Did you know that up to 25% of children suffer from sleep problems? Does your child have any sleep issues?
Better Nights, Better Days is a free online program developed by a team of sleep experts from across Canada, including Dr. Wendy Hall Better Nights, Better Days Info Graphicfrom UBC, who has visited ESFP, supporting families with sleep issues.
Learn about healthy sleep practices and routines, and how doing things differently during the day and at night can help your child sleep better. The tool includes information on the elements of healthy sleep, common sleep problems, a sleep diary, and other methods to help children develop better sleeping habits.
Up to 25% of children suffer from sleep problems. Children may have trouble settling down at the end of the day, falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking too early. These issues are known as “insomnia”. Children need to sleep well! When children get adequate sleep, their quality of life improves around the clock – better behaviour, better mood, and better school performance. A better night’s sleep can result in improved health and well-being for the entire family.
However, few children ever receive treatment for sleep problems. Those who do may receive inappropriate treatment such as medication, which may have side effects. Very few children receive behavioural treatment options, which are proven to work. Parents may not have the time or resources to access these treatments and many health care providers do not have the training to provide these treatments.
A team of psychologists, nurses and physicians – many of them parents themselves – developed the Better Nights, Better Days program and will be measuring its success. The program is based on behavioural principles – increasing and encouraging positive behaviours that will help children learn to settle down more quickly at bedtime and achieve a better quality of sleep throughout the night.
To find out more or to join the program, go to their website. Here’s an information video about the program and a recent University of BC news release. This is an exciting new resource and we encourage you to check it out even if you don’t think your child has any sleep issues at this time.