Schools

Improve the sleep of students, parents and staff to enhance the health, resilience, and performance of your whole school community.

Approximately 70% of teenagers and many primary school children experience insufficient sleep.

Improving the sleep health of our children, and the communities around them (parents, teachers and staff) is vital as we become increasingly aware of the relationship between insufficient sleep and reduced academic outcomes, psychological problems, reduced school attendance and increased risk-taking behaviour.

Good quality sleep helps:

Optimise focus, memory and academic performance

Support our mental health and resilience

Promote positive behaviour and decision making

Improve energy levels and promotes healthy growth, metabolism and immune system

Schools I've worked with

Read some success stories below

Case Studies

How better sleep made a big difference

Zara

How a Sleep Diary and New Habits Transformed Zara’s Routine

A Group Program

How Year 12 Students Improved Their Sleep and Well-Being

Hear Monique's story

Monique was in Year 11 when she realised how much her lack of sleep was impacting her motivation, mood, and school success. She decided to make some major improvements to her own sleep.

Hear Monique’s main motivations for improving her sleep, the changes she made, and the positive impacts she noticed.

Monique’s story was also featured on Ask The Doctor, on the ABC.

Program Overview

Students

3 program options

Workbook with 2 week sleep diary and other personalised activities.

Parents

60-90 minute options

Information and resources
Take home questionnaire to initiate the “sleep smart” conversation at home

Staff Wellbeing

60-90 minute options

Presentations based on student and/or staff wellbeing.
Individual tips and a whole school approach to being a “sleep smart school"

For Student & Staff Wellbeing:

40% of adults, approximately 70% of teenagers and many primary school children experience insufficient sleep.

This is having a significant impact on many areas of their lives such as:

  • Academic & work performance: Good quality sleep is essential for both pre and post-learning. Poor sleep negatively impacts motivation, focus, memory consolidation and work performance. 
  • Mental health and resilience: Poor sleep negatively impacts relationships, overall mood and can be associated with depression, anxiety, negative body image and low self-esteem.
  • Behaviour and decision-making: Poor sleep impacts decision-making capacity, has a negative effect on behaviour and increases risk of accidents.
  • Physical Health: Poor sleep affects children’s physical growth and brain development. Additionally it impacts all areas of health, including brain, cardiovascular and metabolic, along with impacting our immune system and playing a key role in weight gain.

 

For Parents

Parents are affected by their children’s lack of sleep, but often normalise the outcomes on the child’s mood and behaviour.  

Additionally many students admit to me that the main reason they argue with their parents is due to lack of sleep.

Create awareness of the level of sleep deprivation and the effect this is having on all aspects of their lives.

Empower participants with the knowledge, practical strategies and tools to make informed decisions regarding their sleep health and that of their family

Equip staff with ideas they can implement, along with options for a whole-school approach to creating a “sleep smart school”.

  • Sleep diary, questionnaire and workbook
  • Questions about your sleep
  • Why do we sleep?
  • What happens in our brain and body when we sleep
  • The effects of sleep on our physical health, mental health & performance
  • Body clock & sleep cycles
  • How much sleep do we need to function at our best?
  • Sleep thieves: why are we not getting the sleep we need?
  • Effects of technology on sleep: the 4 key reason technology impacts our sleep
  • Signs of sleep deprivation
  • Motivations to improve your sleep
  • Improve your sleep-smart sleep tips
  • Where to get additional information and professional help
Student Program Options

One-part presentation

60 minutes

Two-part presentation & workshop over two different days

60 mins each

One-combined presentation & workshop on same day

90 mins

sleep smart school mockup
dOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE

12 Tips to a Sleep Smart School

Want to improve student well-being, resilience, and performance?

This free guide offers 12 practical strategies to make your school a “Sleep Smart School.” From student surveys and parent info nights to simple classroom changes, these tips help create a culture that prioritises healthy sleep—leading to better focus, mental health, and academic success.

Perfect for school leaders, teachers, and well-being coordinators looking for actionable steps to support student and staff sleep health.

