Support better sleep and help everyone to THRIVE
Individuals with additional support needs experience sleep challenges at a higher rate and with greater complexity than the general population. When their sleep needs are addressed, the benefits are clear and far-reaching: improved daytime alertness, fewer challenging behaviours, better attendance at school or day services, and a reduction in crisis referrals.
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Sleep Counselling for Children & Young People
Sleep Counselling training equips you to improve the sleep of children and young people with additional support needs and support their families with strategies to feel happier, healthier, and more confident.
Sleep Counselling for Children & Young People
Sleep Counselling training equips you to improve the sleep of adults with learning disabilities and complex support needs through tailored and person-centred interventions applying cognitive and behavioural principles and techniques.
Adult Sleep Counselling training is designed for experienced health and social care professionals supporting adults with learning disabilities and complex support needs in a variety of care settings.
Jennifer
Community Nurse Practitioner
Jennifer's story
Why Jennifer trained with Sleep Action
- Jennifer sought to move beyond generic sleep advice and deepen her expertise in sleep interventions to support children with additional support needs, including autism and LDs, facing complex sleep issues
- She wanted to understand how profoundly sleep deprivation impacts family life, parent-child bonding, learning, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing, highlighting the need for tailored support
- Jennifer needed to shift her perspective on bedtime routines and learn how to enrich a child’s sensory needs with increased proprioceptive and physical activities to enhance sleep quality
- Jennifer wanted the confidence and practical skills to implement effective, long-term strategies that empower families to manage sleep challenges
How it transformed Jennifer's practice
The parents and carers Jennifer works with have reported an increased understanding of their child’s sleep struggles, enabling them to take a more pragmatic approach to improving sleep alongside any necessary medication. As a result, many parents feel more positive and relaxed.
One notable success involved a mother who transitioned her child from a cot to a secured floor mattress. With encouragement and reassurance, she overcame her initial concerns, and her child now enjoys a more settled night’s sleep with reduced sensory-related behaviours.
This transformation highlights the significant impact of tailored sleep interventions in improving both childhood wellbeing and family dynamics.
Our partners
Laura
Residential Care Social Worker
Laura's story
Why Laura trained with Sleep Action
- Laura discovered environmental factors were an issue for a service user living in supported living – staff activity and neighbour noise made it difficult to stay asleep
- She saw how complicated adult sleep problems could be, especially when combined with long-term conditions and managing the side effects of medication
- Laura wanted to enhance her clinical knowledge of adult sleep processes and their interaction with complex support needs, and mental health medication
- To support her service users, Laura needed comprehensive training that improves health outcomes and quality of life for adults with learning disabilities and complex support needs living in different settings
How it transformed Laura's practice
Laura’s training enabled her to understand adult sleep issues and the web of interacting factors that impact sleep in her service users. Through tailored and person-centred interventions, Laura introduced a full-day plan that supported gradual lifestyle changes, allowing her service user to get out of their current cycle and improve the quality and length of their sleep.
Laura’s understanding of sleep issues experienced by adults with additional support needs has made her a go-to professional for complex sleep challenges, delivering outcomes that genuinely improve quality of life.
