My Friend, Sleep

The Book Story: Once upon a time there was a family, father, mother and 3 kids, who did not sleep well. They were the Sparrows. Everything went wrong in their lives. Sorrows, whispers, lapses, fights and discussions were frequent and unpleasant. In despair they called Granny, since she knew things from the good old days. Granny came with a smile, bringing with her the enchanted world of Mister Sleep and his friends. Mister Sleep knew lots of magic tricks. Along with him, there were also fairs that could tell the children the proper bedtime and make them grow while asleep, becoming smarter and stronger. With Mister Sleep there were also some amazing guys who balanced children bodies and minds so that they learned more, ate better, were keen at sports, and most of all were quieter and happier. The Sparrows learned how to sleep, and discovered the pleasures of the trip with Mister Sleep. The Sparrow family smiled for their new life. This is the story of this book, in which science, magic and poetry play together a beautiful and realistic song. The Book framework: Sleep reduction, currently observed in all continents, increases significantly the risks of: hypertension, coronary disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, insomnia, depression, cancer, accidents and death. Both together, Teresa Paiva and Helena Rebelo Pinto, worried with the terrible sleep habits of nowadays children and adolescents and the corresponding long term negative and deleterious impact upon youngsters physical, cognitive and emotional health, implemented a national program to raise sufficient awareness to change habits in significant proportions: it is called the Sleep and School Project. As a theoretical and conceptual backbone three books were written, each for a specific youngsters age. All of them are nowadays included in the National Reading Plan for Portuguese Schools. This book represents both a tool for teachers and parents and an enjoyment for children.