The Quest for Rest: Polly & Pickles
Sleep Savvy. Live Happy.™
Flourishing early
Discover our latest tool for schools
Evidence based. Practical. Relevant.
We offer unique virtual talks, speaking series, and workshops to educate parents, students, and teachers in our communities. All talks are led by child psychiatrist Dr. Smita Naidoo and facilitated by Paperclouds co-founder Andrea J. Bell. Book for your school now.
Parent Sessions: Kindergarten to Grade 3
Got Sleep?
Linking sleep health with mental health
Get practical tools and resources to help you manage your child’s anxiety. Learn straightforward and the latest evidence-based sleep strategies that the whole family can use.
Three ways to Rethink Routine, Screen time, and Better Mental Well-being
Talk for Parents
(90 Minutes)
Discover the power of building routines around sleep, technology, nutrition, anxiety and understand tips to manage your child’s increased screen time for a better night’s sleep.
In this session, you takeaway practical strategies for the whole family, including what the latest data is telling us about children’s mental health during a pandemic and how fostering sleep literacy early is key for a healthier happier child. Learn new ways to help you and your child cope during transitions
ZzzPower™ Teacher Shared File: Discover our latest tools for schools
Foundations for Life
Video: Read along with Grade.5 Student EN/FR, and ZzzPower Song
Parent(s) Letter and High-res PDF's
Sleep Chart, Colouring Pages and Certificate of Achievement
Teacher, School Counsellor and Administrator Sessions
60 min - 3 hour Talks and Pro-D Workshops
Cyber Dependency + Teens
The Impact On the Developing Brain and Beyond
As teachers and administrators, you've seen a steady rise in screen use among students. How much is too much? And how can you empower students to make smart decisions about screen time in an inclusive way that factors in the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic? In this talk, you'll discover the impact of technology like video calls, video games, and more on the developing brain.
You'll learn:
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Pediatric guidelines for appropriate screen use and the latest COVID data
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How screen time affects the developing brain, sleep, and mental well-being
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How to identify and address cyber dependency
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What normal sleep physiology involves—and what 'COVID-somnia' is
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The consequences of poor and insufficient sleep in children and adults
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How to use cognitive behavioural strategies to improve sleep hygiene
The Overlap of ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Behavioural Disorders, and Poor Sleep in Children
Plus: How COVID post related stress intersects with anxiety disorders
Every educator can benefit from a better understanding of how ADHD, anxiety disorders, and behavioural disorders affect their students. In this talk, we discuss the impact of anxiety and focus issues (ADHD) on children, as well as poor sleep in youth. We wrap it up by giving you resources that really allow you to assist students with these diagnoses with sensitivity and care.
You'll learn:
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About diagnoses and types of anxiety disorders
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What the screening tools are
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What the latest data tells us
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How COVID-19-related stress and anxiety disorders intersect
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About the overlap of anxiety disorders and ADHD symptoms
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What treatment and outcomes look like
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What resources are available for parents, educators, and health care professionals
Your Well-Being at Work: Sleep, Anxiety, and Thriving in the Modern-Day Workplace
Sophisticated solutions in the modern workplace
Sleep isn't just vital for students; it's essential to adults' health too. Investing in better sleep is an act of self-care for educators, particularly given the stress of COVID-19. In this talk, we focus on meaningful, accessible strategies for better sleep across all age groups.
You'll learn:
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What normal sleep physiology involves
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The consequences of poor and insufficient sleep in children and adults
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How to use cognitive behavioural strategies to improve sleep hygiene
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We will introduce our THRIVE principle, which is based on 6 life domains: Technology, Home, Relationships, Interests, Values, and your Environment
Pro-D Workshops and Talks
Student Sessions: Grades 7-12
ZzzPower for life
Sleep for Teens - Screens, Sleep & Mental Well-Being
What's the connection?
In this session, we address teens in your school directly, giving them refreshingly practical sleep hacks, plus tools and resources to help them manage their anxiety and hormones. We also discuss relevant data/material, including managing increased screen time post pandemic and understanding how that screen time affects sleep and overall health.
About the speaker and facilitator
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Every talk is hosted by a duo of sleep literacy and mental health experts who are the co-founders of Paperclouds (paperclouds.ca), which inspires kids everywhere to "sleep savvy, live happy."
Dr. Smita N. Naidoo is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist who practices in Metro Vancouver. She's also an award-winning clinical faculty member within UBC’s Department of Psychiatry who makes frequent media and speaking appearances.
Andrea J. Bell has spent over a decade helping people meet their health education needs. She's lead national corporate wellness initiatives, advocated for community health awareness, and now empowers families and schools with healthy sleep solutions.
Together, they've authored a book, created BC’s very first sleep literacy program for elementary schools, and curated these talks to help schools champion the power of healthy sleep and its direct link to better mental, emotional, and physical health.
MD, MPH, FRCPC
Meet Dr. Naidoo
Dr. Smita Naidoo is a clinical faculty member at the University of British Columbia, a Doctor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Metro Vancouver (at Foundry Ridge Meadows and Three-Story Clinic) and co-founder of Paperclouds.
Dr. Smita N. Naidoo is Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist who trained locally, at the University of British Columbia. Her dedication towards community education stems from her background in Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. S. Naidoo practices in Metro Vancouver and is an award-winning clinical faculty member within UBC’s Department of Psychiatry. Her mission is to be of service to communities at large all while being engaging and fun! Her innate ability to distil very challenging concepts of neuro-science to the masses has allowed her to leverage Paperclouds into a cutting edge evidence-based enterprise.
