Student Support Services
May 5, 2026 – Edition 5
Importance of Sleep
We all know the importance of sleep. We talk about sleep hygiene, the importance of not having phones in bedrooms at night and getting a good night’s sleep so we can function well the next day.
We blame sleep, or not enough of it, for lack of concentration, saying the wrong thing and not completing tasks. Sleep has become a commodity and a source of competition. How to sleep, when to sleep, how many hours, to nap or not to nap are all sources of contention and worry.
It is therefore only natural that people look for answers to this age-old problem. Where better to look than technology! Track your sleep with a device and it will tell you whether you achieved that elusive perfect night’s sleep. Or not.
The article below, written by a sleep researcher, explores how using sleep trackers can be detrimental to your sleep and provides even more evidence for devices to remain out of all our bedrooms, children and adults alike.
To sleep well, try turning off your sleep tracker
Mandy Barr, Sarah Quin and Joanne Devota-Rando
School Counsellors
