Get a Good Night Sleep
Here are few tips for good night sleep and sleep hygiene :
- Go to bed at the same time everyday.
- Set aside enough time to get the 7 hours of sleep.
- Aviod caffeine, heavy and spicy foods, and alcohol 4-6 hours before hitting the bed.
- Block any distracting lights and noises, computers or any other blinking devices.
- Only engage in sleep and sex in bed; don’t watch TV, or read or eat.
- Exercise regularly but not before bed-time.
Reason For Teenage Obesity
Dr. Catherine Berkey and colleagues from Harvard Medical School, Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), surveyed more than 5000 girls, 14 - 21 years from all 50 states, and their weekly habits were recorded. The researchers found that more Internet time, more alcohol consumption, and less sleep resulted in extra weight gain. Girls who consumed 2 or more alcoholic beverages a week or slept less than 6 hours at night gained more weight. Girls who use Internet in addition to alcohol and sleep gain 4 extra pounds a year. Researchers are encouraging adolescent girls to replace recreational Internet time with more sleep, and avoid alcoholic beverage consumption to lose their weight.
Shorter REM And Overweight
A research done by Xianchen Liu, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, showed the association of short sleep time and overweight in children and adolescents. It’s mostly attributed to reduced REM sleep. When compared with normal-weight children, overweight children slept about 22 minutes less, shorter REM period, and lower REM activity, density and had lower sleep efficiency.
Poor Sleep Leading To Suicidal Behavior
According the study done by a researcher from Sao Paulo University in Brazil, poor sleep cycle was more associated with with pediatric bipolar disorder and pediatric unipolar disorder. There is a significant relation between suicidal behavior and the presence of sleep complaints. Moreover, the suicidal behavior in adults can start in childhood. Therefore, parents please pay close attention to your child’s sleeping cycle.
