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Chances are you are already well aware of the well-documented connection between sleep and brain function, specifically memory and learning. Conveying this understanding to college learners in a way that encourages them to apply it through action is a challenge. The topic of this year's winner of the national NPR Podcast Challenge, however, shows younger learners may be growing more aware of the crucial role sleep plays in academic performance and retention of information — good news for learners, and for coaches. High school junior Amit Biligiri of San Jose submitted the winning podcast, "What Happens to Memories." This NPR segment shares how Biligiri got curious about sleep and memory, and about why some memories stick and others seem to disappear. As he and the interviewer, Cory Turner, describe:
Biligiri: It turns out memory isn't a filing cabinet. It's more like a construction site. And the foreman of that site is the amygdala.
Turner: And it's during sleep that our brains clean up that construction site and the amygdala replays and encodes important memories. So his mom was right. We have to get enough sleep for the cleaning crew to do its job.
If I were to analyze coaching reports to see how often sleep was mentioned in the conversation, my guess is it would be at least a third of the time. Students don't usually lead with it — most often, it comes in as an aside or afterthought, a throwaway comment after talking through other reasons why a student thinks study choices didn't work. For example: "...and I guess I only got four hours of sleep before the exam" or "...maybe I need to go to sleep earlier than 3 am."
How might you invite student curiosity about the role of sleep?
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Share research-backed information about how sleep helps the brain encode learning and remove waste products from neurons. Having substantive science available can diminish the chances of seeming directive or parental when talking about sleep.
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Ask the student to explore their own patterns. What amount, or time, of sleep is associated with their most effective performances, energy, states of mind? With their less effective ones? What does this information tell them about what "sleep recipe" might work best for them?
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If a student doesn't mention sleep but you suspect it as a factor, ask an open-ended question or two. Some ideas: "How do you rate your 'sleep hygiene' — how often you get the amount of sleep you need, how well you sleep, how able you are to get a full night's sleep?" "What role do you think sleep may have played in this result?" "Where does sleep come into this picture, if at all?" "How does your sleep affect your academic life in general?"
Stay curious and growing as a coach through ongoing LifeBound training offerings.
To learn more or explore which option is right for you, visit lifebound.com.
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