The Big Sleep

Have fun, increase awareness about the importance of sleep on our mental health and raise money for the Cart Shed!

To coincide with World Mental Health Day The Cart Shed is relaunching its annual Big Sleep campaign. The Big Sleep will take place from the 10th to the 17th of October.

Did you know that a good night's sleep is essential for our mental health? The Big Sleep aims is to increase awareness about the importance of good sleep, open up conversations about mental health and raise money to support the work of The Cart Shed Charity.

Join the fundraising fun!

To get people talking and raise money we are asking everyone to go to work, school or collage for a day during the Big Sleep week in their dressing gown, pyjamas, slippers or their night cap!

Simple steps to getting involved...

Choose your best dressing gown, coolest PJ's, or snazziest slippers.

Tell your friends, family and work colleagues that you are taking part in the Big Sleep and ask them to donate.

Go to work, school or college during the Big Sleep week wearing your chosen nightwear. When people ask you why, tell them about the Big Sleep and why sleep is so important.

Go home and get a good night's sleep knowing you've raised money that will make a Big Sleep difference to the lives of people coming to the Cart Shed.

'The Covid 19 pandemic and the challenges since have had a huge impact on people’s wellbeing, this has made the need for opening discussions on mental health more important than ever. We think that donning our night clothes for the day will be a fun way to get everyone talking about how we can help ourselves to stay healthier and happier.'

Katie Eastaugh The Cart Shed CEO

Three simple ways to donate ...

Scan this QR code to go to our quick donation portal.

BIGSLEEP3 to donate £3

BIGSLEEP5 to donate £5

BIGSLEEP10 to donate £10

To the number 70711

Text:

Set up a kindlink page to share with friends, family and colleagues so that they can sponsor you. Click on the link below to set up a page.

Kindlink:

Set up a kindlink page

Download our Fundraising Pack here.

Why is sleep so important?

Sleep is as essential to us as breathing, eating or drinking. It is often thought of as a time when we are inactive but in fact the opposite is true; sleep is an active and essential process which enables us to recover and regenerate. While we sleep our brains process information which helps us to learn and function effectively during the day. Good sleep is particularly important for our mental health as it also allows our brains to evaluate, remember and consolidate thoughts and memories which helps us to process emotional information.

Prioritising our sleep is a great way to support our wellbeing.

What can we do to help ourselves?

Get good exposure to natural light during the day, this resets our circadian rhythm and helps us sleep.

Turn screens and gadgets off at least an hour before bed.

Have a warm bath or hot shower before bed. As you cool down afterwards your body is tricked into thinking you have gone from daytime into night-time which brings on a greater sleep urge.

Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol as well as foods and drinks that are high in sugar, as these can all hinder a good night’s sleep.

Meditate. Mindfulness meditation can help improve your ability to release the day’s stress and tension in preparation for a good night’s sleep.

Make sure your bedroom isn’t too hot. Between 18 and 20 degrees is right for most people.

Skip strenuous exercise before bed. Instead, try some yoga or stretching.

Try journaling to relieve stress. Writing in a journal can give a place to process concerns which reduces the need to unpack them mentally in bed.

Katie's Big Sleep

Our CEO Katie Eastaugh is going to be wearing her nightwear all week to get people talking about mental health and raising money for our Big Sleep Campaign.

Katie will be wearing her nightwear: In the office, walking while walking her dog Florence, with Bill Jackson (Jackson Properties who will also be in his pyjamas) around Hereford, in a meeting with leaders to discuss new ways of resourcing funding for Herefordshire, at a gathering to discuss vulnerability, at a Healthwatch seminar at The Kindle Centre followed by Landau’s celebration event at The Green Dragon, to the opening of Herefordshire MIND’s Art exhibition at de Koffee Pot, to have her flu jab at her local surgery and while attending Communion in Hereford Cathedral!

Sponsor Katie

One of our Cart Shed volunteers, Phil Morris is going the extra mile (quite literally) for the Big Sleep this year. Not content to simply don his dressing gown for the day he is planning to trek up the cold and blustering Castle Hill on the English/Welsh border and sleep out all night. No tent or camp bed, just a bivvie bag, whatever challenging weather October might throw at him and the big night sky…it’s going to be a long and chilly night.

Sleep Out to Help Out

Sponsor Phil