Sleep: Finding our confidence with sleep – School Pack

Learning about sleep, why it is essential, and how we can maintain good sleep health can help young people improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing. 

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.

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!

Peer Learner - Peer Education Project

The Mental Health Foundation’s Peer Education Project is a Secondary School-based project that gives older pupils the tools to deliver mental health lessons to younger pupils. 

The project has worked with pupils and staff from participating Secondary Schools to create the Sleep: Finding our Confidence with Sleep School Pack, which is available for all schools across the UK. 

This school pack will provide the materials and resources needed to support pupils to understand what good sleep means, why it is important for our mental health and wellbeing, and how to maintain good sleep health. The pack is designed to be used in secondary schools, but it also has lots of useful information for primary schools. It's available in English and Welsh.

The pack includes:

  • A lesson plan with PowerPoint slides and a script, as well as accompanying worksheets that have the option for greater individual pupil engagement on the topic

  • An assembly plan with PowerPoint slides and script to support the development of a whole-school approach to kindness and mental health

  • Helpful guides for pupils, school staff, and parents/caregivers on what good sleep is, why it is important for our mental health and wellbeing, and top tips on maintaining good sleep health, together with useful resources. 

Register for our pack 

This pack is available for all schools free of charge. 

We’d encourage all schools to use this pack to support our charitable work by making a suggested £5 donation. 

References:

1 Mental Health Foundation. (2019). How to sleep better. Available online: How to sleep better | Mental Health Foundation. 
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