How Basic Maths Can Lead to the Perfect Night’s Sleep

Do you get a perfect night’s sleep every day? If you are feeling tired most of the time. If you are unmotivated to start your day or if you just feel sleepy all the time in school or college, it is likely that you are getting a good sleep. In fact, the Australian government released some eye-opening statistics in 2019 that indicated that Australian students are sleep deprived.

• According to the Australian Government Department of Health (ADH), children aged 5-13 years should sleep for 9 to 11 hours while adolescents aged 14-17 years can do with 8 to 10 hours.
• However, 25% of 12 to 15-year-olds in Australia don’t sleep for the prescribed 8 to 10 hours on school nights while that’s 50% among 16 to 17-year-olds.
• A quarter of students in the age-group of 12-15 years and a half of 16-17-year-olds don’t catch enough winks.
• Children reporting poor sleep quality went up with age – 4% for 12-13-year-olds and 16% for 16-17-year-olds. It’s more common among teenage girls.

Also, read – Here’s How To Take Care of Your Mental Health and Manage Academic Expectations!

Consequences of Lack of Sleep

The above statistics are quite the eye-opener. But the story does not end here. Lack of sleep can cause many problems for students such as:

• Lack of sleep can lead to mental health problems According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 44% of students experience symptoms of depression. Also, 80% feel overwhelmed by academic responsibilities, and 50% have struggled with anxiety.
• Another common consequence of sleep deprivation is lousy driving. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states that 16- 24-year-olds are 80% more likely to be in a drowsy driving accident.
• As we connect with many students online, we have found that students often get poor grades because they do not sleep properly. Many students choose to stay up all night and study or complete their homework.

So, after all these facts, it is time to act on the issue and ensure that after reading this blog you are prepared for the perfect night’s sleep.

Also, Read – Children’s Mental Health: Encourage Your Child to Connect With Others!

A Maths Equation That Leads to Perfect Night’s Sleep

Do you know that a maths equation can help you find out whether you are having a quality sleep or not? It might feel strange to many but not to the scientists of University of Manchester in the UK. They have derived a formula that not only quantifies what kind of sleep you’re getting now, but gives you the tools to get better sleep. The equation is as follows:

Sleep Quality = [(T x Bt) + C] / [Ha + S + L + (H x D)]

Let us break down the equation for you. Here,

T = Tiredness

It is calculated by subtracting any naps that you have taken in a day from the total number of hours since your last sleep. Then you have to add any hours you worked/exercised in the day.

Bt = Bedtime

It is your bedtime divided by your overall average bedtime.

C = Comfort

By comfort we refer to three things – pillows, beddings and mattresses you have. Based on how comfortable you feel on your bed, you can rate each thing from 1-5, 5 being very comfortable. Add these totals together and then subtract nine.

Ha = Hours Awake During the Day

It is the total amount of time you were awake before you fell asleep.

S = Sound (0-5)

It is the measure of total noise in your room while you sleep. You have to rate it from 0-5, 5 being the loudest.

L = Light (0-2)

It is a rating of how much light was there in your room while you slept. You have to rate it from 0-2, 2 being the brightest light.

H = Heat (celsius)

It is found that the heat in the room also affects your sleep. So, you have to calculate heat by the number of degrees difference from 16 degrees Celsius. Take that number and divide it by ten.

D = Duvet (0-3)

This is a rating for the overall room temperature. So if the temperature was too hot or too cold, you may rate it 3. But if the temperature was just perfect, you can keep D as 0.

Now, let us solve the equation by taking a random example.

Suppose you were awake 10 hours before you slept. You took 1 nap and worked for 9 hours.

Sleep Quality = [(T x Bt) + C] / [Ha + S + L + (H x D)]

First we will solve the first half of the equation, that is, (T x Bt) + C

T = 10 – 1 + 9 = 18

Suppose your bedtime was at 11 pm and you went to bed at 10 pm, so

B = 11/10

B = 1.1

Now if you were pretty comfortable you can rate your pillow, bedding and mattress 4 each. So,

C = 4 + 4 + 4 – 9

C = 3

So (T x Bt) + C = (18 x 1.1) + 3 = 22.8

Now, let us solve the other half of the equation, that is, Ha + S + L + (H x D)

Suppose the room temperature was 16 degrees so,

H = 16/10 = 1.6

If the temperature was comfortable, you can keep Duvet = 0.

Now, we can rate sound and light as

S = 0

L = 0.5

If you were awake from 7 am to 11 pm,

Ha = 16

Now, putting all the values, we get

Ha + S + L + (H x D) = 16 + 0 + 0.5 + (1.6 x 0) = 16.5

Now, let us put that in the sleep quality equation,

Sleep quality = [(T x Bt) + C] / [Ha + S + L + (H x D)] = 22.8 / 16.5 = 1.38 (approx).

The sleep quality is rated between 0 – 2 with 0 being the worst and 2 being the best sleep. 1.38 is somewhere in the middle which indicates that it can be improved.

In a similar way, you can use this formula to determine your sleep quality. Then, you can think of how you can alter the factors that affect your sleep and enhance your sleep quality. All you have to do is use some basic Maths and you can find your perfect night’s sleep.

Will you try using this equation?

Tell us about your sleep quality rating and what you are doing to improve your sleep quality. Our experts can help you out in reducing your stress levels through online tutoring. Instead of staying up late at night, hire an online tutor at CrunchGrade. Seek their help to reach your study goals, solve doubts and understand difficult concepts. After all, we know that studies are one of the major factors that affect sleep quality in students.

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