Download now and start building a more rested, resilient school community

FAQs

The programs can be run for:

  • Students: Years 5-12
  • Boarding Students, Staff and Students
  • Leadership staff
  • All Staff
  • Parents
  • Combined Students and Parents

No, it’s never too late! Some of the most impactful programs we’ve run have been for year 12 students.

Many Year 12 students report very concerning sleep habits. However, happily there are many proactive students, who are keen to make improvements, after recognising the difference it will make on their academic outcomes, along with mental health and resilience through their final year.

I would suggest however that these are run in Term 4 as start as new Year 12 students, or prioritising Year 12 for Term 1 or 2, so

Yes! The best program is one where students and parents hear the message at the same time! 

The combined programs increase the impact of the information and can be run for the whole school or particular year group.

We recommend they are run for a particular year group in conjunction with an event, for which 90+ % of the parents and students are attending anyway.

For example:

  • Subject Selection Nights
  • Year 11 Study Skills/ HSC Information nights
  • Year 7: Many schools include a brief version of the Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance Program as part of the “Year 7 Student/ Parents Introduction to the School”, which 95% of students and parents are attending anyway. These are usually held in either Term 4 or Term 1.

So while they’re a little more effort to organise, there is plenty of positive feedback with parents and students hearing the message and answering questions together. With Year 7 this results in parents backing this message up at home right from the beginning of high school.
They are also noticing the students discussing goals to improve their sleep as part of their parent teacher meetings.

(Some schools are even giving out normal alarm clocks at these, so that there is no excuse for phone to be in their room as an alarm! 😊)

The programs can be run for any number of students providing there is adequate staffing.

We’ve run them for 50 to 500 students in person. So this is something we can discuss, to create a balance between your budget and group size, in order to increase attendee engagement and overall value from the program

However, where the year group’s sizes are over 175, and/ or the Stage 2 group work component is included, we encouraged the program to be run in half year group sizes, especially for the Stage 2 group work component.

Yes, we love running these sessions to support staff wellbeing

Many schools are now prioritising the staff session as being more about staff wellbeing and secondarily about students. 

The feedback from my recent ones has been positive, about the tips for the staff themselves, in addition to how helpful it was regarding being proactive with their own children and family.

Additionally, staff become more likely to ask students and parents about the students’ sleep, which in turn helps build upon a whole- school approach to the topic.

Some schools are starting to include sleep as part of parent/ teacher interviews so that every single parent and student are asked at least once a year about the students’ sleep.

The normal student/teacher ratio is required during any of our programs.

This assists with the information having a lasting impact for both students, staff and parents.

Many staff who have engaged in the presentation, find it beneficial in their role, as well as from a personal perspective.

Firstly for their role- they come away with the same information as the students allowing for valuable discussion, follow-up and reference back to the program material, particularly for their next wellbeing lessons.

It is particularly helpful for the school to have wellbeing staff, year advisors and/ or mentors present – to keep the message alive and assist the students in setting goals for lasting impact. I’ve worked with schools where sleep goals have become part of the student led parent/teacher meetings

Secondly, staff find the information helpful for themselves and they frequently ask questions and for information to support their own sleep and that of their children and/ or partner

Room set up and AV:

  • Microphone: the school to provide a microphone, even in a small rooms, to help enable re-engagement of the students during discussion time
  • Seating: the school to provide chairs in rows where possible, rather sitting around tables or on the floor, to increase engagement and minimise distraction
  • Workspace: for the group work component, access to flat area’s works better than auditorium style to facilitate group engagement and writing on the butchers paper
  • Worksheets and pens: to be available at the beginning of the session.


Year groups sizes:

Where the year group’s sizes are over 175, it is encouraged to run the session in half year group sizes, especially for the Stage 2 group work component.

Introduction:

A staff member to introduce the session and provide a context as to why the topic is important to the students in relation to their learning, along with their mental and physical health.

Where possible link the topic to the school, along with observations relating to the particular year of students attending. This helps to create increased relevance and empower the speaker to maximise impact and learning outcomes.

