A Word About Baby Sleep Patterns

Is your child having sleep difficulties? Are you up several times a night feeding your baby back to sleep?
Most of the parents start baby sleep training gently when the baby is two months old. Unfortunately there is no magic key that will solve all your baby sleep problems. Before the tips, here are a few words about baby sleep patterns. Babies, especially really young ones have much more light sleep than adults and older children. Think about it, while in your stomach, the baby's "bed" was in constant movement, rocking him gently back to sleep.

There are things you can do to help your baby feel safe and comfortable sleeping in a crib. Just remember that you can't change a baby's routines in just a day. Give it a week at least, with implementing the tips below.
Make the crib seem smaller. Put rolled blankets in circle, to make his sleeping place as small as possible. Newborn babies want to have something soft close to their heads. Just make sure you don't put anything in the bed that can fall over his face.

Make the crib smell like mother. Roll one of your used tops and put it close to his head as part of the small bed you're making for him. If the bed smells mom, he is likely to feel safer.

Make sure the crib is not too cold. Either put lukewarm water bottle (or something similar) in the bed for a while or even better, use a sleep bag (like Grobag) for your baby. With a sleep bag, your baby will enjoy more or less the same temperature all the time, helping him to stay comfortable. If you use a water bottle or bean bag, make sure the bed doesn't become too warm and take it out before putting your baby in the crib.
 
Sleep bags are excellent in many ways especially during the first months. As you may have noticed, especially breastfed babies often poop more or less every time they eat in the beginning. This means you will have to change diapers at night from time to time. With a sleep bag that opens easily for diaper change, you might be able to change diapers without making your baby wide awake since he doesn't get cold.
 
If your baby is between newborn and a few months old, you can also consider swaddling him. In the beginning you can swaddle the whole body, but at six weeks old or so, your baby's arms (or at least one of them) should be free. At this time, the baby might start using his hands but for self-soothing or to communicate hunger by sucking his hand. And maybe before that, he'll sleep better at day time too!

If you want more sleep tips, the Baby Sleep Solution might be useful. You'll get tips on over 20 different techniques to help your baby sleep better.
For more help on getting your baby to sleep in the crib, don't hesitate to use the  Baby Help Line.

Does Tension Tamer Tea Help You Sleep

Does “Tension Tamer” tea help with sleep? There are many good relaxation teas and herbs from which to choose as a sleep aid. One herbal tea which many people have reported good results with is known as "Tension Tamer" tea. The ingredients include eleuthero ginseng root, peppermint leaves, cinnamon, ginger root, chamomile flowers, lemon grass, licorice root, catnip leaves, tilia flowers, natural lemon flavor, hops, and vitamins B6 and B12. Reportedly, this tea can relieves stress or tension which helps with your sleep.

When it's not convenient to have hot tea, you might want to try some of the many herbal supplements that promote relaxation. Be careful when buying these, though, because the name on the bottle can be misleading. There are at least three supplements called "Tension Tamer". One is the original blend, one is the Ultimate blend, and one is the Unique blend. They each have slightly different ingredients and they are also different from the tea, itself.  Consult with an herbal professional or your pharmacist before starting any herbal treatment especially if you are on any prescription medications as the two might not work well together.

Why is sleep very important?Because you may not be reaching the stage of sleep that repairs your body if you body does not go through a normal sleep cycle.  This stage of sleep is when your body naturally repairs the muscle, brain or hormone systems that have been damaged during the day.  Recently, it has become known how important this stage of sleep is – many medical problems are now being linked back to years of not sleeping well and not completing the entire sleep cycle every night.

Insomnia may be a symptom of any medical problems and because of that reason; sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

So it is recommended that before you start any herbal or OTC (over-the-counter) sleep aids that you check with your doctor.  Also remember, just like prescription medications, herbs and OTC sleep aids have their good and bad effects and effect people differently.  Most teas have caffeine in them which is not helpful with sleep problems – as it can work as a stimulant and just keep you awake.  Often warm milk will work much better especially if you are effect by the caffeine.

Carbohydrate snacks like grain cracker can help to promote sleep if taken before bedtime.   A cup of tea and a few crackers may be just the ticket for your nighttime sleep – this has been reported by many to work well if you suffer from “restless leg syndrome.”

For many people with insomnia related sleep problems, good results have been reported with "Tension Tamer" tea.And it comes with a catnip which means your cat will like it too (just kidding).

