A social care charity is raising
awareness of the impact of sleep deprivation and sleep poverty on unpaid carers.
Good Sleep Week is a new initiative from national adult health & social care charity Making Space, which is based in Warrington, Cheshire, and operates services all over England.
Teams will be raising funds for and awareness of the importance of good sleep from 23-29 October 2023. The charity will also be hosting a free webinar for staff, volunteers and carers to offer sleep tips and information.
Initiatives around the country will include wear your pyjamas to work days, raffles, live music events and a decaf coffee morning.
Research shows that up to 76% of unpaid carers struggle to get a good night’s sleep. On average, carers only manage four hours a night, compared to the recommended eight hours.
Sleep deprivation can cause a number of serious issues with both physical and mental health.
People who are regularly missing out on sleep can start to struggle with decision-making, problem solving and develop difficulties controlling their emotions and behaviour. Sleep deprivation also increases the likelihood of negative moods like anger and sadness. This can have a detrimental effect on a carer’s ability to continue to care for their loved one.
During the cost of living crisis, sleep poverty has made life even tougher for unpaid carers, with many not being able to afford the bed, mattress, curtains or bedding they need in order to have a good night’s sleep.
Bob Towers, fundraising manager, Making Space, said: “Unpaid carers experience a variety of issues that can affect their sleep including physical factors such as the noises, movements and the needs of the people they are looking after.
“Emotional and psychological factors that interrupt good sleep include the ‘need’ to stay up for an extra hour or two, just to get some time to themselves and just how hard it can be to wind down and switch off after a day of caring”.
You can donate to help fund mattresses and beds and better sleep sessions for unpaid carers and the people they care for during Good Sleep Week https://fundraising.makingspace.co.uk/fundraising-group/goodsleepweek
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