Introduction to the sleep guide

This toolkit contains everything you need to help you to take a whole-school approach to sleep.

Why is sleep important for our physical and mental health?

Sleep is important to help our bodies and minds process what has happened throughout the day and to heal and recover. Sleep is integral to all aspects of our lives and getting good sleep can help us maintain our physical and mental health.

Sleep also supports CYP to be successful at school. Good sleep can help CYP to regulate their emotions, stay alert and remember things properly. CYP are more able to concentrate during lessons and learn, this is because sleep helps to consolidate learning into long term memory. Sleep also aids in organisational skills, multi-tasking, planning, and executive function.

An online 2020 survey by Mental Health Foundation found that nearly half of adults, and two-thirds of teenagers agree that sleeping badly has a negative effect on their mental health.

When CYP do not get enough good sleep, they may feel low, anxious, irritable or confused. They may feel tired and struggle to stay awake during the day,  it can also impact on their ability to think clearly, handle stress and worry, maintain healthy immune systems and regulate their emotions.

In the TED series 'Sleeping with Science', sleep scientist Matt Walker uncovers the facts and secrets behind sleep.

What is 'good' sleep?

How much sleep we need changes with age and varies between individuals. On average, primary school-aged children generally need around 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night, while teenagers need around 8 to 10. This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains about how much sleep CYP need and sleep hygiene.

To experience good sleep, it is also about the quality of sleep as well as the hours spent sleeping. Find out more about 'good' sleep from this guide (pages 5 and 6).

Why can good sleep be difficult to achieve?

It is very common for CYP to experience problems with their sleep. This can take many forms including nightmares or sleep terrors, sleepwalking and broken sleep patterns. With support, encouragement and good habits, these problems can be temporary but sometimes CYP can get 'stuck' in unhelpful habits.

Problems with sleeping can be caused by any number of issues including; irregular routines, worries, screen use and late bedtimes. There is also evidence that there are inequalities in sleep (page 7) which may include gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and experiences of trauma.  

The NHS Digital 'Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2021' report found that sleep problems were more common for CYP who were experiencing poor mental health.

Puberty can also impact on sleep, the sleep/wake pattern tends to shift, resulting in a greater desire to go to bed later and wake up later. This doesn't always work so well with school routines which can result in teenagers experiencing a chronic lack of sleep! This is why it is important to support CYP to think about how sleep affects their mental health and wellbeing, and what they can do to improve their sleep health.

If sleeping does become an issue or becomes regularly disrupted, help should be sought as soon as possible. Links to sources of support are included later in this section.