Lack Of Sleep And Its Effect On Appearances

In the question of sleeping helping eliminate wrinkles, the answer seems to be yes and that is where the well known phrase “getting my beauty sleep” comes from.   Women notice when not getting enough sleep, same wrinkles develop around the eyes and other areas of the face.  Perhaps that is why older adults have more wrinkles as they seem to sleep less than any other age group.

But is there any real science behind the myth of beauty sleep? More and more experts say yes. Scientific studies haven’t looked at how sleep affects appearance directly—for example, the way the lack of it impacts skin renewal—but we do know that our bodies repair cells and tissues while we sleep. Research supports the notion that poor sleep patterns lead to poor health - and poor health makes us look a little less beautiful.

Sleep contributes as much to our well-being as eating a proper diet and exercising, but the average American adult sleeps less than seven hours a night, compared to nine hours in 1910. Sleeping only five hours a night may change our appearance because of the link between obesity and insufficient sleep. Lack of sleep lowers leptin levels and raises ghrelin, two hormones that regulate appetite, according to a study at Stanford University. Less time sleeping also increases the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, a health problem linked to weight gain. Studies have shown that everyone needs to sleep properly to metabolize the calories you take in during the day.

There are even sleep spas that are beginning to be marketed.  Sleep spas provide a tranquil setting, give people a break from their usual routines and help them identify the unconscious patterns that contribute to troubled sleep.

As you would expect, a sleep spa experience feels more like a retreat at an expensive hotel than a typical doctor’s visit. And the fees look as if, only the rich and famous can afford them.  At one spa, for example, you can order a sleep enhancement/insomnia relief package; a snoring/sleep apnea evaluation; or an all-night polysomnography (a formal overnight study) to assess problems such as multiple awakenings, snoring, sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness. For anywhere from$140 to $2,275 a staff of professionals of sleep will try to understand your every sleeping problem.

Cosmetic and toiletry brands have gotten in on the act too, launching an array of products to lull you into lullaby land. Although few of these have been tested for effectiveness, many contain lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), a proven treatment for insomnia, according to recent studies. There are also many types of mattress, bedding and pillows all marketed to make your sleep better.

It seems that adults are having to relearn healthy sleep habit such as sleeping on a schedule, avoiding big meals before bedtime, turning off all lights, computers, and blinking Blackberries. The sleep hormone melatonin is sensitive to even low levels of light. More suggestions are also getting regular exercise and winding down with a warm bath, quiet music, a book or a few yoga stretches, just before you climb into bed, or getting a short nap in the afternoon.  In fact, in Mexico, in the afternoon, everything shuts down for several hours so everyone can get a “siesta”, or nap.

So, yes, enough sleep can help with wrinkles as well as other symptoms of aging. Catching enough z’s may not be easy, but it’s one of the best—and cheapest (when you do it at home) —ways to enhance your health and, consequently, your appearance.

Have Problems Falling Asleep At Night?

Have problems falling asleep at night?  Have you tried a sound machine with some soft music? These are just a few tips you might get from a medical professional.

Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty which shows just how many people are having trouble sleeping in our modern society. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) makes sure that people with sleep problems get the best medical care.  The AASM accredits centers and labs that treat people who have sleep problems. In 1977 the AASM accredited the first sleep disorders center. The AASM also certifies behavioral sleep medicine (BSM) specialists. These doctors help people improve their sleep by changing how they think and behave.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems  falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake.

Sleep hygiene consists of basic habits and tips that help you develop a pattern of healthy sleep. There are also easy ways to make your bed and your bedroom more comfortable.  The most important thing to change bad habits into good sleep habits is to create an optima sleep environment.

• Make sure your bed is comfortable. Differ¬ent types of mattresses help with different is¬sues. Some mattresses are made to accommo¬date different types bedmates’ sleeping habits and comfort levels. Others are made to adjust to your firmness preferences. In addition, try therapeutic-shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Make sure your sheets are com¬fortable and clean.

• Ensure your bedroom remains primarily a place for sleeping. Don’t use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.  So take the television out as well as the computer.

• Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfort¬able. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature is consistent, and try to keep it quiet. If you have a problem with out¬side noise, a fan or a “white noise” machine can help block it out.  In fact, the white noise machine, have become very sophisticated now, and offer not just white noise but the sounds of waterfalls, rain on a tin roof, the sounds in the rain forest as well as the beating of a heart to help with a baby’s sleep. Gentle, slow music is another remedy that can help to improve sleep without medication.

• Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can’t see the time when you are in bed.

There are also some habits you should develop during the day to help with night sleep.

• Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap dur¬ing the day. If you are feeling especially tired and feel as if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.

• Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime.
 
• Don’t smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

• Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body’s natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.

• Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

Check how much is your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping, so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help.

Sleeping machines with sounds is really a marvel of new technology.  You can get ones that have all the rain sounds or waterfalls, included with AM/FM radio, coupled with a CD player for your relaxation techniques.  When I worked the night shift, I began using one to block out daytime sounds, and 15 years later, I am still using it.  In fact, can’t go to sleep with out it.  I highly recommend for you to add one of these machines to your sleep environment.

Food And Its Role In Stimulating Sleep

There are many foods that help with insomnia as well as foods that should be avoided before bedtime.
Diet is important to make sure that you or your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. You lose sleep as a result of your child’s bedtime and sleeping patterns.  By avoiding certain foods before bedtime you are helping your child develop good habits that can have a positive effect on their sleep patterns that will last a lifetime and avoid many of the medical problems that can be caused by abnormal sleep patterns.

Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, or diabetes, so it's important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping or if your child is having trouble sleeping.  This is just a precaution to rule out any medical problems.

A well used and healthy body has very little trouble sleeping. That is why physical exercise is very good for a child as well as an adult.Also there should an established regular bedtime for children to avoid sleep problems.  You should also avoid candy or any foods that might act as a stimulant before bedtime.

It is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep. Many parents are unsure of how much their child should sleep. According to reports from parents, many American children are not getting enough sleep. Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. But most children do have the ability to sleep through the night. Children who do not sleep well may have a sleep problem.

Many children have behavioral insomnia of childhood. This sleep disorder involves one or both of the two following problems:  All of us wake up briefly a number of times during the night. This sleep stage is known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Parents naturally may feel that they need to “help” their child return to sleep. The child learns to connect or “associate” going to sleep with a person or activity. I have to rock my child to sleep every night and for every nap. Set aside 10 to 30 minutes to get your child ready to go to sleep each night.

A child who gets enough sleep is more likely to be cheerful during the day. The entire family will be happier if the child sleeps better. Most sleep problems in children are not a result of bad parenting. If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist. In reality, sleeping is your most valuable activity of the day. Sleeping well enables you to feel, think, and perform better.

In the United States, and in many other countries, sleep deprivation is common among students. School aged children should be getting between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep but many do not. A National Sleep Foundation survey found that college/university-aged students get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep each night.

Foods that do help with sleep are warm milk, and foods with tryptophan which is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin. Carbohydrate snacks such whole grain crackers before bedtime may help to promote sleep.  Also foods rich in magnesium as magnesium is a natural sedative. Deficiency of magnesium can result in difficulty sleeping, constipation, muscle tremors or cramps, anxiety, irritability, and pain.

So diet does have an effect on sleep.  Avoid caffeine, sweets, chocolates or any diet that could be considered a stimulate before bedtime – especially with child.  And add to your diet foods rich in tryptophan and magnesium.

Affects Of Insomnia On Development Of Fetus

Sleep is very important in helping baby’s development. It is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. The sleep stage that is most known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. Going through the entire sleep cycle and it is during this cycle that helps you child’s brain development. 

Many children have behavioral insomnia of childhood. This sleep disorder involves one or both of the two following problems:
 
Sleep-onset association

All of us wake up briefly a number of times during the night. This sleep stage is known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Usually, we are unaware of these awakenings and return to sleep quickly.

Parents naturally may feel that they need to “help” their child return to sleep. The child learns to connect or “associate” going to sleep with a person or activity. I have to rock my child to sleep every night and for every nap. Set aside 10 to 30 minutes to get your child ready to go to sleep each night.
 
A child who gets enough sleep and sleeps well is more likely to be cheerful during the day. The better the child sleeps, the happier the entire family will be. Most sleep problems in children are not a result of bad parenting. If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist. In reality, sleeping is your most valuable activity of the day. Sleeping well enables you to feel, think, and perform better.

There are many ways to calm down an active child, a warm bath before bed to relax muscles, no caffeine or sugar before bedtime.  Make sure there are not any teddy bears or something that makes a shadow on the wall of the child’s room.  No child should have television or any toys that make noises or flashing lights..  If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist.

