Put Your Students To Sleep! A Sleeping Activity for Psychology Class
Key Takeaway: Explore an engaging and creative way to teach students about the various stages of sleep and the importance of sleep. By strategically allowing students to fall asleep during psychology class, this activity gives students a deep dive into understanding sleep cycles, how the body responds to sleep, and the importance of sleep. What are some fun and engaging psychology activities I can use in class? Continue reading and see how you can enhance your psychology class by putting your students to sleep.
Sleeping In Class: An Engaging Psychology Activity
Sleeping in class? Absolutely! 😴 💤 This day is an all-time favorite in psychology class! During our unit on sleep, we discuss our notes regarding what happens during the various four stages of sleep, and then our “engaging” activity begins!
We begin the sleep study by making note of body temperatures, heart rates, and other physiological observations prior to the sleep session. This documentation is helpful as we learn and contrast what happens to our body before and after sleep. Once preliminary directions are complete, I turn off the lights, shut the shades, and direct students to find a comfortable place in the classroom. Then the fun begins as I proceed to intentionally put them to sleep. 😂
⭐️ As featured on Good Morning America! ⭐️
After some quick, breathing instructions for relaxation, I start to tell a scripted story which lasts about 25 minutes. The story begins with students on a cloud, and soon brings participants into an enchanted city full of color and wonder. Students get to imagine a variety experiences as I guide them through the various buildings and memories of life. As students drift into the story, the imaginary and reality begin to merge such that many students find themselves drifting away into sleep and an altered state of consciousness. The scripted experience begins to expand into dreaming and all of this is later discussed to see how deep students really slept. Don’t worry, it’s all safe, relaxing, and students love the chance to get in a little snooze during the school day.
Once the reading of the story is complete, students begin to wake up from their altered state of consciousness. Then we talk through what they remembered from the story while matching it to the stages of sleep. Most all students enter at least stage 1, thinking they never fell asleep but soon realize they don’t remember parts of the story. There’s always a few, however, that enter the deep sleep of stage 4 and can’t remember a thing! Learning about the various physiological and mental changes during sleep is one thing, but experiencing them is another!
⭐️ the same sleeping activity that was featured on Good Morning America! ⭐️
“My psychology classes loved this sleeping activity! I look forward to this every semester. Plus, the kids loved having a legitimate opportunity to sleep in class.”
Final Thoughts on Sleep
In addition to this activity being one of the most memorable lessons in high school, students also get that little extra bit of sleep they need for the rest of the day. It’s like a kindergarten nap-time for high schoolers! If you would like to incorporate this sleeping activity into your own psychology or health class, I’ve put all the details together in this fabulous resource entitled Sleeping Activity: Stages of Sleep & The Enchanted City.
When you do incorporate this lesson into your classroom, let me know how it goes. You can either contact me or tag @misterharms on social media. I’d love to hear from you. There is just one word of caution about this lesson, make sure you stay awake and don’t put yourself to sleep! 😴😂
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