Sleep... a basic human need. You can make a big difference in the lives of a low-income family by donating funds to purchase a bed or crib today.

Many adults and children in our community don't have a bed. Some families simply can't afford beds for all their members. Still others are dealing with the fallout from a traumatic event: house fire, flood, fleeing domestic abuse, etc. You can help get them off the floor and into a bed by donating funds to purchase a new bed or crib. Your help will make a difference to them for years to come.

You Can Help - Donate Funds for the Purchase of a Bed or Crib

Friends In Deed is the only agency in Washtenaw County that provides new beds for free. We are able to do this with support from people like YOU, who donate funds to purchase a crib, bed or bunk bed as part of our Holiday Bed & Crib Drive. Each bed donated makes a profound difference to the child or adult who receives it.In fact, given the seven-year lifespan of an average bed and the long-term effects of sleep deprivation, the future for these adults and children is improved for years to come.

Off the Floor and Into a Bed for a Good Night's Sleep

Many families with children come to us for help obtaining beds after coming out of a shelter or experiencing fires, floods or bedbug infestations. We also have clients who were victims of domestic abuse and have to relocate with their children. Imagine how difficult getting a good night sleep is for a child or adult who has recently experienced an upheaval due to a disaster or relocation and has to sleep on a couch or on the floor.

Whether the need for a bed arises from a traumatic event or a fragile budget, the child or adult affected starts their day feeling hopeless and helpless as they lumber off the a hard floor, still tired and sore from a bad night's sleep. They are also discouraged that, despite their hard work, they don't have what most other people in our community consider basic necessities.

A Good Night's Sleep is Crucial to a Child or Adult's Physical and Mental Health

Lack of quality sleep takes its toll in many ways. As you are no doubt aware, research shows that getting a good night’s sleep is critical for the success of children and adults alike. Sleep deprivation can result in crankiness, clumsiness and fuzzy thinking. Following directions or completing a school or work assignment may be impossible. Friendships may also suffer as a person's patience snaps. Worst of all, lack of a good night’s sleep can affect a person’s growth and immune system.

In fact, the consequences of an unhealthy sleep environment are many, especially for children:

• Sleep is required to recharge your brain, repair your cells and produce important hormones. In fact, sleep is so important that its deprivation would kill a child before food deprivation. BetterSleep.org.

• Sleep deprivation results in changes to mood and ability to think. As a result, children are often unable to regulate their mood, control their impulses, pay attention or solve problems. “Children who don’t get sufficient sleep at night are more likely to be overactive and noncompliant, as well as being more withdrawn and anxious,” said Dr. Dean Beebe, a director of the neuropsychology program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. SleepEducation.org.

• Sleep deprivation causes metabolic changes in children that relate to obesity, insulin-resistant diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also affects memory, academic potential and creativity, as well as grades and IQ scores. Studies have also shown inadequate sleep affects the frequency of car crashes among teenage drivers. The Douglas Institute, Quebec.

• An inadequate sleep environment can have its own consequences. For instance, a too soft couch can affect spinal alignment, while the blue light from a nearby TV screen can adversely affects sleep quality. Sleep.org. Additionally, when a child sleeps on a couch in a common area, they are deprived of the pride of place their own sleeping space affords.

That is why providing beds and cribs to ensure a safe and healthy sleep space is so important to low-income families in our community.