The Sleep Charity’s annual awareness campaign was launched at the beginning of this month. In my 30 years as a teacher and my 24 years as a parent, I’ve witnessed something of the benefits of quality sleep on child development – and I’m a great believer in the power of a good bedtime story to calm busy minds and prepare tired children for a restful night of refreshing sleep.
‘Sleep is critical to health and wellbeing and as a nation we really aren’t getting enough… It is a basic and fundamental human requirement and is vitally important for good physical, mental and emotional health as well as crucial for memory, learning and growth.’
https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/sleep-well-for-sleeptember/
As a teacher, I took part in regular Pupil Progress meetings, where the pressure was on to predict if the children in the class would reach Age Related Expectations by the end of the school year. And, if they would not, why not? I remember candid conversations with Senior Leaders, where I shared my assertion that – if I was able to secure regular nights of quality sleep for child A, child B and child C – they would stand a very strong chance of making the required progress.
I still believe that all the learning interventions in the world cannot compensate for the persistent lack of sleep some children are experiencing because they’re hungry and cold, and/or they’re spending their nights on a sofa or sharing a bed, and/or their little minds have been filled with disturbing images from films, gaming or worse.
As a teacher, I had moments when I felt overwhelmed by the needs of children I shared my days with. Reporting concerns, and following up where I could, felt like a tiny drop in a vast ocean. I loved them with everything I had to give – but was that enough?
‘Do what you can,
with what you have,
where you are.’
Theodore Roosevelt
So… (following the advice of Roosevelt, Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles), here I am now: doing what I can, with what I have, where I am.
Here are some of my favourite bedtime stories and I’m warmly inviting you to share them:
‘Time for Bed’ by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer
‘Arlo, the lion who couldn’t sleep’ by Catherine Rayner
‘Sleepy Me’ by Marni McGee and Sam Williams
‘Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear’ by Martin Waddell and Barbara Firth
Support for children’s sleep problems can be found on The Sleep Charity’s website: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/
Children
The Sleep Charity also has a national sleep helpline:
03303 530 541
National Sleep Helpline
‘A bedtime routine is important in getting a good night’s sleep. A routine helps to support children’s body clocks and aid relaxation. Consistency is key…’
https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/bedtime-routines/
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