Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I raise the matter of the need for the Minister for Health to explore the possibility of the HSE rolling out a nationwide sleep training programme to provide expertise to parents facing the challenges of getting their babies and young children to sleep. Some may think that this matter is not as pressing as some of the other problems currently besetting the health service. For many parents with young babies, however, this is a very important topic.

For those unfamiliar with the subject, sleep training is the process of helping a baby learn to fall and then stay asleep through the night. Some babies do this quickly and easily but others have trouble settling down to sleep or getting back to sleep after waking and may need help along the way. I must admit that, up until quite recently, I had never heard of sleep training. My partner and I became very familiar with the concept, however, when we desperately needed advice on how to deal with the challenge of our baby daughter's inability to sleep well. It struck me that there are many other new parents across the country facing the issue of sleep deprivation. There is no doubt but that the problem of a baby who does not sleep can have an impact on the whole household. If a child is not sleeping properly then the parents will not be sleeping properly either. Both the child and the parents will then be out of sorts for the rest of the day.This can be an absolute nightmare for parents who have gone through or are going through it and anyone who has suffered sleep deprivation on an ongoing basis will appreciate it is like a form of torture. It becomes even worse if the mother wants to return to work and there is no proper sleep routine in place. When my baby, Francesca, arrived there was no sleep in our house for the first ten months. It was difficult for my partner and we were at our wits' end trying to figure out how we could get a baby to sleep for at least a few hours during the night rather than 45 minutes at a time. The first ten months were very stressful and as my partner prepared to go back to work the stress became greater because our little baby had no sleep routine.

Through parents' forums we discovered a sleep trainer who ultimately used her experience to give us back our lives. The sleep trainer stayed in our house for a weekend to observe our baby's sleeping patterns and then provided a solution to the problem. This, along with follow-up calls from the sleep trainer, meant that within a very short period our baby was sleeping like a baby. It was incredible; my partner and I got our lives back and the baby, Francesca, was sleeping right through the night.

When I first heard of sleep trainers, I thought it was something that one would have in California and that we must get it and and at one stage I laughed at the fact that we had a sleep trainer coming to our house. It was probably the best money we ever spent and, more important, our baby is sleeping at night. Although worth every penny, this private service did not come cheap. However, the HSE should consider rolling it out nationwide, in particular for first-time parents who are struggling with their baby's sleep patterns. There may be an opportunity for a call centre and much has been done in the area through on-screen media. Some counties may have the service in place to some extent with the support of the HSE but I would like it to be extended or explored further. There are huge pressures on the health system but I never thought I would have been in such a situation where a simple answer provided an effective solution to a huge problem. I thank the Minister for his interest.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising the issue. Anybody who has been through that journey of sleepless nights, as, no doubt, the Cathaoirleach is aware, will empathise with the issue the Senator raised. Having raised six babies in my own house, I know I do. Nobody who has gone through those sleepless nights would think it a waste of time for the Senator to raise the issue in the House. Raising awareness of the issue is one thing but raising awareness of the solution is even more important. I had never heard of a sleep trainer until I was made aware of the Senator's Commencement matter. It is probably too late for me but there are many others who would like to know of that. I congratulate the Senator on raising the issue and highlighting a solution. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the matter.

Healthy Ireland is the blueprint for how we will promote, protect and improve the health and well-being of people living in Ireland. One of the main aims of the healthy Ireland framework is to support parents in improving health and well-being outcomes for their children. This is also a key objective of the national child policy framework Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. Approximately 68,000 babies are born in the State every year. Children, that is, those under 18 years of age, account for 25% of the Irish population, which means we have the youngest population in the EU. The Health Service Executive, through the delivery of the national healthy childhood programme, has a key role in supporting families in order that babies can fully realise good health and well-being outcomes. As part of this, the nurture programme for infant health and well-being is being led, co-ordinated and delivered by the HSE's national primary care and national health and well-being divisions. It is a three year programme, supported by a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies to the HSE, which is designed to improve the information and professional supports provided to parents during pregnancy and the first three years of their baby’s life. It includes antenatal education, maternity and infant care, the transition to home and a schedule of child health reviews, vaccinations and screening visits. These are provided as part of the child health programme and delivered by public health nurses, practice nurses, community medical officers and general practitioners.

The subject of sleep difficulties for babies and young children is recognised as a challenge for many parents. It is being addressed as part of the nurture programme. Research with parents on information needs and concerns has identified sleep as an area of specific interest along with issues such as nutrition, general development, screen time and early language. Current evidence indicates that management of sleep and other issues cannot be addressed in isolation and are most appropriately supported in the context of positive infant mental health and parent-child relationships. The outputs of the nurture programme will include management of sleep in the parent materials and resources in development, including a new evidence-based HSE child health website for parents and carers of infants and children, updated books on caring for one's baby and child and a healthy pregnancy book. In addition to parent resources, the programme will also include sleep as a subject in the overall child health training programme being developed for practitioners.

Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the new evidence-based HSE child health website for parents and carers of infants and children. It is very important. Many of the consultations were done on Skype and that could be further considered. Simple things such as blackout blinds, a routine and diet are effective but we are trying to highlight the problem because most parents are so busy they do not realise there is some small issue that may be of assistance, nor that there is a lot of help available. I only realised the extent of the issue when I raised it three weeks ago on the Order of Business and many fellow Senators and even the Cathaoirleach asked for the phone number of the sleep trainer. I then realised this is a problem across the country and we should articulate, highlight and advertise that there is help and advice available. My baby, her mother and I are now sleeping much better at night.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. My concern is now more as a grandparent than a parent. My children are old enough to do their own sleeping. It is an interesting topic and I wish the Senator well.