Sweet Dreamzzz Heads to Minnesota to Spread the Word about Healthy Sleep

DULUTH, Minn. - April 16, 2018 - PRLog -- Michigan-based nonprofit, Sweet Dreamzzz Inc., is the only organization in the country working to bring healthy sleep and good bedtime routines to children in need in order to improve their health, well-being and academic success. Recently, they expanded their reach by extending programming to Minnesota.

Sweet Dreamzzz™ representatives attended and presented at the Minnesota Head Start Association's Annual Parent Engagement Conference, which brings together families for a different type of learning experience. Each year, opportunities are provided to explore unique aspects of parenting and personal development.

"Sweet Dreamzzz's message fits perfectly with our Head Start Parent Conference because sleep is so fundamental to helping children learn," Minnesota Head Start Association executive director, Gayle Kelly, says. "We are excited to have a group of Minnesota Head Start staff trained to share the message of how to help families create a regular bedtime routine. Pairing the Sweet Dreamzzz staff training with our Annual Parent Engagement Conference benefits both local programs and all the parents we gathered together from across the state."

On Monday, April 9, Sweet Dreamzzz trained the trainers, teaching Head Start educators from across Minnesota how to present the Sweet Dreamzzz Parent Sleep Education Workshop. The following morning, Sweet Dreamzzz sat in as these educators presented their own parent workshop.

With the one-day Train-the-Trainer program, Sweet Dreamzzz is easily able to reach more underprivileged families as educators become equipped to present sleep education to their students year after year and are given reusable and reproducible classroom tools.

"The beauty of this model of training is that we were able to train the educators and then, within a day, observe them training their parents," Sweet Dreamzzz executive director, Nancy Maxwell, says. "They could lean on us for support while at the same time, practicing what they had just learned. This will ultimately make them better trainers as they didn't wait on using their new knowledge. We hope to repeat with additional centers in the near future."

Sweet Dreamzzz is now active in New York, Washington, D.C., Arkansas, Massachusetts and Minnesota, in addition to the Metro-Detroit area.

Sweet Dreamzzz, Inc.
Founded in 1998, Sweet Dreamzzz, Inc. is a regional nonprofit organization committed to improving children's health, well-being, and academic performance by providing sleep education and bedtime essentials to economically disadvantaged students and their families. Based in Metro Detroit, Sweet Dreamzzz educates children and families about the benefits of healthy sleep and establishing a bedtime routine using innovative programs including its Early Childhood Sleep Education Program, Parent Sleep Education Workshop, and R.E.M. (Rest. Educate. Motivate.) Sleep Program. Since its founding, Sweet Dreamzzz has served more than 55,000 at-risk children and families. For more information, please visit www.SweetDreamzzz.org.