In recent years, we have been bombarded by reports that we don’t get enough sleep here in the U.S. The CDC, for example, estimates that 35% of adults don’t get enough sleep, and Fortune magazine has reported that the lack of sleep costs the United States more than $411 billion annually.
If it’s that big of a problem for adults, you can imagine how bad it is for kids. Healthy sleep is vital to children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Sadly, health and education experts agree that most children are not getting the sleep they need to be healthy and to succeed in school.
Sweet Dreamzzz, one of our club’s 2019 grantees, aims to fix that. Their mission is to improve children’s health, well-being, and academic performance by providing sleep education and bedtime essentials to economically disadvantaged students and their families. Their R.E.M. Sleep Program and Parent Sleep Education Workshop kids and parents with the knowledge, practical materials, and adult support necessary to develop healthy sleep habits that last a lifetime.
Our grant of $4,993 is slated to be used by SweetDreamzzz to bring their R.E.M. Sleep Program to 260 children in grades 2-5 at Ypsilanti’s Estabrook School this fall. The grant will pay for program materials and “sleep kits” for the kids.
The R.E.M. Sleep Program is designed to educate and motivate children to get the sleep they need. During each 45-minute classroom presentation, Sweet Dreamzzz’s Sleep Educators use a variety of interactive games and activities to help students understand why and how to get a good night’s sleep. Students learn:
- How to relax before bedtime.
- How snack choices affect their ability to sleep.
- What time they should be getting ready for bed.
- Proper bedtime hygiene.
Each child also receives a sleep kit filled with bedtime basics:
- A book to help them relax and wind down for the evening, without the use of screens.
- A toothbrush and toothpaste to help them make oral hygiene a regular part of their bedtime routine.
- A nightshirt to allow them to switch from day clothes to comfortable night clothes, which, in turn, helps them relax and fall asleep.
- A full-size sleeping bag or fleece blanket to keep them warm and provide comfort and a personal sleeping space.
Teachers receive a poster and a set of reproducible games and activity sheets so they can to promote sleep awareness with their students on an ongoing basis.
Parents are also part of the program. The Parent Sleep Education Workshop is a vital part of the R.E.M. Sleep Program. The goal of this evening workshop is to teach parents how much sleep their elementary school children need and how to encourage healthy bedtime behaviors.
Does it work? Nancy Maxwell, Sweet Dreamzzz’ Executive Director noted that one study found that the R.E.M. Sleep Program added on average 30 minutes of sleep each night. Another indication of the program’s success is that before the program, only 30% of teachers agreed that their students had an understanding of healthy sleep habits and what they should do to get a good night’s sleep. After participating in the program, however, 97% of teachers agreed with this statement!
The kids like it, too. Here’s a note from one of the participants:
The program at Estabrook School will take place on September 24 and 25. On September 24, they will be setting up, and on September 25, they will be conducting the classroom presentations. They could use four or five volunteers if you’re interested in helping out. To volunteer, you can contact Nancy Maxwell by emailing nancymaxwell@sweetdreamzzz.org.
