The Importance of Sleep and Routine for Young Children

Quality sleep can fill you with vigour, and no one requires more energy than a child does. Without adequate night-time sleep, kids can display behavioural issues, have trouble learning and experience wellness issues. Sleep problems in children are astonishingly frequent. Read on for more information on the symptoms of common sleep disorders in children, how they can impact their growth and the treatment choices available.

When they are first born, children have irregular sleep patterns and may only sleep for a couple of hours at any one time. Nevertheless, over the period of twenty-four hours, they will average around sixteen hours total sleep time. Once they start getting older, the amount of sleep young children require, will gradually lessen. While a pre school toddler may still require up to twelve hours sleep per day, once they begin school, that number will reduce to some ten hours. Nevertheless, no two youngsters are the same and each will have their own unique sleep pattern.

It is well known that a child who has a sleep problem will also develop behavioural and attention problems in school. Various studies have reported that approximately thirty-seven percent of all school aged children experience significant, nocturnal sleeping issues. Problems may include a reluctance to go to bed, interrupted sleep, nightmares and sleepwalking. In older children, bedwetting can also become a challenge. Sleep problems are also common in children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder or ADHD. It is essential to try to work out if these issues, particularly if your youngster has problems falling asleep, are a side effect of any ADHD medication they might be taking.

Sleep problems in children can without doubt be defeated if a natural sleep schedule is adopted to ensure that your youngster gets adequate rest. Start by establishing a quiet time before bedtime. This is a good time to take a bath and read a story. By unwinding and relaxing, your child will be able to fall asleep quicker. Once the body adjusts to a set schedule, he or she is more likely to be sleepy at the same time every night. If your child suffers from night-time terrors or nightmares, then make her more comfortable by turning on a night light in the bedroom and letting her to sleep with a favourite teddy bear or other cuddly toy. Physical comfort, such as a firm sleep system is also essential to a good night of sleep, as well as roomy and cosy pje's.

Seeing a physician can treat sleep problems in children. In more serious cases, you can be referred to sleep disorder centres in your area. It is broadly speaking, not a good idea to treat children with sleep medication, but there are cognitive therapy techniques that can help your child sleep sounder and live healthier.

4 Things To Assist In Getting Your Teenage Children To Open Up To You

Our teenagers' lives are often a closed book to parents and however hard we might try they simply will not let us open this book and read what is inside. But how are we going to protect our children and guide them into becoming self-sufficient and self-confident adults when we do not know what they are doing, where they are going, who they are spending time with, what they are thinking and how they are feeling?

Well, here are four tips which might help to open that closed book at least enough to get a glimpse inside it.

Tip 1 – Begin when your kids are young. It is a lot easier to keep a relationship moving along than it is to start it up in the first place and this is especially true with our kids. If we begin from the day they are born and build a strong and close relationship with them then life will be fairly easy when they reach those difficult teenage years. However, if we keep our distance, or simply do not have time to get close to them when they are young, then it is going to get increasingly difficult to do so as they grow older.

Tip 2 – Find common ground. All of us have things which we like to do on our own but it is also important for partners to share interests and to have some things, like gardening, cooking or hiking which they enjoy doing together. This is not only the case with partners though and should also extend to parents and their children. Accordingly, seek out something, and preferably two or three things, that you and your children can enjoy doing together as a family and that will give you a common interest to talk about.

Tip 3 – Make time to listen to your children and maintain an open mind. During their teenage years children frequently form opinions very quickly and frequently without a sufficient understanding of the issues at hand. This in turn means that they will often come out with comments that you find concerning or which you simply neither like nor agree with. Nevertheless, take the time to listen to what they have to say and try not to be judgmental. It is of course to tell them that do not agree with them or do not approve of something provided you go on to explain why and do not turn what you are saying so that becomes an attack on them.

Tip 4 – Spend time with your children. One of the main concerns for many teenagers is that they cannot spend sufficient time with their parents and this is frequently seen as a case of their parents not caring enough about what they are doing or how they are feeling. One major result of this is that teenage children also frequently feel unable to talk to their parents if they have a problem and want help.

Nowadays many of us lead very busy lives but were we talking about a client instead of our own kid you can bet your bottom dollar that we would find the time needed for that client. Well, our kids are far more important than any client and so it really should not be too hard to make some time each day, or at the very least every week, to devote ourselves solely to our kids for a while.

There are many different ways of ensuring that we spend sufficient time with our kids and frequently it is just a matter of organizing ourselves better. One simple way to achieve our aims is to make sure that the whole family sits down to dinner each evening and that this becomes a time to both eat and talk. Another way to spend time with your teenagers is to drive them to school each morning instead of letting them ride the bus. One more idea is to play sport as a family once or twice a week. There are numerous ways to spend time for your kids if you put your mind to it.

