Specialist Sleep Service (Sleep Practitioner)
- This Specialist Service forms part of the Unique Ways offer and is available to Members of Unique Ways.
- Calderdale Integrated Care Board (ICB) fund this service (part time, all year round including some evenings and Saturday mornings). Unique Ways are very grateful for this funding from the ICB to enable the charity to provide this service .
- The Sleep Practitioner works throughout the borough supporting families with children/young people (aged 0 – 25) that have additional needs.
What the Sleep Practitioner can help with: –
The Sleep Practitioner’s role is to support families of children with Specialist Educational Needs and/or disabilities in Calderdale who are having difficulty with their children’s sleep.
The Sleep Practitioner can provide strategies/ practical ideas to support children/ young people who may:
- Struggle to sleep independently.
- Wake too early or not go to sleep until late.
- Present with anxiety that affects sleep including sensory difficulties.
- Have nightmares or night terrors.
- Have an inconsistent bedtime routine.
- Support Parent Carers to find a positive way to move forward.
Support is offered through 1-1 consultations with Parents Carers via the phone, virtually via zoom or face to face at the Unique Ways office.
What the Sleep Practitioner cannot help with: –
The Sleep Service is not an emergency/crisis support service and this role is designed to work alongside other services such as Calderdale Council’s children and young people’s services.https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/council/council-departments/children-and-young-peoples-services
The Sleep Practitioner is unable to: –
- Enter a family home to carry out a bedtime routine and or put a child/ young person to bed.
- Prescribe sleep medication i.e. melatonin.
How to contact the Sleep Practitioner
If you are a current Member of Unique Ways, email –
Jill Greenwood, Sleep Practitioner
E: [email protected] | W: www.uniqueways.org.uk
Working Pattern: Monday, Tuesday evenings
Thursday & Friday daytime & Saturday am
In the Meanwhile Some Useful Tips from our Sleep Practitioner:-
A good night’s sleep is important for everyone – we all know how hard it is to function when we’re tired. Yawning, feeling sluggish and unable to concentrate, and irritability are common side effects of a short-term lack of sleep – and things will only get worse, with long-term sleep deprivation leading to a number of physical and mental health problems, including depression and obesity.
We usually work on the basis of needing eight hours of sleep a night, but for children younger than 15, the reality is that they need far more. At age 1-3, children need 12-14 hours’ sleep per day. At age 3-5, it’s 11-12 hours, at age 5-9, it’s 10-11 hours, and at age 9-14, it’s 9-10 hours.
If a child doesn’t sleep well, it can affect their learning, behaviour, mood and health, as well as impacting upon the whole family. As many as 40% of all children experience a sleep problem, but among children with additional needs that number rises to 86%. Many children struggle with settling down on their own, but for disabled children this can be particularly difficult.
How can I help my child get a good night’s sleep?
Our Sleep Fairy has put together the following tips to help your child – and the rest of your family – get a good night’s sleep.
- Create a good bedtime routine. Children need to wind down before bed, and a proper routine can help this. It should be at least an hour long, involving a relaxing wind-down activity (such as colouring in, jigsaws, loom banding or threading activities) and supper, and could also include a bath – particularly if they enjoy being bathed. A good way to get started is by talking about your day with your child.
- Give children advance warning. Let your children know that bedtime is approaching – and when – rather than springing it on them. You could create a visual timetable of your routine to let them know what’s happening next.
- Stay calm. Bedtime can be stressful – but it’s essential to stay calm. Use a softer tone of voice as you begin to wind down – using calming music could also be helpful.
- Switch off. As part of the routine, turn off and avoid electronic devices at least an hour before bed. TV, laptops, tablets, games consoles and phones not only keep the mind active and provide a distraction from heading to bed, the light given off actually inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep.
- Eat well. There are certain foods that can actually help you sleep. Avoid sugar and caffeine, and instead ensure that supper includes dairy, bread, cheese, seeds, nuts and bananas. Cheese being bad before bedtime is actually a common misconception – all of these foods contain essential amino acids that are converted into melatonin.
- Keep it going until morning. A good routine should also include waking your child at the same time every morning, as this will strengthen their body clock. We know it’s particularly hard to do on the weekend, but it’s worth it!
