Melbourne school’s program to unlock secrets of students’ sleep

A Melbourne school is so fed up with students arriving tired to class they’ve launched a program to help them find the secrets of a good night’s sleep.

Students turning up tired to school is emerging as a massive issue for schools. Picture: Stock image

A Melbourne primary school is tackling sleep deprivation by getting students and teachers to keep tabs on their sleep routines in a bid to unlock the secret to a good night’s rest.

The tailored program will initially involve Toorak Primary School students and staff in years 4 to 6 over six weeks.

Students turning up tired to school is emerging as a massive issue for schools at all levels. Toorak Mandeville Hall earlier this year called in a sleep expert to work with the school community to tackle the problem.

Gaming and over use of phones and devices, and checking them through the night, is regarded among the biggest contributors to poor sleep hygiene, leading to late arrivals to school and absenteeism.

Some children are rushed in the morning, missing breakfast and arriving at school tired but wired after grabbing sugar treats.

Toorak Primary’s Empowered Sleep Program was sparked by response to a post by first aid and wellbeing officer Sara Harris during Term 2 when she spoke about sleep difficulties experienced by young children.

Ms Harris said putting good foundations in place for quality sleep was vital.

“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,” she said.

Checking your phone throughout the night is one of the biggest contributors to a poor night’s sleep.

“The amount of sleep required changes as we grow and develop. For school aged children it is suggested that 9-12 hours is needed.”

She said while quantity was important, quality of sleep was paramount.

The program will look at the quality of sleep the students and staff are experiencing and what supports good sleep and what gets in the way.

As part of the program the students and teachers will spend five minutes each day to fill out a 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,” she said.

“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.”

The questions will ask children what time they went to bed, did they watch TV or screens beforehand, what they ate during the day and for dinner, how they felt in the morning when they woke up, whether they had a good night’s sleep, whether they found it easy to get out of bed and if they woke during the night.

Ms Harris stressed there were no right or wrong answers but it would empower children to see what worked for them and what did not work for them.

She said questions around what children ate at night could show them that if they had a high sugar meal before bed they were unsettled.

“I think it will show the children that they have the power to change things and get a better sleep,” she said.

Toorak Primary School is determined to tackle sleep deprivation.

“Rather than overloading them with information from the experts, the children will see that they are the experts of their own body and have the power to make different choices every day”

She said it did not mean that they couldn’t do activities such as sleepovers but by journaling they would be able to get an insight into how their body responded to compromised sleep.

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Sleep Health Foundation, which advocates for better sleep to improve health and wellbeing, said children were missing out on important sleep due to screentime, caffeine and stress keeping them awake. It suggests:

ESTABLISHING a regular sleep pattern.

BED time and wake up time should not vary by more than an hour for school and non-school days.

A CONSISTENT bedtime routine.

QUIET activities are good such as reading a book or being read to or having a bath or shower. In the half-hour before bed don’t allow phones, screens, TV.

MAKING sure the bedroom is comfortable

MAKING sure the child sees the bedroom as a good place to be so don’t use it as a punishment.

A SNACK before bed may help.

A light snack can help. Your child should not have a heavy meal within one to two hours of going to bed.

CAFFEINE is a stimulant.

Caffeine is found in many popular drinks. These include coffee, tea and cola soft drinks. It can make it harder to get to sleep. Keep it to a minimum and not after lunchtime.

TAKE care with daytime naps.

As your child gets older, they will need less sleep. This means they will need to nap less. The number and length of naps depends on your child.

EXERCISE and time outside.

Daily exercise is an important part of healthy living. It also promotes good sleep. Time spent in bright daylight does the same. Outdoor exercise achieves both things.

WORK with your doctor.

If your child is sick or isn’t comfortable, their sleep will suffer. Some children suffer from specific sleep problems such as frequent nightmares, snoring or sleep apnoea.

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