Parenting is not easy and this is especially true when it comes to providing help for troubled teens but always remember that hundreds of thousands of parents are already been down this road and are only too willing to let you have some parenting advice if you just ask for it.

Searching For the Best Fabric for Your Crib Bedding

Girl baby bedding: pink and frilly. Boy crib bedding: space explorers. I think you've forgotten something! Baby bedding is cute, but there is much more to consider than just appearances.

It can be difficult to tell if a baby has any allergies or sensitivities, and most nurseries are planned before the baby is even born. That is why you need to choose your baby bedding based on materials first and appearances second. If it's good, the baby bedding will have a list of fill materials and fill power - higher fill means fluffier and longer-lasting. It will also tell you the thread count and the cover fabric. The first thing you might consider is the warmth of the bedding, especially if you're having a winter baby, but it should also be lightweight and breathable. All the information you need should be available online, so take the time to research different baby bedding options.

No one wants their baby to suffer from allergies, so choose fabrics that reduce the risk, like cotton or wool (that also includes alpaca or llama wool). Avoid synthetic fabrics, as many of them don't breathe and they may break down as they age, cause the release of toxic gases. If you have decided on a bedding set such as a baby bedding set, that is primarily cotton but doesn't have some polyester, then you will have to decide if the small risk is worth it to get the bedding you really want.

Not everyone agrees, but many people state that their preference is for wool blankets because of their softness and comfort. When choosing a wool blanket, look for an organic or unbleached cotton flannel. Smaller blankets are perfect for swaddling; larger ones are just right for car trips and naptime.

Down comforters can be a great choice - they have a natural filler that is both lightweight and warm at the same time. It is important to look for one that is machine washable because babies will be babies. The cleaner the down inside the comforter, the less likely it will cause sensitivities. The oxygen and turbidity tests are used to measure the cleanliness of down filler. For the oxygen test, a lower number is better - with 10 being the government standard. The turbidity test works in the opposite way, with a higher number being better.

Follow These Rules for Healthy Eating When You Are Pregnant

Your pregnancy test came back positive, and you are excited.What you eat now will have a big impact on the health of you and your baby.Eating the right foods will help you avoid pregnancy complications.  Learning what to eat during pregnancy has never been easier than it is now.  

First, remember that once you hit the second trimester, good nutrition during pregnancy requires that you eat about 300 more calories a day. Getting enough calories without overdoing it is important, as both you and your baby need the energy.Just because you need extra calories does not mean you can take over at the buffet table.This is only 300 calories.  A glass of milk or one banana equals 100 calories and a slice of whole wheat bread, and ounce of cheese and a half of cup of grapes equal 200 calories.If you eat this way, you will find that the amount of food you eat is actually more than if you just gave in and had that donut with sprinkles you have your eye on. 

Your baby will be better off if you eat at least 3 servings of protein every day.Protein will supply important building blocks for your baby.  Protein is very easy to come by and your options are endless.  You can drink 3 glasses of milk,  and  you can have 2 cups of yogurt along with 3 ounces of cheese. Four daily servings of calcium are also important for you and your baby.In addition to supplying your baby with the calcium needed for bone growth, you are also protecting your bones.Milk, cheese, yogurt and even ice cream are excellent ways to get the calcium you need. 

Aim for at least three servings of vitamin C.  Your body does not store vitamin C so you need a fresh supply of it every day.  You can eat fruit or almost any vegetable to get your vitamin C in.  You also want to make sure you get three to four servings of green leafy and  yellow vegetables and fruits.  Most of these veggies and fruits will also count toward your vitamin C intake, so that is double the benefit. 

Iron is without a doubt one of the most important nutrients you need when you are pregnant.You will need to get more iron than ever when you are pregnant.It is important not to ignore this.Not enough iron can cause anaemia, so be sure you are getting enough.  If you feel that you are not, talk to your doctor and he might be able to prescribe you a iron supplement. You should get in one to two servings of all other fruit and vegetables that are not known for their vitamin A and C value, but are still good for you all the same.Some examples in this category are banana, apples, and onions.You need to get 6 or more servings of grains and legumes daily.These foods are loaded with vitamins B and E, and they can also have fibre that can keep you regular.   Try eating brown rice, whole wheat breads and even air popped corn to get  your servings of whole grains and legumes in. 
A fit pregnancy gives your baby the best chance for healthy development.  And while it is always a good idea to eat well every day, when you are pregnant it is essential that you eat well every day.