Sleep Health Education Program
Building a Sleep-Aware Community for Students
For students, parents, teachers, chapters, and school administrators
Sleep health education is critical, both for students and for their parents, educators, and healthcare providers and has a dual purpose:
- Communities and policymakers who grasp the importance of sleep are more inclined to establish and maintain school schedules that support healthy sleep patterns.
- Students and families who understand how sleep works are far more likely to prioritize and actively improve their sleep health.
What our program offers
“Sleep is the least important subject on our mind when it comes to school. This content is really helpful in understanding how little sleep affects your daily schedule and how the sleep cycle physically prepares our bodies for the day ahead.”
Thousands of individuals and student groups across the nation have utilized our comprehensive sleep health education program. Featuring an extensive collection of engaging videos and interactive games and exercises, the program covers topics including the effects of sleep on physical and mental health, academics, safety, and performance on and off the field; changes in sleep research and circadian rhythms in adolescence; sleep and road safety; effects of caffeine on sleep; and to how to use sleep to be happier, healthier, and more successful..
In addition to health education, our program includes resources for school administrators and other educators considering later start times, including videos that schools have used to raise awareness in community stakeholders when implementing later start times.
Here's how our program supports you:
Thousands of individuals and student groups across the nation have utilized our comprehensive sleep health education program. Featuring an extensive collection of engaging videos and interactive games and exercises, the program covers topics including the effects of sleep on physical and mental health, academics, safety, and performance on and off the field; changes in sleep research and circadian rhythms in adolescence; sleep and road safety; effects of caffeine on sleep; and to how to use sleep to be happier, healthier, and more successful..
In addition to health education, our program includes resources for school administrators and other educators considering later start times, including videos that schools have used to raise awareness in community stakeholders when implementing later start times.
Here's how our program supports you:
For whom |
How our program helps you |
Where to Access |
Middle and High School Students |
Understand why sleep matters and how sleep needs change during the teenage years Get resources you can use to promote later start times at your school |
Let’s Sleep! |
Teachers |
Free, accessible sleep-health education materials that you can use in the classroom (e.g., in a homeroom, health, biology, or psychology class) or as homework with content that matches state health education requirements* Learn more about sleep and its impact on academics, physical and mental health, and safety |
Let’s Sleep! ** Sleep 101 (for high school) Webinars |
Parents, Guardians, and other Caregivers |
Understand how sleep needs and patterns change at adolescence and root causes of teen sleep insufficiency. Help your child get healthier sleep and use healthy school start times to their advantage Provide materials supporting advocacy for later school start times |
Let’s Sleep! Webinars |
School administrators |
Access research, case studies, and other materials you can use to build community support for and successfully implement sleep-friendly school start times |
Let’s Sleep! Webinars |
College administrators |
Access engaging, interactive materials that emphasize how much “sleep matters” to the institution and offer students practical ways to use sleep to improve their physical and mental health, safety, performance, and overall well-being(e.g., as part of orientation, freshman seminars, or therapeutic interventions) |
Sleep 101 (college version) |
*Our Sleep Health Curriculum Standard Guide for teachers connects our activities to state health education requirements. Educators can search by their state or by the activity, then see how activities match their state standards in the grey box within the activity description.
** Teachers can use Sleep 101 as a 30-minute module or select shorter, specific videos and exercises from Let’s Sleep!.
** Teachers can use Sleep 101 as a 30-minute module or select shorter, specific videos and exercises from Let’s Sleep!.
1. Let's Sleep!
For parents, teachers, chapters, school administrators, and students
Let’s Sleep! website is an free and customizable online collection of accessible, and expertly vetted sleep education materials for students, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Developed jointly by Start School Later and Brigham & Women’s Hospital’s Division of Sleep & Circadian Disorders, the program’s content can be delivered either through classes or as an always-available online educational resource. The website features interactive games, activities, and videos on topics including the effects of sleep on mental health, safety, academics, and athletic performance, caffeine use, drowsy driving prevention; and the impact of "all-nighters." Administrators can also access research and both written and digital resources to facilitate implementation of sleep-friendly school schedules.
2. Webinars and Workshops
For superintendents, parents, teachers, and chapters
We offer webinars and in-person workshops on a range of sleep-related topics highlighting changes in sleep needs and patterns at adolescence, the importance of healthy sleep and its association with school start times, and effective ways to to shift schools toward safer, healthier school start times. Explore recordings of past sessions to learn more. Sign up for our email updates to be notified about new webinars.
3. Sleep 101
For high school and college students
Sleep 101 has received awards from DevLearn Demofest, Horizon Interactive, Learning Technologies, and Brandon Hall Awards.
Our free Sleep 101 high school program has been implemented in more than 20 high schools across the United States. Teachers use this as an integrated 30-minute program (or, teachers can pick and choose shorter videos from Let’s Sleep). The content covers: using sleep to boost school performance and GPA; mental health and sleep deprivation, caffeine use – myths and realities; the impact of all-nighters, short- and long-term health effects of sleep deprivation, sleep and athletics; and tips for setting up a sleep-friendly bedroom.
The 45-minute college version of Sleep 101 is available for license and has been used at numerous institutions, including Harvard University, UCLA, Middlebury College, MIT, Carleton College, Lehigh University, and Loyola University Maryland. Students usually complete the program at an orientation session. A post-Sleep 101 survey study revealed improved student knowledge about sleep and caffeine, along with a reduced likelihood of drowsy driving and pulling all-nighters.
Our free Sleep 101 high school program has been implemented in more than 20 high schools across the United States. Teachers use this as an integrated 30-minute program (or, teachers can pick and choose shorter videos from Let’s Sleep). The content covers: using sleep to boost school performance and GPA; mental health and sleep deprivation, caffeine use – myths and realities; the impact of all-nighters, short- and long-term health effects of sleep deprivation, sleep and athletics; and tips for setting up a sleep-friendly bedroom.
The 45-minute college version of Sleep 101 is available for license and has been used at numerous institutions, including Harvard University, UCLA, Middlebury College, MIT, Carleton College, Lehigh University, and Loyola University Maryland. Students usually complete the program at an orientation session. A post-Sleep 101 survey study revealed improved student knowledge about sleep and caffeine, along with a reduced likelihood of drowsy driving and pulling all-nighters.
Program Managers
Phyllis Payne, MPH
As Implementation Director Phyllis leads the Sleep Health Education program. A co-founder of SLEEP in Fairfax, she has a strong background in community health education and outreach, successfully advocating for healthy school start times. Phyllis is also an experienced science writer, adept at creating plain language materials for organizations like NIH on topics including sleep and chronic diseases.
Kari Oakes, PA
Kari manages the Sleep 101/Let's Sleep! project, drawing on her experience as a physician assistant and regulatory/medical editor. A long-time advocate for education and community development, including ten years with Start School Later, Kari also serves on Middleton, WI's community development authority and chairs its perpetual endowment.
As Implementation Director Phyllis leads the Sleep Health Education program. A co-founder of SLEEP in Fairfax, she has a strong background in community health education and outreach, successfully advocating for healthy school start times. Phyllis is also an experienced science writer, adept at creating plain language materials for organizations like NIH on topics including sleep and chronic diseases.
Kari Oakes, PA
Kari manages the Sleep 101/Let's Sleep! project, drawing on her experience as a physician assistant and regulatory/medical editor. A long-time advocate for education and community development, including ten years with Start School Later, Kari also serves on Middleton, WI's community development authority and chairs its perpetual endowment.
Questions?
Contact us if you have questions or need more help finding sleep health education to meet your needs. To receive notifications about future webinars, subscribe to our email list.