Inclusion Hampshire Sleep Project
Working with individual learners and their family we will be supporting those who find sleep a challenge to work on some ways to try and help this.
Sleep is vital to all our mental health and well-being. Here at Inclusion we will be delivering our own Sleep Project to support our learners and families to establish greater sleep health to assist learning, educational engagement and general health and well-being.
We know that many of our learners face challenges to their sleep health – either experiencing sleep deprivation or unsettled and disturbed sleep patterns.
This can then have an impact on mood, concentration, behaviour and emotional resilience – and their ability to attend sessions with us.
Our sleep project aims to support young people and their families to regain control of this vital life skill and enable them to have a more positive relationship with sleep.
Working with learners who would like some additional support with this, Jane Gardner, our Pastoral and Referrals Manager and Sleep Champion will be providing her wealth of experience on techniques and behaviours that can help promote a better sleep relationship.
Sleep is crucial for our well-being. Sleep deprivation can have a huge impact on our physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Getting enough sleep can help:
- Concentration
- Mood
- Help us to feel calmer
- Have a stronger immune system
- Release hormones at night to properly support growth and weight
Not getting enough sleep can cause all sort of issues, including:
- Relationship breakdowns
- Difficulty regulating our emotions
- Slower reactions times
- Inability to cope with everyday life
- Social isolation and loneliness
- Inability to think rationally
There are many different reasons why we may have difficulty sleeping – however there are some simple changes and activities that could help support our ability to get a restful nights sleep.
- Encourage a routine – with regular bedtime and wake up times – even at the weekends!
- Try and ensure the curtains are opened in the morning to let natural daylight flood the room and help re-set natural body clocks.
- Make the sleeping environment as relaxing as possible – free from distractions, noise and dark enough at bedtime (to encourage production of melatonin). Also if possible try and discourage school work being done on the bed to ensure this is very much a relaxed area.
- Encourage a time to switch off devices – ideally an hour before bed.
- Think about diet – if possible then try and avoid sugary or caffeinated snacks and drinks – especially close to bedtime.
Too hot to sleep?
As Summer approaches and the weather starts to heat up we know it can be difficult for our bodies to adjust to warmer nights. The Sleep Charity have put together some tips for helping you sleep in hot weather.
- Bedroom temperatures should be between 16-18°C. So, if you can, keep windows and blinds open on a night to create a cool breeze
- Throughout the day, sometimes it’s best to keep blinds/curtains closed to reduce the heat absorbed into your bedroom
- If you have an attic, open the hatch to allow hot air to escape
- Remove your duvet and blankets. Try using a cotton sheet or a duvet with a low tog rating
● Wear light cotton nightwear. This can be better than wearing nothing as natural fabric can absorb any perspiration
- Have a cool bath or shower before bedtime to lower your body
temperature - Drink plenty of cold water during the evening and keep a glass by your bed
- Avoid a lot of caffeine, alcohol or a big meal before bed as this can cause you to feel warmer during the night from dehydration or overactive digestion
- Fill your hot water bottle with ice-cold water
- Chill a pillowcase in the fridge before bed, or try new cooling pillows that help keep your head cool
If you’re struggling with your sleep then help is just a phone call away at 03303 530 541. For more information and advice, visit The Sleep Charity at thesleepcharity.org.uk or contact us on
info@thesleepcharity.org.uk
Get in touch
If you would like to contact us with any further queries then please complete the form with your details and message and one of our team will be in touch.
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