Little Dreams Consulting Ltd have launched a new three-part programme, in conjunction with schools, supporting parents and teachers to establish healthy sleep habits for children aged 3-10 years old.

According to The Sleep Charity UK, 40% of children suffer with sleep problems. In children and young people, poor sleep patterns adversely affect learning and cognitive ability which means they often fail to meet their full potential in school. A study of school aged children in 2017, which formed part of the Panorama documentary ‘Sleepless Britain’, found that an hours’ less sleep over three nights can impair academic performance at school by 2 years. The results showed that in children who were able to sleep for 1 extra hour per night, over 3 nights, memory tests increased by 57%, their attention and focus improved by 44% and their problem-solving ability by 66%.

With sleep deprivation also being linked to obesity and an increased risk of daytime behavioural problems, the importance of good quality sleep now forms part of the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Statutory Guidance.

On March the 17th 2023, it is #worldsleepday. In preparation for this exciting awareness event, Little Dreams are launching ‘Better Sleep for Children’ to schools across the UK. The importance of sleep, sleep needs for school aged children, top tips for getting better quality, longer and more restful sleep as well as practical advice on how parents can implement behavioural sleep approaches are all covered as part of the ‘Better Sleep for Children’ programme.

Better Sleep for Children was piloted in January 2023 across the five schools of the Moorland Federation in Somerset after Head of School, Alison Blackmore, reached out to Little Dreams: “Sleep is such a fundamental element of a child’s well-being and ability to concentrate and stay focused in their learning and play.  We wanted to offer parents support and advice from experts on how to help improve their child’s sleep routines and habits to ensure the children were fulfilling their potential in school”. 

Rosy, a parent of a pupil within the federation said: “A huge thank you to Little Dreams Consulting for delivering such an interesting webinar. As a parent of two children aged 5 and 10, it was incredibly useful to learn more about how much sleep they really need and what positive steps we can put into place to enable better sleep for them (and us!). Fay and Jenna kept the information easy to understand and shared real life experiences to explain techniques for better sleep. We have already adapted out evening routine which has had a positive impact for all of our family”.

Naomi Philp, Executive head teacher of the federation said: “Little Dreams were so professional to work with and really worked through how to create a programme to support our parents and also to upskill all of us as staff too.  We know that in schools we need to work in partnership with our parents and carers and parenting isn’t always easy.  Sleep and bedtimes can be tricky times and yet are so critical for child development, so, this was important support, advice and guidance to offer our families.  We are always looking for ways we can do things differently to offer the best possible provision in our schools and this was another way that our partnership working could extend our offer.  We are proud of the team work with Little Dreams and look forward to running something annually in the future”.

Fay Smith, co-founder of Little Dreams Franchise Ltd says:

“We are really excited to have launched ‘Better Sleep for Children’. As sleep consultants, and mothers ourselves, we are all incredibly passionate about sleep and it’s benefits to children – especially when they are going through school and have so much expected of them. We wanted to create a programme to reach as any parents, and teachers, as possible in order to be able to offer help, guidance and advice on such an important topic, and believe we have done so with ‘Better Sleep for Children’. 

To find out more about how your local school can get involved with the “Better Sleep for Children” programme, either as part of #worldsleepday or as part of the wider RSE curriculum, please contact Little Dreams Consulting directly to find out more.