Let's Free Our Zees - The Pillow Police Toolkit

A C A M PA I G N O N C H I L D S L E E P D E P R I V AT I O N

About The Pillow Police 911, we have a problem!

Children are facing difficulty waking up in the mornings and many wake up feeling tired. These are symptoms of sleep deprivation that may affect your child’s development in more ways than one.

Thankfully, Officers Phil and Bella, are here to protect your child’s sleep (the Zees) against those sleep-depriving villains!

The Pillow Police is a social campaign that aims at educating parents on the dangers of child sleep deprivation in Singapore. Just like eating, drinking and breathing, sleep is a basic human need. Parents play an important role to ensure that their children have sufficient rest for their psychological and healthy development.

Officer Phil & Officer Bella

We hope to empower parents to help their children sleep more and sleep better by introducing tips to better regulate your child’s bedtime routine.

Join us in our mission to protect your child’s precious sleep!

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Singapore Children’s Sleep Deprivation Problem “My child goes to bed at the same time every night.”

2.9 % Rarely

34.1%

“My child does the same set of routine activities before heading to bed.”

“My child feels sleepy during the day.”

5.9% Rarely

3.6% Usually

28.7%

Sometimes

33.9%

Sometimes

62.2% Usually

About 4 in 10 children do not go to bed at the same time every night.

Sometimes

64.5% Usually

About 3 in 10 children do not have a regular bedtime routine.

58.0% Rarely

About 4 in 10 children feel sleepy during the day.

A lack of regular bedtime and bedtime routine are two of the leading causes of child sleep deprivation.

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What is Sleep Deprivation?

Sleep deprivation is a condition that occurs when we don’t have enough quality sleep.

It can be either long term or short term. If left untreated, a sleep-deprived child may experience behavioral problems, poor concentration, relational issues, and other medical problems. These are a result of poor habitual sleep practices.

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Possible Consequences of Sleep Deprivation: • Increased stress and anxiety • ADHD or hyperactivity • Weight gain • Weakened immune system • Learning Problems • Unintentional injuries • Changes in behavior and emotions

How to identify Sleep Deprivation?

You may think that your child is sound asleep. But once the bedroom door is closed, you may not know how well or quickly your child takes to fall asleep.

Sleep deprivation affects children in ways different from adults. Look for these signs of sleep deprivation in your child: • Irritable and easily frustrated at the slightest provocation • Easily and Spontaneously falls asleep when sitting down or watching tv • Excessive Daytime naps • Tired upon waking up in the morning

• Lack of concentration • Drop in school performance • Accident and injury prone The main thing to consider are changes in your child’s behavior. The challenge in observing sleep deprivation in your child is their inability to explain how they are feeling.

Children may not be able to gauge their own sleepiness, especially when it affects their mental capabilities too.

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Phil’s Advice Do the same things every night before sleeping!

Bella’s Checklist Make a Dinner-ToBed timetable for your child today!

Set regular bedtime routine activities for your child

Causes of Sleep Meet Tock the Clock!

Feeling like something is hindering your child’s sleep? It might be Tock distracting you from having a good bedtime routine!

Not having a nightly bedtime routine allows your child’s sleep cycle to shift between hours.

Your child may be influenced to stay up without external cues such as pre-bedtime activities and a bedroom environment to help keep them insync with the 24-hour day.

This may lead to the inability to sleep when required, which would further lead to sleep deprivation or undesired sleep disorders.

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Deprivation Meet Mobi & Tivi!

Mobi & Tivi are actually bad! Don’t be fooled into playing games or watching TV, as they take away the rest your child needs!

LED light from electronic devices can be overly stimulating for your children’s eyes, keeping them awake. Strong light from these devices hinders the production of melatonin, a bodily chemical that tells your child’s mind that it is time to sleep.

Phil’s Advice Rest your eyes from electronic devices before bedtime!

Bella’s Checklist Ask your child to leave their electronic devices with you for the night.

Minimize your children’s exposure to screen lights. Opt for non-screen activities such a storytelling with a real book, or listening to soothing music!

By not using these devices before sleeping, your child will find it much easier to rest for the night.

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Regulating Bedtime Routine A bedtime routine is a set of activities that your children does about an hour before they sleep.

It can be anything from taking a shower to reading a book.

A great way to help your child sleep better would be to regulate their bedtime routine.

Make it fun for your child! By doing so, you can turn bedtime into something that your child will look forward to instead of it being an obligation or chore.

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Bedtime activities can include: • Having a warm drink • Changing into pyjamas • Brushing of teeth / washing up • Being read a story • Listening to soothing music • Taking a bath

Tips to regulate Bedtime Routine 1 2 3

Have a fixed bedtime and bedtime activities Establish a pre-arranged timeslot for similar activities that will help your child to be comfortable about going to sleep Set limits to frame your child’s mind that it is time to sleep soon • “After 3 pages of this story, we’ll go to sleep.”

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Give your child options so that he/she feels a sense of ownership to his/her sleep • “Would you like to wear the green or blue pyjamas?”

• “Do you want to hear your favorite story or a new story?”

Be consistent. Your child will benefit when the routines becomes a habit.

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Creating Optimal Sleep Environment

Turn off the lights!

Cool down your room

Hush Hush!

This simple action goes a long way in reminding your child that it’s time to sleep. Limiting artificial indoor lights will also help to prevent disruptions to your child’s body clock. If your child is using a night light, remember to turn it off once he or she has fallen asleep too.

Nobody like to sleep all sweaty and warm. Your child sleeps better in a cooler environment. Keep the fan on to let the cool air circulate around the room. You can also help by getting your children to change into comfortable and breathable clothes or pyjamas so that they’ll sleep in comfort.

Loud noises will disrupt your child’s sleep even if they don’t wake up. Our brains remain awake and aware of surrounding sounds while we are sleeping. Reduce loud noises as much as possible and have a consistent and soothing sound such as a fan or an air purifier to masks any loud noises.

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Where can you seek help?

National University Hospital Division of Paediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Appointment line for Paediatric Sleep Services : 6772 2002 Children’s Emergency Hotline – 24 hrs : 6772 2555

Signs of Sleep Deprivation in Children http://www.sleepaidresource.com/signs-of-sleep-deprivation.html

All About Sleep http://www.singhealth.com.sg/PatientCare/ConditionsAndTreatments/Pages/Sleep-Child.aspx

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