I recently had to go in for a sleep study.  Mainly to rule out some health issues.  Although I hesitated at the thought because, really, do moms ever feel completely rested?!  I thought motherhood is synonymous with fatigue.  I mean sleep has become highly overrated.  It’s not like it was what I remembered it.  During sleep studies they also ask questions about my children and what type of sleepers they are.  Honestly, none of us sleep well.  I have a family of snorers, sleep talkers and walkers.

I recently read an article that stated 60% of American children don’t get enough sleep.  Another study cited cellphones, Facebook, and video games were to blame.  Our elementary age children need 9-12 hours of sleep.  Experts say that sleep deprivation at any age can impair metabolism, immune functions, and motor skills, increase stress hormones, and cripple sugar metabolism.

So, maybe my lack of sleep accounts for my few extra pounds, poor health, high stress level and slow responses.  To think I attributed that to my age and motherhood.     I guess the answer is simple….my family all needs more sleep.  Sleep is important and I need to ensure we have good sleep habits, cause if “momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

Signs of sleep deprivation:

* Can’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of going to bed

* Has a hard time waking in the morning

* Has trouble remaining alert and active during the daytime

Establishing good sleep habits is imperative for the healthy development of children. The National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute offers the following tips for parents to help get their kids to bed:

• Set a regular time for bed each night and stick to it.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as giving your child a warm bath or reading him or her a story.
• Avoid giving children a big meal close to bedtime, and no caffeine within six hours of sleep.
• Make after-dinner playtime relaxing; too much exercise close to bedtime can keep children awake.
• Keep the noise level down and the bedroom dark. If some light is necessary, use a small nightlight.

Do you get enough sleep your body needs?  How about your children?  Any tips to get higher rate sleep?

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not amazed at the amazing odors that emanate from smelly socks, stinky feet, breath, body odor and the constant need for reminders on good hygiene.

From the time our children were infants, we taught them to brush, regularly bathed them, washed their hair, washed their clothes, brushed their teeth.  Part of teaching our growing children is teaching them proper habits.  I get so frustrated thinking it should be common sense at this age, especially for my tween.  However, it’s a whole different world for them and let’s be honest, they aren’t even aware of odors like we are.

I have had to create a chart for each of my children of what needs to be done…daily!!!  I try to let them be responsible, however, they are quick to say that they don’t care if they skip a step, no one would care.  I do.  Perhaps I  have an overly sensitive olfactory system, but this laissez-fare attitude needs to stop!  Thankfully, in a conversation with a friend, I discovered my children are not alone and neither am I.  Many parents struggle with having their children carry through with hygiene tasks.

Change your strategies.  You want your child to wash her hands for 15 seconds. It’s hard enough to get an adult to do this, let alone a child, so here’s the trick: Ask your child to sing the Happy Birthday song. It takes about seven seconds to sing it, so during the first round they can be scrubbing; during the second they can be rinsing. Also show kids how to lather up correctly. The right technique involves rubbing hands thoroughly on both sides, as well as get in between fingers and rub the tips of fingers.

Tricks and treats can work!  A spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry came up with this strategy when his oldest child was a toddler and began refusing to brush her teeth. What did he and his wife do? They sang and danced in the bathroom, knowing that their daughter would walk by soon. When she did, she asked what they were doing. When they said they were brushing each other’s teeth, she ran away. She came back a few minutes later to find them doing the same thing, and she said she wanted to try that. Dr. Hanna replied: “Oh, you’re too little. You have to be a big person. You can’t do this.” And he closed the door. His daughter then opened the door, and said she wanted to brush too. “So we got her a toothbrush, and she brushed my teeth, and I brushed hers. Then she brushed my wife’s teeth, and my wife brushed mine,” says Dr. Hanna. “The next day, my daughter was fine.”

What are some of your tried and true tips on teaching hygiene?

I knew the day was coming. My tween recently asked, “What’s wrong with me?  Why do I have to take medication?”

ADHD runs in my family.  In fact, both my husband and I have it.  We were not treated until adulthood.  We both had different types and challenges but can remember feeling a little different and not knowing why.  We both achieved academically by hyper focusing, but it often took more time and effort for us, over the average kid.

I started seeing more issues arise when I was in college.  My husband saw them after responsibilities kept piling on and he had too much to focus on.  My daughter showed signs around Kindergarten but was treated with behavioral therapy initial, then later with medications.

