Sleep clinics seek support

Families can be left without a good night's sleep

Campaigners fighting to have sleep clinics established throughout Scotland are taking their case to the Scottish Parliament.

Sleep Scotland provides help for families with children with special needs whose severe sleep problems can disrupt family life.

Around 12,000 children are thought to suffer from chronic sleep problems.

Unlike other children, the disruption does not improve as they grow older.

We are asking for MSPs to support us in asking every local authority to offer a sleep counselling service

Jane Ansell, Sleep Scotland

They may scream for hours on end, can be destructive and demand attention all the time.

The condition is worst among those with autism, cerebral palsy and attention deficit disorder.

No-one in the family can get a good night's sleep, which can lead to other problems with relationships and work.

Sleep Scotland already runs 60 clinics to support such families.

Residential care

It works closely with them to change the child's sleeping patterns - but there is a long waiting list and the organisation cannot meet demand.

It will tell MSPs that it needs the help of local authorities to make the service more widely available.

The organisation say there is a good economic case because the service reduces the need for expensive residential care.

Sleep Scotland director Jane Ansell explained that she had set up the service through a combination of personal and professional experience.

Counselling service

One of her three children has special needs, and after years of sleepless nights she realised something could be done.

She said counsellors at the organisation's clinics worked with the children to teach them how to sleep.

"We are asking for MSPs to support us in asking every local authority to offer a sleep counselling service to families with special needs children with sleep problems.

"We will be working with these local authorities to integrate that sleep counselling service into the range of provisions that they offer to these families," she said.