Sleep Week - The Power of Rest and Recovery
Ahead of World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, Richard Gent, Housemaster of Dun Holme, and Wayne Pattinson, Head of Athletic Development, reflect on Sherborne Girls’ recent Sleep Week, a popular wellbeing initiative with both pupils and staff.
Richard Gent writes,
“As has become widely recognised and understood in recent times, the quality of our sleep has a huge impact on our physical and mental health; this is especially important in a boarding environment where girls lead very busy lives. Nurturing the health and well-being of pupils is at the heart of the pastoral care we provide at Sherborne Girls and ‘Sleep Weeks’ are an integral part of this provision.
Recently, we held our latest ‘Sleep Week’. The aim was to improve the amount and quality of sleep and allow the girls to recharge their batteries through carefully planned activities. First introduced in 2020, Sleep Weeks take place four times a year, twice in the longer Autumn term and then again in the Spring and Trinity terms. These weeks are very popular with the girls, and we get a lot of positive feedback from parents too.
During a Sleep Week, mornings are a more relaxed affair, girls wake up later and enjoy breakfast in their PJs, without the usual rush to get to morning assemblies. In the evenings, activities are planned around enhancing the Sleep Week experience and bedtimes are brought forward. In my House, Dun Holme, activities included a PJ prayers session with hot chocolate and chat, a get together of L5 and their M5 buddies involving mindful origami and a healthy sweet treat and, of course, a movie night on our big screen complete with popcorn and pancake making; always popular activities in Dun Holme! Across all the Houses there were similar activities for the girls to enjoy, all carefully planned by their amazing House teams.
At bedtime girls tried out a range of sleep-related tips and ideas. On offer last week were weighted blankets, herbal teas, pulse point oils and pillow sprays to try to enhance the sleep experience. Though some do stick to the tried and tested: tea and toast!
All these measures aim to help the girls increase the amount of sleep they get and give them a little boost of energy. Our pupils pack each day to the full, so these carefully calendared weeks give them the chance to grab a little more down time in their busy schedules and to spend more time relaxing with friends, at a slower pace.
The result of all of this is that the girls went into the exeat weekend feeling a little more relaxed and rested. The girls really appreciate Sleep Week and the activities that are laid on for them; in fact, it is one of the regular highlights of their time in House and something we are keen to protect and develop further moving forwards. A lie in every day though, dream on!
Arabella, a pupil in Upper Sixth, said, “The addition of an extra hour of sleep during Sleep Week not only left me feeling less tired and more energetic throughout the day, but also gave me more time to properly unwind after a long day at school. During a normal school week, every day is so busy that I rarely have enough time or energy to read before bed, as I often find myself rushing to finish everything before going to sleep. I loved having space for some free time and I found that I still had the focus and energy to enjoy reading a few pages of a book before bed and chat to friends without feeling tired the next morning.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Wayne Pattinson, Head of Athletic Development has a slightly different take on Sleep Week, seeing it as an opportunity to teach girls how to build better habits that, in turn, really support their sport and training.
“From an Athletic Development perspective, Sleep Week has been a great opportunity to remind our girls that rest helps. In a busy boarding environment, where the girls are constantly moving between lessons, sport, activities, House life and friendships, sometimes simply switching off is just as important as the training itself.
Sleep is arguably the biggest recovery tool on the planet, and the best thing about it is that it is free. You cannot out train poor recovery, and helping the girls understand this is an important part of our approach to Athletic Development.
Throughout Sleep Week, we encouraged the girls to think about the small habits that can make a difference. The school brought technology hand-ins and bedtimes forward by 15 minutes, which might not sound like much, but it is exactly the sort of small change that can develop into a positive habit. The aim was not to completely change the girls’ routines overnight, but to encourage them to make small, consistent choices that support their recovery.
For me, one of the biggest positives from the week was the number of conversations it created around sleep and recovery. Getting girls talking about how much they are sleeping, how they are recovering and how they feel when they are well rested is incredibly valuable. It helps them start to take ownership of their own wellbeing and understand the connection between what they do away from training and how they perform when they are training.
Athletic Development is not just about making girls stronger, faster or fitter. It is about giving them the knowledge, confidence and habits to look after themselves. It is also about creating an environment where girls feel cared for and supported as individuals.
Ultimately, I want our girls to leave Sherborne Girls feeling that they can step into any environment, train with confidence and know how to recover properly. Sleep Week has been a great reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do for our development is simply to stop, switch off and rest."
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