Bray People

New sleep toolkit is launched for teens

- BY ESTHER HAYDEN

A new toolkit to help young people get a healthy amount of sleep was launched in Arklow last week.

At the launch in the Presbyteri­an Hall on Monday, March 12, a team of inter-agency profession­als highlighte­d that sleep deprivatio­n was a key factor affecting school attendance, school retention and concentrat­ion levels when attending school. They found that lack of sleep also contribute­d to low mood, sometimes causing social isolation, and evidence of cannabis use to aid sleep initiation.

The new toolkit, The Sleep Programme, aims to address poor sleep habits among young people and is recommende­d for young people aged 12 – 14 as an education and prevention programme.

The Sleep Programme provides teachers and youth workers with the tools to support young adults improve or maintain their sleep routine. It sets out ways to prevent sleep becoming a problem and addresses areas like stress, diet, physical activity, drug and alcohol use and encourages changes to poor sleep hygiene. The programme aims to provide practical informatio­n for young people, which they can then implement in their day to day lives.

Minister for Health Simon Harris, who launched the new toolkit, said: ‘We know that children and young people are faced today with busier, more pressurise­d lives and this in turn means that their overall health and well-being suffers. This is a really positive initiative to help young people and I am delighted my Department was in a position to support and promote its developmen­t. I want to thank everyone who has worked to develop the Sleep Programme.’

Fiona Creedon, Youth Developmen­t Officer with Crosscare/ East Wicklow Youth Service, said the toolkit was an important developmen­t as young people face busy and demanding lives.

‘With the rise in popularity of social media and mobile technology, it is now more common for young people to be staying up later,’ she said. ‘We know that poor sleep in young people is linked to difficulti­es at school and maintainin­g healthy relationsh­ips with their families and peers. The purpose of the Sleep Programme is to support young people to improve to their sleep routine. A healthy sleep routine will help them realise their maximum potential now and in the future.’

The new resource aims to provide young people with the skills to improve their sleep habits; by addressing stress, diet, physical activity, drug and alcohol use and encouragin­g changes to poor sleep hygiene.

A participan­t in one of the pilot programmes, Shannon Lambert (15), said: ‘I’ve learned a lot about things I can do in the evening to make sure I get a better night’s sleep, things like not using my phone for at least an hour before I go to bed and ways of managing anxious thoughts that might keep me awake.’

The Sleep Programme was a joint initiative between HSE, Tusla’s School Completion Programme, Crosscare’s East Wicklow Youth Service, East Coast Regional Drugs & Alcohol Task Force, Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service Arklow Springboar­d, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, and was funded by the National Youth Council of Ireland Connected Communitie­s Programme and Co. Wicklow Children and Young People Services Committee.

The Sleep Programme is available from www.crosscare. ie, www.kwetb.ie and www. docchildan­dfamily.ie. What is parental leave? Can both parents take it?

EACH parent of an eligible child may take up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave from work. Leave can be taken no later than the child’s eighth birthday. However, if your child has a disability or a long-term illness, you can take parental leave up to their 16th birthday. If you adopt a child between the ages of six and eight, you can take leave for that child up to two years after the date of the adoption order. ( Your contract of employment may also provide for an extended age limit.)

You can take 18 weeks of leave per child in one continuous period or in two separate blocks of a minimum of six weeks. If taken in two separate blocks, there must be a gap of at least 10 weeks between the two periods of leave per child. However, if your employer agrees, you can separate parental leave into periods of days or even hours.

Taking parental leave does not affect your other employment rights. Apart from the loss of pay and pension contributi­ons, your position remains as if no parental leave had been taken. This means, for example, that while on parental leave you will continue to accumulate your annual leave entitlemen­t. While you are on parental leave, a public holiday that falls on a day when you would normally be working is added to your period of leave.

When you return to work after taking parental leave, you can ask for a change in your work pattern or working hours for a set period. Your employer must consider your request, but is not obliged to grant it.

Both parents have an equal entitlemen­t to 18 weeks’ parental leave each. Unless you and your partner work for the same employer, this leave is non-transferab­le; you can only claim your own parental leave entitlemen­t of up to 18 weeks per child. However, if you both work for the same employer and your employer agrees, you may transfer up to 14 weeks of your parental leave entitlemen­t to each other.

Further informatio­n is available from the Citizens Informatio­n Service below. My friend has been offered free screening for cancer. She says it’s a national screening programme. How can I take part?

THE National Cancer Screening Service provides free screening programmes to help detect or prevent several types of cancer.

BowelScree­n – The National Bowel Screening Programme aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage in people who have no symptoms. It offers free screening every two years to men and women aged 60 to 69. If you are in this age group, you can ring BowelScree­n on Freephone 1800 454555 to check your details are on the register. If you are on the register, you will receive an invitation to take part in the BowelScree­n programme.

CervicalCh­eck – The National Cervical Screening Programme tests women aged 25 to 60 for changes in the cells of the cervix. Early detection and treatment can prevent cervical cancer. If you are aged between 25 and 60 and have never had a CervicalCh­eck smear test, you can simply make an appointmen­t with a GP practice or clinic registered with CervicalCh­eck. You can find one in your area by visiting cervicalch­eck.ie or by calling Freephone 1800 454555. A letter of invitation is not needed to make an appointmen­t and attend for a first test.

BreastChec­k – The National Breast Screening Programme invites women to a free mammogram (x-ray of the breast) every two years. The screening has been available to women aged 50 to 64 but is being gradually extended over the next few years to include all women aged 50 to 69. If you have not received an invitation you can check if you are registered by visiting breastchec­k.ie or by calling Freephone 1800 454555.

Screening can help prevent or detect cancer at an early stage in people who have no symptoms. If you have any specific concerns or symptoms you should visit your GP (family doctor).

Further informatio­n is available from the Citizens Informatio­n Service below.

 ??  ?? Ruth Comerford from KWETB Sports Promotiona­l Unit, Laura Murphy from Arklow Springboar­d, Minister Simon Harris, Dr Patrick Loughlin, Fiona Creedon of East Wicklow Youth Services and Joanne O’Halloran from the School Completion Programme.
Ruth Comerford from KWETB Sports Promotiona­l Unit, Laura Murphy from Arklow Springboar­d, Minister Simon Harris, Dr Patrick Loughlin, Fiona Creedon of East Wicklow Youth Services and Joanne O’Halloran from the School Completion Programme.
 ??  ?? Amy Shannon Hogg, Sam Arslan, Ross Denton and Shannon Lambert with Minister Simon Harris.
Amy Shannon Hogg, Sam Arslan, Ross Denton and Shannon Lambert with Minister Simon Harris.
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