It is very important that a child develops good sleep habitsfrom infancy as these habits will follow them the rest of their lifetime. If you want to give a child a snack before bed tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin. Carbohydrate snacks such whole grain crackers before bedtime may help to promote sleep.

Important hormone production is regulated during sleep; in children, human growth hormone (HGH) is released during deep sleep.

When people do not have enough sleep, they cannot concentrate well the next day and have problems forming memories. Researchers believe that during sleep, neurons can shut down and repair any damage done during the day. Without these repairs, the neurons may not function correctly due to a buildup of waste products. Sleep also seems important for the formation of memories.

It is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. The value of sleep can be measured by your child’s smiling face, happy nature and natural energy. A tired child may have development or behavior problems. A child’s sleep problems can also cause unnecessary stress for you and the other members of your family.
 
Many parents are unsure of how much their child should sleep. Experts recommend the following amount of sleep that your child should get at each growth stage:
* Infants (3 to 11 months): 14 to 15 hours
- Toddlers: from 12 to 14 hours
* Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours
* School-age children: 10 to 11 hours
 
So after investigation it seems that sleep does help a child’s brain development.

Everything About Your Teens And Lack Of Sleep

As you enter your teenage years, it is important to make sure that you get enough sleep and that you sleep well.  Some teens sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. But this is the time in your life to begin developing good sleep habits that will last you a lifetime.
A well used and healthy body has very little trouble sleeping.  Unfortunately, the teen years are the years when too much junk food is eaten and teens get very little exercise unless they are into sports.  You might be advised to get into a sport of some type, so you can get the  exercise  that you need. 

Stress is the number one cause of short-term sleeping difficulties, according to sleep experts. Common triggers include school- related pressures, so entering junior high may cause a lack of sleep.  Usually the sleep problem disappears when the stressful situation passes. However, if short-term sleep problems such as insomnia aren't managed properly from the beginning, they can persist long after the original stress has passed.

According to a long-term study published in the 2004 April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, young teenagers whose preschool sleep habits were poor were more than twice as likely to use drugs, tobacco or alcohol. This finding was made by the University of Michigan Health System as part of a family health study that followed 257 boys and their parents for 10 years. The study found a significant connection between sleep problems in children and later drug use, even when other issues such as depression, aggression, attention problems and parental alcoholism were taken into account. Long-term data on girls isn't available yet. The researchers suggest that early sleep problems may be a "marker" for predicting later risk of early adolescent substance abuse—and that there may be a common biological factor underlying both traits. Although the relationship between sleep problems and the abuse of alcohol in adults is well known, this is the first study to look at the issue in children.

Sleep allows your body to actively recharge itself and prepare for the next day. It is essential to sleep well as it makes you feel, think and perform better.

During deep sleep an important hormone, human growth hormone (HGH) is released and its production is regulated in young adults. Insufficient sleep can affect hormonal balance. And if you have ever lived with a teenage girl, you need all the help you can get in dealing with hormone balance.  Sleep also helps with daytime concentration.

A pre-teen or teenager   that gets enough sleep and sleeps well is more likely to be cheerful during the day. The better the teen sleeps, the happier the entire family will be.  In reality, sleeping is your most valuable activity of the day. You only need to sleep well and next day you will feel think and perform better.

Teens often struggle with depression and  can be a major cause of insomnia. If your teen is struggling with depression, they should have a physical with your family doctor to make sure there aren’t any serious medical problems that need attention. 

A National Sleep Foundation survey found that college/university-aged students get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep each night. Partying, working, and a full class load are the main contributing factors to sleep deprivation among college students

Caffeine can have a pronounced effect on sleep, causing insomnia and restlessness. Although sugar can give a burst of energy, it's short-lived and can cause uneven blood sugar levels. This can disrupt sleep in the middle of the night as blood sugar levels fall.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin which is a natural sleep hormone. Carbohydrate snacks such as whole grain crackers before bedtime may help to promote sleep.

Magnesium is a natural sedative. Deficiency of magnesium can result in difficulty sleeping, constipation, muscle tremors or cramps, anxiety, irritability, and pain.

Light exposure plays a key role in telling the body when to go to sleep and when to wake up. Gentle, slow music is another remedy that can help to improve sleep without medication. 
Music has been found to improve sleep quality, decrease nightly wakening, lengthen sleep time, and increase satisfaction with sleep.

This speech about teens and sleeping should be given at every junior high orientation.