Children need the proper amount of sleep consistently each night to lead a productive day. Poor sleep habits can influence their diet, moods, cognitive skills, and ability to carry out daily chores. Most research states that a good 8 to 9 hours a night is sufficient for most school aged children.
The article reviewed today ( link ) is written for adults and their sleep patterns, but many of the suggestions can be related to children as well. The news release from the Tampa Bay Channel 10 news states that “Sleep loss can impair your memory, learning and logical reasoning. A sleep disorder called sleep apnea, can put you at risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.”
What causes poor sleep?
Stress – school or job pressures, family or marriage problem, serious illness or death
Too much caffeine, alcohol or exercising too close to your bedtime
Jet lag
Distracting sleep environment – too cold or hot, too bright, too noisy
Some medications – decongestants, steroids, some medicines for high blood pressure, asthma or depression
What can I do to get a good night’s sleep?
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bedtime
Exercise regularly
Use your bed only for sleep
If you have trouble sleeping, don’t nap during the day
Establish a regular bedtime routine that lets your brain know it’s time to sleep
If you can’t sleep, get up and do something relaxing such as reading, to clear your mind
November 29th, 2007
by Len Saunders
We all know that obesity leads to many problems such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea, diabetes, and reduced energy levels. Obesity is not so much worrying about one’s appearance, but one’s personal health. New studies are now confirming that obesity is related to poor bone health.
An article from Food USA ( link ) states “… in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the new study found that the bones of people with high body fat were eight to nine percent weaker than those of normal body fat participants.”
Yet, the number of obese and overweight adults and children in the United States continues to rise. “Obesity is currently thought to affect more than 64 percent of the US’s adult population and 16 percent of children.”
Obestiy and children facts….to be continued.
November 27th, 2007
by Len Saunders
Cutting a child’s daily intake of unhealthy snacks by 100 calories a day would have a large impact on maintaining a healthy weight. According to City News (link), “If a child eats an extra 100 calories, which doesn’t seem like a lot, every day for a year then it’s 36,500 extra calories, which adds up.”
Now that Halloween has passed, children will probably start to consume more sugars in the form of candy, which in turn, equals more calories. The trick – limit the amount of candy your child will eat. The parent should be in control of what candy goes into their system. This is a great start in the effort to keep your children healthy and slim.
Snip…..”Another recent study showed that the rate of childhood obesity more than tripled from 1980 to 2004. Approximately 25 million children are now either obese or overweight. Obesity increases a child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a disease normally associated with adults. And dentists also chimed in on the matter, saying that it’s okay to let your kids gorge a little bit on Halloween but you should try and keep them away from those chewy candies that easily stick to your teeth…..snip.”
November 2nd, 2007
by Len Saunders