Physical Resilience: Sleep and the Adolescent Brain
This lesson explores why sleep is essential for adolescent mental and physical health. Students learn about the science of sleep — including the circadian rhythm, melatonin, Non-REM and REM sleep stages — and hear from both Harry Kane and Dr John Coleman (clinical psychologist and adolescence expert) on why sleep matters. The lesson culminates in students reflecting honestly on their own sleep routines and beginning a sleep diary.
Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Understand the link between sleep and good mental health
Outcome 2:
Examine different types of sleep
Outcome 3:
Understand what is happening in the brain when we are asleep
What's included
A quick look at the classroom-ready resources that come with this lesson.
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Contributing Experts
People who helped produce this lesson.
Dr John Coleman
Dr John Coleman, OBE, is a world-renowned psychologist and leading authority on adolescent development, distinguished by a career spanning clinical practice, academic research, and government advisory. A former Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, he has authored numerous definitive texts on the teenage brain and youth health. In recognition of his international impact and lifelong service to young people, he was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II.
About the Organisation
Bounce Forward is a registered charity on a mission to transform how we think about mental health, shifting the narrative from deficit and crisis to strength, prevention, and psychological fitness. They create evidence-based programmes, curricula, and training that give young people, school staff, and the adults around children the knowledge, language, and daily habits to build genuine mental resilience. From whole-staff training to five-year school curricula, everything they do is practical, grounded in science, and designed to make a lasting difference not just in the moment, but across a lifetime.