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Posts Tagged ‘Distractions’

Ideas on How to Solve Sleep Problems in Children

July 27th, 2010 No comments

When it comes to children sleep problems, we typically associate this with the childs age. Children should sleep soundly, long enough, to ensure decent physical and mental growth, and emotional stability. Children will often times not feel so good if they do not ge the right amount of sleep. In addition, this can cause them to easily get sick and even feel a bit depressed. They get hurt often while playing because their reflexes are not good enough when they are not rested. Not getting enough sleep at night causes considerable mental fatigue, and memory and concentration suffer. Now, this may sound strange, but when it comes to children sleeping problems, if they constantly miss a few hours each night, then this may cause them to gain excess weight.

Now, the experts promise us that the children sleep problems, of the kind we usually see, are quite treatable. So, it’s certainly not a hopeless situation when thinking about how to solve your child’s sleep problems. Most of the time we only need to reschedule their day in order to develop good sleep habits. However, too little or too much structure can both obstruct sleep. So, if your children get caught up with way too many activities at school, then chances are they will end up losing some sleep at night.

Back in the day, it seemed as though children had no responsibilities and would just have fun playing around the yard with their friends. So, children had no problem sleeping. Children, back then, had fewer distractions too. But, with all the new technology these days, it seems to have some effect on our sleep habits. With all of the exciting things going on with the TV and PC, who wants to go to bed early these days? There seems to be way to many things to do on the computer that many children end up getting glued to it.

The bad thing about the TV and computer being in the bedroom, it often times causes sleep problems in children. There are some studies that indicate our brain interprets the light emitted by the TV or the monitor screen as daylight and, as a result, impedes itself in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. So, the feeling of softly slipping into soothing sleep is not for our kids anymore. To children, sleep problems that are a part of their childhood even have a chance of becoming chronic.

So, is there any chance of solving children sleep problems? As long as you are determined to be your kid’s true friend, nothing is beyond repair. The child’s bedroom will have to be stripped of all media stuff, and the child will have to know that watching TV or playing video games will be allowed only as a reward for good work done. In addition, they should probably be require to go out and play awhile to help them get tired. A relaxing bath in warm, warm water before going to bed should help some with sleep problems in children. This, together with loving care, should work for children who don’t have medical problems that lead to sleeplessness. For children who don’t respond to normal sleep-inducing techniques that can help to solve your child’s sleep problems, then seeing a doctor is advisable.

Natural Remedies For Insomnia

May 29th, 2010 No comments

There are   natural and herbal remedies for insomnia  as well as  sleep strategies that can often negate the need for pharmaceutical sleep aids and  enhance sleep  without the unpleasant side-effects of  drugs .

One of the simplest natural remedies for insomnia is to create a calm, quiet place to sleep. Sleeping is an activity of the brain. If your brain is distracted , sleep is not going to happen easily or well. Removing distractions from your sleep space can drastically improve your sleep quality.  Things like computers, television, and telephones can be disturbances to restful sleep.  As much as possible, try to separate your sleep space from your work or activity space  –  confine your activities like checking email and reading to another room  .

If you do suffer from insomnia , you may find it helpful to darken the area you sleep in .  Brain activity is often tied to visible light , and  our brains are naturally set to sleep when it is dark  .   Covering windows with opaque curtains or blinds  and making sure all electric sources of light are turned off can do a lot to help your insomnia  . If you are unable to fully darken your room , eye shades  are another effective option  .

Another of the simple but effective natural remedies for insomnia  is to  get some exercise  during the day, and be still at night . Most of us know there are health benefits to exercising , but few of us make it a part of daily life .  If you want to sleep well   at night, getting physical activity during the day can make all the difference  between success and failure. Instead of thinking of it as exercise , think of it in terms of allowing your body to  synchronize with your mind  . An activity as simple as  walking for 20 minutes during the day can help your brain to relax at nighttime  .
 
Although it may seem obvious , many insomniacs ï»¿ do not know  ï»¿ the importance of avoiding caffeine and alcoholic beverages late in the day.  A simple rule of thumb for those with difficulty sleeping is to ï»¿ avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. and avoid alcohol after 7 p.m.. Caffeine stimulates the brain to stay awake and alert  . Although alcohol may  ï»¿ make you feel sleepy ï»¿ initially, due to its dehydrating and diuretic effects, it will often cause you to awaken during the night with thirst and/or the need to urinate, and it seems to interfere with reaching the deeper stages of the sleep cycle..

Herbal remedies for insomnia , including herbal treatments based on Traditional Chinese Medicine practices dating back thousands of years are available. These formulas are particularly useful in treating transient insomnia. Combinations of herbs  ï»¿ often work better for insomnia relief than single herbs. This is especially true if the remedy has been constructed specifically for insomnia, as some products are.

Whether you use multiple  ï»¿ single herbs or a pre-formulated mixture , be sure that your insomnia remedy includes zizyphus and poria, which are remarkably effective herbs for relaxing the mind .  It is also  a good idea to only use  herbal remedies produced in the United States, subject to stringent quality control standards, as herbal remedies manufactured in Asia can be contaminated with toxins .