Delegate: Ana Luísa da Silva Braga Araújo
Affiliation: Centro Social da Paróquia de São Lázaro
Short Bio:
Activity: On the past Sleep Festival day, an activity of the PAA and part of the “CresSER Saudável, Ativo e Social” project, the children didn’t take off their pajamas. In a comfortable and relaxed mode, they arrived at school with their stuffed animals, slippers, pillows, and other symbolic objects of the coziness of their beds. We took advantage of this day to raise awareness among both children and adults about the importance of a good night’s sleep and the daily habits that improve the quality of that rest.
The mentors of the project “SOUND AND EMOTIONS IN MOTION” – a study on the impact of noise on children – were invited to promote a sensitization activity for children aged 3 to 6. Psychologist Ana Coutinho and music teacher Raquel Fernandes brought Olivia the Sheep, who has a problem whenever the sun sets: she doesn’t want to go to bed! The children were invited to enter Olivia’s world and follow her nighttime routine, starting with a warm bath, the calming scent of lavender, relaxation breathing, and lullaby music.
Everyone present was invited to sing the song in three different ways: with lyrics, with the HUM sound (inhalation), and with the ZZZ sound (exhalation) – engaging different muscles for each mode.
We didn’t miss the opportunity to remind everyone that when the sun sets, it’s time to start lowering the stimuli in our homes, adopt calmer activities, reduce our body’s activity, lower the sound and the lights of the lamps, and pay close attention to the effect of blue light from screens, which confuses our brain and invites it to stay active.
In the end, the children appeared truly relaxed and more aware of the importance of good sleep hygiene.
Because we want to grow healthy and active, we must ensure a good night’s sleep so we can wake up the next day full of energy and in a good mood. On this World Sleep Day, we share what we’ve been doing around this theme, because in silence, we also work; in listening, we also learn; and the “noise of lights” only creates disturbance.
Location: Braga
Date of Activity: 10 january 2025
Submitted by: Ana Luísa da Silva Braga Araújo