Additionally for the staff member to outline their expectancy of student behaviour during the session

Staff engagement:

Workshops are more effective when staff are actively involved in the session in order to reinforce the importance of the topic and assist with maximising student engagement.

Techniques that can assist include:

  • Staff to familiarise themselves with the context of the workshop. This can be done through internal communication along with sharing The Sleep Connection staff resources forwarded to the organiser prior to the session.
  • Staff to be assigned to work with specific groups during the group work. The students are generally divided in to groups of 8-10 so depending on staff numbers, the staff can work together with 2-3 student groups.
  • Staff to monitor the behaviour of the students in order to free up the speaker to focus on the message and the learning outcomes.

TSCP are effective due to providing an end to end solution, from education through to where to get professional help from.

The program includes: education on all things sleep; personalising the information by helping attendees to assess their own sleep habits; providing relevant tips for each attendee to implement; information and encouragement on seeking professional health from a sleep specialist and/ or sleep psychologist, where general tips won’t suffice.

TSC is based in Sydney. However we regularly travel interstate, along with running webinars to wherever in Australia or the world you are 😊

TSC provides both pre and post program consultations and resources.

Pre-program:
complimentary consultations to discuss your organisations sleep health needs and goals to ensure each program is tailored accordingly; sleep diary; online sleep questionnaire; parent letter for schools

On the day:
program & personal sleep questionnaire; meeting with relevant staff such as  Human Resources, wellbeing staff, counsellors and psychologists.

Group work resources are also provided for those incorporating the group work component into their programs.

Post program:
Individual Attendee Post Program Resources: information based on the particular audience and their questions; tips on where to get professional help

School or organisation consultation and resources: resources based on the workshop feedback, along with consultation regarding implementation if complementary ideas from 12 Tips to a Becoming Sleep Smart School

TSC will bring their own laptop and will need a large white screen, data projector with sound system for the embedded videos as well as a microphone.

We have both HDMI and VGA AV options on our laptops.

A pen, along with a desire to learn and motivation to improve.

Some programs may require participants to bring their sleep diary, along with the   questionnaire to be printed and provided at the beginning of the session.

Costs depend on the various program options; live and online versions; number of programs; number of attendees and of course tailoring the content to ensure the program best supports the needs of your school or organisation.

Please share some details with me here and I will send some ideas and costs straight through to you:

To save time and make it more convenient for the staff booking our seminars we do not require a deposit. The full amount is due 14 days post seminar, paid via the invoice details

The TSC has the following policy regarding cancellations:

  • Cancellations within 4 weeks of the program date will incur 50% of the complete program fee.
  • Adequate notice of no less than 4 weeks must be given if you are rescheduling your seminar. A new date must be secured at the time that you postpone the seminar otherwise the cancellation penalties will apply.

TSC is happy to consider individual requests from schools wishing to record a presentation.

Please note that permission must be sought before any recording is undertaken and organisations must adhere to our conditions, including the specific timeframe for access, that we have agreed upon.

We ask that a copy of any approved video/audio or photographic recordings of our presentations are supplied to TSC following the presentation,

Find out more about the sleep connection for schools

Case Study 1

Diana

How Better Sleep Made a Big Difference

Background

Diana, Vice-Captain of MSB College and a Year 11 student, took part in a two-week sleep program run by Lisa Maltman from The Sleep Connection. The goal was to help students understand their sleep habits and make changes to improve their sleep quality and overall well-being.

What the program looked like

The program included two workshops over two weeks, focusing on why sleep is so important for teens and giving tips to build better habits. Students were given sleep diaries to track things like:

  • What they did 30 minutes before bed
  • How many hours they slept each night
  • How they felt in the morning

What Diana noticed

At the start, Diana realized she was only getting about 7.5 hours of sleep a night, which is less than the 8-10 hours recommended for teenagers. She also noticed this was making it hard to focus, stay motivated, and feel good overall.

