Every day, we get a little bit older. However, just because the clock is continuously ticking doesn't mean that we can't do anything to minimize the effects of aging. One part of life that can impact how we feel, mentally and physically, is sleep. Our sleep habits impact our daily functioning, and poor habits can cause us to feel much older than we are. Continue reading to learn about the bad sleep habits you may be doing that can contribute to you feeling older!
School start times vary between elementary, middle, and high school, making it difficult to establish and maintain a consistent schedule for K-12. However, sleep needs change as children develop, and it's important that school start times reflect this. What also needs to be considered when deciding school start times is how they impact parents. Continue reading to learn more about optimal school start times.
Sleep training isn’t just for helping children sleep through the night—adults can also apply sleep training techniques to themselves, and it’s highly recommended. In the sections below, you’ll learn how adults can implement sleep training and how this practice can play a role in preventing depression.
Sleep is very important for children. Sleep helps them grow, prevents illness, and provides them with energy for another day of learning. Adequate sleep also helps children with emotional and behavioral regulation. For children, poor sleep can lead to emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs). Continue reading to find out what these problems are and how sleep influences their development.
Night owls and morning birds are more than cute descriptive names about one's preferred time of awakeness. They are chronotypes, which are biologically determined adjustments to your circadian rhythm. Aligining your sleep schedule with your chronotype is important because that is your body's natural schedule.
It is rare that chronotypes change overtime. However, life does not always align with our chronotypes, and you may find yourself sleeping in patterns that do not align with your chronotype. During the pandemic, especially, this led to some sleep difficulties, especially for night owls. Continue reading about how night owls were negatively impacted during the pandemic and what that meant for companies and individuals.
Getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep is important, but can be difficult due to a variety of reasons. Improving sleep hygiene or creating a sleep routine can help train your brain for sleep every night - almost like sleep training for adults. By doing the same thing every night, you train your brain and body to know when it's time to go to sleep. These routines should help relax and calm your mind for a good night's rest.
If you have a good sleep environment, but are still having trouble falling asleep, then you could possibly need to be in a better state of relaxation before bed. One way to increase your relaxation is to apply sleep lotions or soak in a bath with calming compounds. Here is a list of the best lotions and bath soaks to help you sleep all night.
Humans spend about a third of their lives sleeping. Scientists have struggled to figure out why, but there may be a very clear answer. Apparently, the reason for sleep is potentially that it gives the body time to repair damaged and broken DNA. Continue reading to find out how sleep assists with this very important biological process.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that impacts your ability to breathe during the night. Although discussed as a part of adult health, children could also be at risk for sleep apnea. It's important that you recognize if your child has sleep apnea and get them the proper help as proper oxygenation and quality sleep is important for their growth and development.
Gluten allergy, also known as Celiac disease, is the result of the body's inability to process gluten and an allergic reaction that takes place in the bowel. A gluten allergy is a genetic disorder that affects the way the body processes gluten. Gluten is a molecule found in wheat, so anything that uses flower or any other grain source is going to have gluten in it. Therefore, if you have celiac disease, then you're going to feel major discomfort every time you consume something that contains gluten. Find out more about the connection between gluten and what it could do to your sleep.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a disease in which acidic contents from the stomach reflux into the esophagus, causing a feeling of "heartburn". These feelings normally worsen after eating or drinking certain contents, and can be relieved with antacids like Pepto Bismol. GERD can be extremely discomforting and can also lead to issues sleeping. However, this relationship is bidirectional and sleep can actually impact GERD as well. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship and what you can do to make sure you're getting optimal sleep.