AASM High School Video Contest award winners for 2020

Congratulations to the three students selected as the winners of the 2020 AASM High School Video Contest! This year’s contest focused on teaching teens about the importance of healthy sleep. Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle. Getting the sleep that your body needs is essential for your health, well-being and mood.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens between 13 and 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. However, CDC data show that 73% of U.S. high school students report sleeping fewer than 8 hours on an average school night.

With so many students experiencing chronic sleep restriction, it’s important that we understand how it can have a negative impact on physical and mental health, academic and athletic performance, and mood. These videos do a great job of educating teens on the subject!

The annual contest is open to high school students in the U.S. who have permission from a parent or guardian and approval from a sponsoring teacher at their school. More than 40 videos were submitted from students across the U.S. Each entry was evaluated for its originality and video quality, as well as the appropriateness, relevance, and accuracy of its message.

Each submission was reviewed by the AASM Education Committee, which selected the first place winner, second place winner, and five candidates for the third place “Teen Choice Award.” For the first time ever, a judging panel of 20 teens reviewed the five nominees for third place and selected the Teen Choice Award winner.

This panel was made up of teen Youth Ambassadors who are a part of the Youth Media Council for the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), a partnership of youth-serving organizations and government agencies working together toward the common goal of addressing health and safety issues that affect youth in the U.S.