Introducing a tailor made sleep program that will be implemented in term 3 for staff and students from Grade 4 – 6. A few weeks ago I posted a blog on the Importance of Sleep which led to further discussion and research into how young people today are experiencing sleep. Children today are bombarded with so much stimulation and their sleep is being affected, which of course, then affects how they are at school and sets up dysfunctional patterns into adulthood, where sleep issues are in epidemic proportions. Our relationship with sleep is foundational and deserves much attention as this is a life-long necessity. The amount of sleep required changes as we grow and develop. For school aged children it is suggested that 9-12 hours is needed. Whilst quantity is important, the most important aspect of sleep is quality – and there are many factors involved in how we can get a quality night sleep.
To further explore sleep and to build our very personal relationship with it, I have designed a program to shine a spotlight on sleep, the things that support sleep and the things that get in the way. The program will run for 6 weeks and is called The Empowered Sleep Program.
The students and teachers will be inducted into the program and each day, 5 minutes will be allocated to fill out the daily journal. It’s a very simple process, answering questions that bring awareness to their quality of sleep, their preparation for sleep and how they woke up in the morning. From this simple exercise, patterns will begin to emerge. For example, watching TV right before bed means I find it hard to get to sleep or eating ice-cream before bed means I wake up during the night and don’t feel rested in the morning. The participant then has the opportunity to make a different choice – a more empowered choice.
As parents, it will be interesting to observe how the students respond and whether their relationship with sleep changes over the course of the term. Also a great exercise for teachers! We ALL have a very personal relationship with sleep that deserves to be put under the spotlight J
A ‘Preparing for Sleep – Body Awareness’ exercise will be recorded and made available for students to use before bed if they would like to.