Archive for the 'Sleep & Children' Category

Kids who do not get enough sleep weigh more than those who get more sleep, according to the study of the researchers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

They examined kids sleep behavior and its relationship with weight using detailed diaries kept by their families.

According to the study, kids who get less sleep weigh more after five years.

It is also determined that extra hour of sleep cut the risk of being overweight from thirty six percent to thirty percent in kids aged three to eight and from thirty four to thirty percent in kids aged between eight to thirteen.

The study was conducted on 2281 kids aged between three to twelve and data was collected five years later.

The sleep diaries recorded the number of hours kids slept, what time they went to bed for sleep and at what time they woke up in the morning. Along with sleep timings, their height and weight also recorded.

The researchers found that kids got less sleep were more likely to be overweight and have high body mass index than those who got more sleep.

Sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death in infants under one year age.

It is a frightening prospect because it strikes without warning.

Parents and caretakers should give extra care during cold winter months which put your child in the risk of SIDS.

Over wrapping which leads to thermal stress, is one of the main risk factor of SIDS. Many parents are not aware of this condition. New parents do not know about the risk factors of SIDS and how to properly put their baby to sleep.

According to the recent studies, placing babies to sleep on their back is the safest position, but many of them continue to place their infants in side-sleep positions or face-down positions, both of which are risk factors of SIDS.

For unsafe sleeping position, if you add over-wrapping and viral or bacterial infections, it may increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Several studies have shown that infants sleep with too many blankets or wraps and in crowded bed with family members. Infants who are sick need to expel the heat from their fever, so over-wrapping the infant is the worst thing in that situation.

During childhood, almost every children experience nightmares. Children get nightmares due to the stress in normal lives.

Once your child was awaken by nightmare, it is difficult for your child to go back to sleep. Nightmares are common in children two to six years old.

A nightmare is a bad dream, which can make your child feel anxious, upset or scared but does not cause any harm to your child.

Nightmares take place during light stage of sleep. Our brain flows through different stages of sleep in which some stages are deeper than others.

Dreaming takes place during lighter stages of sleep and children who have nightmares cannot get into deep stages of sleep.

Children get nightmares due to the stressful things that happen during daytime. They may face problems in the school, home, sports, school work or exams. Another reason for nightmares is watching scary and horror movies or reading scary books before going to bed.

Children who are sick, especially with high fever may have nightmares. Certain medications result in nightmares. Children wake up in the night when they have a bad dream. They wake up talking, crying and yelling and may be very frightened.

Different ways to make your baby sleep:

• Decide where baby sleeps best: Decide where you baby sleep comfortably. Some babies sleep best in their own crib in their own room, some sleep better in their crib in the parents’ bedroom, other babies sleep best right next to their mother in the parents’ bed. There is no right or wrong place for babies to sleep. Parents should use various sleeping arrangements at various stages during the infant’s first two years. Be open to altering styles as baby’s developmental needs and your family situation changes.
• Set consistent nap routines for baby sleep: choose out the times of the day that you are most exhausted, for example 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Lie down with your baby at these times every day for about a week to get your baby used to a daytime nap schedule. Babies who have constant nap routines during the day are more likely to sleep longer stretches at night. [Baby Sleep Problems]
• Soothing down: Give baby a warm bath followed by a soothing massage to relax tense muscles and busy minds. Be cautious, because this will stimulate some babies.

New born babies spent most of the time in sleeping in short segments throughout the day.

New borns sleep eight to nine hours during the day and eight to nine hours during night.

But they need your attention during feeding and settling them after feeding up to six months and even more for some babies.

Throughout the day, the new born babies wake up for feeding and sleep again. You should maintain regular schedule for feeding milk to the new born.

You should fix a schedule which is convenient to you and your baby. Many new parents do not follow the schedule and often new borns have their days and nights confused. You should feed the new born babies for every few hours.

No need to wake a new born baby for feeding, but if the baby is sleeping continuously for five hours or more, then it is necessary to wake the baby for feeding. Whenever your baby wakes up, change the nappy, feed the baby, soothe and settle the baby to sleep.

Sleep problems are common in childhood as we also struggle to sleep sometimes.

Sleep problems in your children may be temporary, intermittent or chronic.

Sleep problems in children are related to poor sleep habits or anxiety about going to bed and falling asleep.

Your child may have any of the following sleep problems:

• Separation Anxiety Disorder(SAD)
• Nightmares
• Night terrors
• Sleepwalking
• Bruxism or Teeth grinding
• Sleep talking
• Bedwetting

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD):

Many children feel nervous or anxiety going to bed and falling asleep because they are separated from their parents. Symptoms of separation include headache, stomachache, vomiting, nausea and crying.

Children with SAD will often have trouble sleeping in their own room and will try to sleep as close to the parent as possible. Children may also experience separation anxiety concerning only one parent or both. You must assure your child that you are there with them always.

Nightmares:

Nightmares are common during childhood. Children suddenly wake up from sleep crying and screaming. Your child may experience nightmare for a few nights but it will not last for a long time.

1.Put your baby to sleep on his back:

This is the important thing you can do to help protect your baby.

The rate of deaths from SIDS has dropped 40 percent since 1994, when the “Back to Sleep” campaign was launched by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Public Health Service, the SIDS Alliance, and the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs.

Most people don’t know that side sleeping is not safe. If your baby sleeps on his side rather than his back, his chances of getting SIDS doubled because if you place your baby on his side he can easily end up on his tummy.

If your baby becomes six or seven months old, he will be able to roll over in both directions, making you to keep on his back at night. Make sure that your relatives and caretakers know not to place your baby on his tummy to sleep.

Putting your baby on his back all the time can cause him to develop a flat spot on the back or side of his head, called plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome.

SIDS is the sudden infant death syndrome. It is the unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old.

SIDS can strike without warning, even in healthy infants also. Most SIDS is related to sleep.

No single risk factor is likely to be sufficient to cause a SIDS death.

Rather, several risk factors combined may contribute to the sudden death of an infant.

SIDS occurs between 2 to 4 months of age and incidence increases during cold weather.

Risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

Stomach sleeping:

The important risk factor is stomach sleeping. Numerous studies have found a higher incidence of SIDS among babies placed on their stomachs to sleep than among those sleeping on their backs or sides.

Research shows that risk of SIDS is 1.7 to 12.9 percent higher if your child sleeps on his tummy instead of his back. Stomach sleeping puts pressure on your child’s jaw, therefore narrowing the airway and making it difficult in breathing.

Another reason that stomach sleeping increase the risk of SIDS is rebreathing his own exhaled air, especially if the infant is sleeping on a soft mattress or with a pillow near the face.