Sleep training to be introduced in Scottish schools
In a bid to raise awareness of the importance of sleep in school children, the charity Sleep Scotland is to offer a teaching pack to schools as part of the curriculum for excellence.
The charity, which already offers a sleep counselling service, has said that excessive use of T.V computers and mobile phones late at night can hinder the sleep process and could prevent teens from getting their recommended nine hours of shut eye per night.
There is mounting evidence which supports the importance sleep for both our physical and emotional wellbeing, with various studies suggesting that adequate sleep can boost academic performance as well as our health. In contrast, research suggests that insufficient sleep can result in an increased risk of obesity and depression as well as a lack of concentration.
The pilot scheme was launched last year at various secondary schools throughout Glasgow and it aims to educate youngsters as to why a full night’s sleep is so important, as well as giving tips on how to develop a good sleep routine.
Sleep Scotland director, Jane Ansell, said: “I don’t think any parent would think of sending out their child without enough food in the morning, or decent clothing, and they know how important reasonable exercise is, so why should you send your child out without enough sleep?”
A recent report from the charity highlighted the fact that many children wrongly believed that they could compensate for lost sleep time during the week by lying in late during the weekends. However, this is actually a common misconception among children as by going to bed later at weekends we are actually forcing a change in our body clocks creating the same effect as jet lag.