepWake-ups? (Optional)Wake-up TimeMonday    Tuesday    Wednesday    Thursday    Friday    Saturday    Sunday    

Notes:

• Baseline (January 8th–21st): No sleep meditation.

• Experiment (January 22nd–February 4th): Listen to a sleep meditation before bed.

Thank you for helping to make this a meaningful and engaging learning experience!

https://dataschools.education/teachdata/