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Sleep & Screen Time

Eighth graders learn how sleep and screen habits are connected — why teens need plenty of sleep, how screens and light affect it, and the habits that lead to better rest and focus.

Grade 8Personal Health45 minutes1 class periodSHAPE / Skills-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain why sleep matters.
  • ✓Explain screens’ effect on sleep.
  • ✓Tell helpful from harmful habits.
  • ✓Build better habits.
Essential Question

Teens need a lot of sleep to grow, focus, and feel good — but screens late at night can get in the way. How do sleep and screen time affect your health, and what habits help?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Helps or Hurts Your Sleep?

Project this and sort each habit into one that helps your sleep or one that hurts it.

😴 Sort each habit — helps or hurts your sleep?Try it
👍 Helps Your Sleep
👎 Hurts Your Sleep
Tap a habit, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Teens Need Sleep

5 min

Teens need lots of sleep — but screens can get in the way. Why?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask about their sleep.
  • Ask about screens at night.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Reflect.
  • Consider.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Sleep & Screens

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain why sleep matters.
  • Explain screens and light.
  • Note good habits.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn sleep.
  • Learn screens.
  • Note habits.
3

Practice — Helps or Hurts

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Helps or Hurts Your Sleep?
  • Sort each habit.
  • Discuss them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort them.
  • Discuss.
  • Check.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Design a bedtime routine.
  • Set a screen limit.
  • Plan to follow it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Design it.
  • Set it.
  • Plan it.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a sleep-helping habit.
  • Say why it helps.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say why.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to SHAPE America National Health Education Standards.

SHAPE
HE.1

Comprehend concepts about sleep and screen health.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice healthy sleep and screen habits.

SHAPE
HE.5

Use decision-making for healthy routines.

SHAPE
HE.8

Advocate for healthy habits.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Habit picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ helps/hurts sleep.”
  • Discuss real routines.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with screens off before bed.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Explain blue light and melatonin.
  • Track sleep for a week.
  • Make a screen-time plan.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 😴Habit cards
  • 💻Helps or Hurts Your Sleep?
  • 📅A routine planner
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

sleeprest the body and brain needscreen timetime spent on devicesroutineregular habits before bedblue lightlight from screens that can delay sleepcaffeinea stimulant that can disrupt sleepfocusthe ability to concentraterecoveryhow sleep restores the bodyhabita regular behavior
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one habit that helps you sleep.
Turning off screens before bed, a regular bedtime, a dark room, or a calm routine.
QUESTION 2
Name one habit that hurts your sleep.
Scrolling your phone in bed, caffeine late in the day, or bright screens before sleep.
QUESTION 3
Why should you avoid screens right before bed?
The bright light can make it harder for your body to fall asleep.

Cool-Down: better rest.

Have students design a screen-and-sleep routine that helps them wind down and get good rest. A printable sleep sheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Sleep & Screen TimeFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Sleep & Screen TimeQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Sleep & Screen TimePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: blue light, caffeine, focus, habit, recovery, routine, screen time, sleep
  1. rest the body and brain need
  2. regular habits before bed
  3. time spent on devices
  4. how sleep restores the body
  5. the ability to concentrate
  6. a regular behavior
  7. a stimulant that can disrupt sleep
  8. light from screens that can delay sleep

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one habit that helps you sleep.
  2. Name one habit that hurts your sleep.
  3. Why should you avoid screens right before bed?
Answer key — Part A: 1) sleep · 2) routine · 3) screen time · 4) recovery · 5) focus · 6) habit · 7) caffeine · 8) blue light
Part B: 1) Turning off screens before bed, a regular bedtime, a dark room, or a calm routine. 2) Scrolling your phone in bed, caffeine late in the day, or bright screens before sleep. 3) The bright light can make it harder for your body to fall asleep.