Employees of the corporate Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Clearwater, Fla., pose with a family during a Largo, Fla., delivery of free bed sets for the children under the HomeStore’s “A Hope to Dream” program.

Ashley Furniture HomeStores’ “A Hope to Dream” program is donating more than 1,000 mattress sets in October and November in celebration of the Nov. 20 Universal Children’s Day, also known as World Children’s Day.

The donation of the mattress sets — which include twin mattress, foundation, and comforter sets — is part of the dedicated store network’s broader 2014 goal to donate more than 4,000 mattress sets to children in need this year.

“An estimated 30% to 50% of children have trouble sleeping well,” said Dr. Craig Bennett of Ashley’s Wellness Center. He said a good night’s sleep “helps ensure a healthy lifestyle by lowering stress and reducing the risk for illness and depression, while improving cognitive and physical performance.”

It’s especially important to help children focus academically and grow socially, he said.

Ashley Furniture HomeStores’ “A Hope to Dream” program was created to provide mattress sets to children who don’t have access to a proper mattress to sleep on. To date, 310 participating Ashley Furniture HomeStores in North America have combined to provide about 13,000 free beds from the Ashley Sleep mattress line.

Universal Children’s Day, recommended by the general assembly of the United Nations in 1954, is designed to help children living in poverty all around the world.