Learning about sleep, why it's essential, and how we can maintain good sleep health, can help young people improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
This school pack provide the materials and resources needed to support pupils to understand:
- what good sleep means,
- why good sleep is important for our mental health and wellbeing; and
- how to maintain good sleep health.
The resources in this pack were developed with pupils and staff who participated in our Peer Education Project (PEP). PEP is a mental health, school-based project that aims to improve the mental health literacy of pupils. The project is freely available to any UK and international school.
The pack is designed to be used in secondary schools, but it also has lots of useful information for primary schools.
The pack includes:
- A lesson plan with PowerPoint slides and worksheets, that support pupils to explore the topic of sleep in more depth.
- An assembly plan with PowerPoint slides and posters to support the development of a whole-school approach to developing good sleep health.
- Helpful guides for pupils, school staff, and caregivers on supporting ourselves and others with sleep.
When I was in Year 7 I wish I had known that a good sleep pattern early on is so useful, instead of having bad sleep habits now!
Sleep research
In March 2020, we conducted an online survey of adults (18+) and young people (13 to 19) in the UK.1 We found that nearly half of adults, and two-thirds of teenagers, agree that sleeping badly has a negative effect on their mental health. Sleep is integral to all aspects of our lives, so getting good sleep can help us maintain our physical and mental health.
[1] Mental Health Foundation. (2019). How to sleep better. Available online: How to sleep better | Mental Health Foundation.
