ARTICLES RELATED TO:
Sleep Hygiene

Much of a baby’s early life is spent sleeping. In fact, many newborns snooze 16 to 17 hours a day! It’s important that sleeping hours be just as safe as those spent awake. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of death in infants 1 month to 1-year-old. Most of these SIDS deaths occur in the first six months of life. Here are the top tips to keep in mind to ensure that your baby’s sleep environment is as safe as possible. 1. Keep your baby in your bedroom – but not your bed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing (as in bedroom-sharing). This is when an infant sleeps in the same bedroom as their parents (but not the same bed) for at least their first six months. The reason sharing a bed (also called “bed-sharing”) is not recommended is that parents can accidentally roll onto […]

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Can you remember the last time you or your child slept at least seven hours? In this fast-paced and work-driven society, sleep often takes a backseat to other priorities. But research shows that sleep is one of the pillars that allows people to thrive emotionally, mentally, and physically. Without enough sleep, our health can decline. What Is Sleep? Sleep is defined as a time for physical and mental rest. During sleep, consciousness and ability to make decisions takes a partial or total break and bodily functions slow down. The body uses this time to physically restore and allow the brain to “clean up” and carry out important functions. Because sleep is so important for good health, not getting enough has been shown to increase the risk and incidence of: cardiovascular disease high blood pressure elevated cholesterol inflammation emotional reactivity Lack […]

It may be hard for kids everywhere to think about, but there aren’t many lazy days of summer vacation left — and some students are already back in the classroom. No doubt, with all the summer activities and getaways, your kids’ sleep schedules may have gone a bit haywire. But there’s still time to help get them on a back-to-school sleep schedule and practice some healthy sleep habits if you start, well, now. How to Make the Dreaded Transition to a Back-to-School Sleep Schedule The best way to prepare your children for a back-to-school sleep schedule is by beginning early — 10 days to two weeks early, to be exact. If you don’t have that much time left between now and your kids’ first day, don’t fret — just start as soon as you can. Progressively wake your kids 15 minutes earlier each morning and put them to bed 15 […]

Many families have been there: soggy pajamas and wet sheets, and a very embarrassed child. But bedwetting is a natural part of development, and there are ways to help kids who are having issues with wetting the bed. In fact, Nemours Children’s Specialty Care in Jacksonville, Fla., addresses concerns for kids and their parents with its Continence Clinic, which is the first nurse-run clinic of its kind for children in the U.S. According to a study by The National Sleep Foundation, 14% of preschoolers and 4% of school-age children wet the bed a few nights per week or more and 21% of preschoolers and 7% of school-aged children do so once a week or more. What is Bedwetting? Bedwetting, which your provider may also call nighttime incontinence or nocturnal enuresis, is when kids who are old enough to control their bladder pee at night during sleep. Bladder control is a […]

It can seem like a simple thing, but how (and how much) a child sleeps can have an enormous impact on their mental and physical health, behavior and learning abilities. A lack of healthy sleep in children can lead to trouble focusing, a decline in grades, irritability, daytime sleepiness, sleep-related injuries and hyperactivity. For some children and their families, getting proper sleep can be as easy as sticking to an evening routine or setting an early bedtime. But for others, sleep disorders are a very real and serious issue, and deserve proper and thorough diagnosis, management and care. Common sleep disorders in children and teenagers include: insomnia (difficulty getting to and staying asleep) delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) (inability to fall asleep at bedtime and difficulty waking up) restless leg syndrome (irresistible need for movement) narcolepsy (uncontrollable urge to sleep) breathing-disordered sleep (snoring, sleep apnea) parasomnias (night terrors, nightmares or sleepwalking) rhythmic […]