Local children and young people are to benefit from innovative new immersive sleep therapy.
Twinkle House in Skelmersdale has launched a new fully immersive sleep therapy room following funding from NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), this complements an already existing sleep clinic which was launched in November 2018.
It'll aid children and young people from two years to 19 years old, who are facing sleep deprivation issues.
The new clinic and fully immersive experience sleep therapy room will look to offer children an alternative to traditional medication used to aid sleep, whilst also offering a support network to parents and carers who as a result of their child’s sleeping difficulties find themselves also struggling.
Sarah Derbyshire, strategic lead for transforming care and complex cases at NHS West Lancashire CCG, said: “Services like the sleep clinic are so vitally important. If you’re trying to cope with a child with extra needs who isn’t sleeping, then it has a knock-on effect, not just on the child but on the whole family.
“We chose to fund this service through Twinkle House in order to create a different pathway to help parents look at what is in the community to help support them.“Ultimately it’s about looking at wider areas of support. The NHS can play its part, but it’s important for parents to have that wider support network outside of just the traditional clinical setting, which Twinkle House provides”.
One parent who has seen the benefit of the sleep clinic first hand, said: “I was very happy to come to the sleep clinic before trying medication and I am made up with the help and advice, as it has helped both my daughter and me.
“It’s the best thing I did!”
Part of this innovative new sleep therapy sees children immersed into an interactive sleep therapy room, where amongst other sleep promoting activities, children can get involved in a specially adapted story, from the book ‘Sleeepy Storiezzz - The Magic Jungle’, which is projected onto the rooms' walls and floor.
The book has been written to help young children with sleep problems by authors Amanda and Stuart Jewell using Clinical Hypnotherapy and Meditation techniques; commented Stuart: “Amanda and I have a background in Reiki and Clinical Hypnotherapy, and we have used this expertise to create 'Sleeepy Storiezzz - The Magic Jungle', which has been proven to help children who are struggling with sleep.
“In the Immersive room children enter an interactive world which uses tone of voice, sounds and lighting to relax children and guide them into sleep. This would then encourage children to use the book at home with their parents as part of their bedtime routine".
Dee Mitten, manager at Twinkle House, continued: “Both the immersive therapy room and sleep clinic are already proving to be a huge aid to children and their families who are facing difficulties in getting to sleep.
“Twinkle House has always been known for providing support for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs, but in the long-run we would like to see the centre to be used as a self-sufficient, asset that can be used and benefit other groups in society”.
For any parents or guardians with children facing sleep issues, please consult your GP for advice on how to be referred onto this new service.