The Quest for Rest: Polly & Pickles
Sleep Savvy. Live Happy.
Our talks
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
Routine & Regulation
Sleep, nutrition & play — the triad of success
Discover the power of building routines around sleep, nutrition, and play. We will also address how to manage your child’s screen time in Kindergarten.
Got Sleep?
Linking sleep health with mental health
Get practical tools and resources to help you manage your child’s anxiety. We will also cover
straightforward sleep strategies for the whole family. COVID-relevant data/material is discussed, including managing increased screen time during the pandemic.
Transitions for Tentative Kids
When avoidance gets in the way
Learn practical ways to help your child cope during academic transitions and the relationship between coping skills and sleep health. We will cover "decompensation" (the inability to function in the face of stressors) and how to avoid this with your child.
Thriving in Kindergarten
Parent Sessions: Any Age Group (K-12)
Foundations for Life
Cyber Dependency & the Developing Brain
Addiction or cultural norm?
In this series, we will address the developing brain (including during puberty) and its impact on sleep and behavioural regulation. We also deliver practical tips and strategies to help with cyber dependency.
Got Sleep?
Linking sleep health with mental health
Get practical tools and resources to help you manage your child’s anxiety. We will also discuss straightforward sleep strategies for the whole family. COVID-relevant data/material is discussed, including managing increased screen time during the pandemic.
Transitions for Tentative Kids/Youth
When avoidance gets in the way
Learn practical strategies to help your child cope during academic transitions and the relationship between coping skills and sleep health. This talk can also be adapted to discuss youth transitioning back to in-person schooling (e.g., pandemic-related changes, school truancy, etc.).
Teacher and Administrator Sessions
Cyber Dependency During a Pandemic
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the mental health of children and youth. In this talk, we discuss the impact of technology (e.g., Zoom calls, screen time, video games, etc.) on the developing brain.
Anxiety, ADHD & Behavioural Dysregulation During a Pandemic
COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the mental health of children and youth. In this talk, we discuss the impact of anxiety, focus issues (ADHD), and poor sleep in youth during a pandemic.
Rest Well, THRIVE at Work
Sophisticated solutions in the modern workplace for you to THRIVE
Thriving in the workplace requires more sophisticated ways to succeed. In this session, we 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 COVID-relevant data/material, including managing increased screen time during the pandemic and understanding how that screen time affects sleep and overall 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.
Co-founded by Dr. Naidoo and Andrea J. Bell, Paperclouds is Canada’s first evidence-based school curriculum dedicated to sleep literacy. This has been a coveted entry point to promote emotional, physical, and mental well-being in children. Dr. Naidoo and Andrea Bell also co-authored The Quest for Rest: Polly & Pickles, which can be ordered on Amazon and through this website.
Dr. Naidoo is renowned as an advocate for championing accessible children’s health literacy in an honest and straightforward way. Her special interests include anxiety in adolescents and cyber dependency in the developing brain.
Her dedication to the next generation of physicians has earned her a Post-Graduate Program Teaching Award at UBC.