What she changed

To fix this, Diana decided to aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night in the second week. Here’s what she did:

  • Spent less time on YouTube before bed
  • Went to bed 30 minutes earlier

The results

By the end of the second week, Diana was getting more sleep and felt the difference:

  • She woke up feeling more refreshed and ready for the day
  • Concentration and motivation in class improved
  • Her mood and self-confidence got a boost

Diana realized how much better she felt with just a bit more sleep and decided to stick to her new routine, especially as she headed into her HSC studies.

Why this matters

The Sleep Connection’s program gave Diana and her classmates practical tools and a better understanding of why sleep is so important. Her story shows how small changes can make a big difference in sleep, school performance, and how you feel every day.

Case Study 2

Zara

How a Sleep Diary and New Habits Transformed Zara’s Routine

Background

Zara, a Year 11 high school student balancing academic responsibilities and evening ballet classes, participated in a sleep program by The Sleep Connection. The program provided a sleep diary and practical techniques to help students improve their sleep habits and overall well-being.

What the program looked like

As part of the program, Zara attended presentations that explained the connection between sleep, the brain, and overall health. She also used a sleep diary to track her habits, including:

  • What time she went to sleep and woke up
  • The quality of her sleep
  • Changes in her daily energy and focus

What Zara noticed

Before using the sleep diary, Zara was getting just 6-7 hours of sleep a night. This left her feeling tired, stressed, and unable to focus effectively at school and ballet. However, with the diary and insights from the program, she began making changes:

  • She started going to bed earlier, aiming for 8-8.5 hours of sleep.
  • She stopped doing homework until midnight, finishing her studies by 9 or 9:30 p.m. instead.

The results

Zara quickly noticed big improvements in multiple areas of her life:

  • Academic Performance: She was able to answer more questions at school and retained information better from previous lessons.
  • Energy and Focus: Feeling refreshed in the morning helped her concentrate better during classes and ballet practice.
  • Stress Levels: With more sleep, she felt less overwhelmed and could think more logically about assignments and class content.
  • Better Routine: By finishing her homework earlier, she went to bed stress-free and woke up ready for the day.

Why it worked

The act of physically tracking her sleep habits made Zara more aware of how much sleep she was getting and how it impacted her daily life. The program’s presentations also helped her understand why sleep is so important, making it easier to commit to these changes.

Conclusion

Zara’s experience highlights how small adjustments, like using a sleep diary and setting a bedtime routine, can have a big impact on energy, focus, and stress levels. She found the program both enjoyable and practical, with results that she’s committed to maintaining long-term.

Case Study 3

How Year 12 Students Improved Their Sleep and Well-Being

Background

Year 12 students took part in the “Sleep for Better Health, Resilience, and Performance” program led by The Sleep Connection. The program helped them understand how important sleep is and gave them practical tips to improve their sleep habits and daily lives.

What the program looked like

The students attended workshops that explained the science behind sleep and how it affects mental health, focus, and relationships. They also worked together to figure out the main reasons they weren’t getting enough sleep and came up with ways to fix it. Some key topics covered were:

  • How sleep helps the brain process information and impacts mental health
  • How poor sleep affects memory and focus
  • Why technology use at night and poor time management were common issues for their group

What the Group Learned

The group had some big takeaways from the program:

  • Sleep impacts every part of life, including mood, academic performance, and relationships.
  • Most of the group (80%) said using technology at night was a big reason they weren’t getting enough sleep.
  • Better sleep starts with managing time well and reducing nighttime screen use.

What they changed

The students were motivated to make changes to their habits. Some of the things they decided to do included:

  • Not using phones or other devices 30 minutes before bed
  • Keeping technology out of their bedrooms at night
  • Turning on night mode on their devices to reduce blue light
  • Setting up a consistent sleep routine
  • Procrastinating less and improving their time management

The results

After learning these tips, the group felt more confident about improving their sleep. They noticed that even small changes could make a big difference. They believed better sleep would:

  • Help them feel more positive and less stressed
  • Boost their focus and performance at school
  • Improve their relationships with others

Why it worked

The program gave the students clear, practical advice and helped them understand why sleep matters. By making these changes, they’re on track to feel better, do better at school, and enjoy their day-to-day lives more.