Well, the time has come. She asked so we sat down and told her more specifics about the disorder and used examples of what she does that are symptoms of ADHD.  Since we give her “med vacations” she has started seeing and recognizing the difference in her ability to focus and achieve.  She is in the gifted program but has had some learning disabilities also associated with her ADHD.

Being honest with your tween and open about health issues creates trust and a foundation to get the most help for them before it is too late.  Also, finding hobbies or “escapes” that are positive help their self esteem, builds confidence and fosters time management.

This article written for O’Healthy describes the different types of ADHD.  Most kids can function until about the third grade before starting to show signs of needing intervention.  Many parents don’t want to think that their child needs help or medication.  It is a chemical imbalance of the brain and it can be genetic.

Much focus is given to the negatives of ADHD, but there are many positive characteristics as listed by Pete Quily.  The full list is found here.

• Ability to find alternate paths to overcome obstacles
• Always willing to help others
• Ambitious – you want to be everything when “you grow up”
• Artistic
• Being able to see the big picture
• Being able to see the patterns in the chaos.
• Being intuitive towards others’ difficulties
• Broad focus – can see more, notice things more
• Can create order from chaos
• Can do many projects at once
• Can make people feel they are heard
• Can see the big picture
• Can talk about several things at one time
• Can think on my feet
• Comfortable talking in front of groups
• Comfortable with change and chaos
• Compassion for others and for themselves
• Conceptualizes well
• Creative writing
• Creative – musical, artistic, “dramatic”
• Good in a crisis
• Good at customer relations
• Dedicated
• Detail-oriented
• Determined to gain more control
• Eager to make friends
• Eager to try new things
• Empathetic, sensitive
• Energetic
• Entrepreneurial
• Good at motivating self and others
• Good at multitasking
• Good at problem solving
• Good at understanding others/mind reading – empathetic
• Good conversationalist
• Good delegator and good at organizing others
• Good in emergency situations
• Good listener

When dealing with tween health issues, what is your philosophy?

With the change of season, comes many changes in health, germs and sharing amongst family members.  We have discovered that attending many functions can spread germs and create illnesses that ultimately will affect the whole family.  With the kids home for the holidays it is still important to remember to wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, and throw away used tissues.  Disinfect areas that have been contaminated with germs.  Be careful not to rush back into activities to avoid boredom or being “stuck in.”

A child can still be a carrier to illness after symptoms subside, as evidence in families where one is sick and then another member of the family gets sick a few days later.  As annoying as it is, play it smart and stay inside instead of sharing your germs.

The CDC has some great tips on holiday health issues.  Doctors recommend keeping your child away from public areas or group settings when a child has had a fever or diarrhea or a runny nose with yellow mucus in the past 72 hours.  Of course there are other symptoms such as coughs, chills, abnormal activity level.  However, fevers and diarrhea are active germ carriers and can cause the spread of a virus.

My tween came down with something the last day of school but didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to miss out on the parties.  The result: a weekend inside, and my husband catching whatever it was.  My husband’s trick to knowing if the kids are really sick is asking, “do you want….(whatever their favorite food is)?”  If they respond yes, they aren’t usually sick, if they decline they usually have come down with something.

The best advice is to play it smart.  Get seen by your doctor and plan on a week inside just in case it runs it’s course through the family.  Many health things going around this season are viral and do not have medications.  It’s a waiting period.  Take advantage of your pajama family time and stay inside!  Catch up on your sleep and use the holiday break not only as a vacation but to catch up on health appointments.

Any health advice for this holiday season?

There is nothing more moving to a mother than seeing all of my children smiling, laughing and enjoying each other.  There are so many benefits to laughter.  Lately, we haven’t had as many laughs together and after a spontaneous marshmallow fight as a family, I was reminded of the power of not taking ourselves too seriously.  I was reminded to not let the daily routine become so much a routine that you forget to live and enjoy.  I always feel better after laughing, so is there something to it?!

Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one’s threshold for pain. There’s even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things.Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits.

The following benefits are taken from an article called, The Laughing Cure written by Elizabeth Scott, MS and has been reviewed by the Medical Review Board :

Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:

• Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
• Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you “have to laugh or I’ll cry”? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
• Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.
• Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
• Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a ‘threat’ or a ‘challenge’. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as ‘challenges’, thereby making them less threatening and more positive.
• Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

What’s your laugh therapy?