New Children's Sleep Tools Available from NSF

Activity book and first-ever sleep diary help children, parents and others learn about sleep and discuss sleep problems

WASHINGTON, DC (March 29) -Parents interested in educating themselves and their children about sleep have two new resources available to them from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), the nation's foremost sleep awareness organization. The first-ever Children's Sleep Diary and Time to Sleep with P.J. Bear will help children as well as their families, educators and health care providers explore the importance of sleep and share crucial information about a child's sleep habits and sleep problems.

"It is not enough to know that many children and parents aren't getting the minimum amount of sleep they need to be productive," said Richard L. Gelula, NSF's chief executive officer. "We must provide easy-to-use tools to help them understand why sleep is important and how to make sleep a priority in their lives. NSF hopes families will have fun using these materials and that they will share the information with their child's teachers and health care provider."

Created as a result of a partnership between NSF and the Federal Railroad Administration, Time to Sleep with P.J. Bear is a colorful 16-page comic-book style activity booklet featuring NSF's new sleep ambassador, P.J. Bear. Children ages 7-10 and their parents or other caregivers will learn along with P.J. Bear and his friend, Rudy the Rooster, as they explore the benefits of sleep and its relation to health, safety, learning and productivity.

The Children's Sleep Diary, the first of its kind, allows school-aged children to have fun recording the caffeinated beverages they drink, their bedtime routine, hours of sleep and amount of energy for seven days and nights. The Diary, which also features P.J. Bear characters, contains a full page of tips and facts to help children establish lifelong positive sleep habits.

Both materials were developed based on the latest in pediatric sleep research and reviewed by top sleep specialists. In addition, a prototype of the Children's Sleep Diary was field-tested with dozens of elementary-aged children in New Jersey and Virginia and their feedback was incorporated into the design.

Once children and parents have read Time to Sleep with P.J. Bear and completed the Children's Sleep Diary for one week, they are encouraged to discuss the results with their doctor or other health care provider who can identify any sleep problems and/or make recommendations for helping to make sleep a family priority.

For a free copy of Time to Sleep with P.J. Bear and the Children's Sleep Diary, send a 9x12 self-addressed stamped envelope with $.74 in postage to National Sleep Foundation, 1522 K Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005. The Children's Sleep Diary can also be downloaded from NSF's Web site at no cost. Additional copies may be purchased from NSF's online Products Catalog that contains a complete list of NSF materials; it can be found on the NSF Web site, www.sleepfoundation.org.

The National Sleep Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health and safety by achieving understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, and by supporting education, sleep-related research, and advocacy. NSF is based in Washington, DC.