Sleep is no less essential than food, drink, or safety in the lives of children. Life’s demanding schedule often prevents kids from getting the critical sleep they need to develop and function properly.

Here are 10 good tips and habits to aid your child get the sleep he needs:

1. Set a regular time for bed each night. Make a regular time for bed each night and do not vary from it. Similarly, the wake up time should not differ from weekday to weekend by more than 1 to 1 and a half hours.

2. Designating your child’s bed a “sleep only” area. Make sure your kid`s bedroom is cool, dark and quiet.

3. Bedtime routine. Create a relaxing bedtime routine, such as giving your child a warm bath or reading a story.

4. Easy food. Avoid big meals before bedtimes. Drink a warm glass of milk or have a light healthy snack like fruit instead.

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Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study, reports The Independent.

• The research, sponsored by the mobile phone companies themselves, shows that using the handsets before bed cause people to take longer to reach the deeper stages of sleep and to spend less time in them, interfering with the body’s ability to repair damage suffered during the day.

• The findings are especially alarming for children and teenagers, most of whom – surveys suggest – use their phones late at night and who especially need sleep. Their failure to get enough can lead to mood and personality changes, ADHD-like symptoms, depression, lack of concentration and poor academic performance.

• The study – carried out by scientists from the blue-chip Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University in Sweden and from Wayne State University in Michigan, USA – is thought to be the most comprehensive of its kind.

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Is a lot of people who want to travel cross country without hotels, want to save on rent, or just don’t feel like driving home after a long day. Sleeping in your car may be illegal in certain places, especially if the individual sleeping has been drinking alcohol. The laws about drinking and driving differ from country to country, and can sometimes rely on a policeman’s judgment regarding whether they think you’re intending on driving before fully sobering up. The best way to keep away from potential problems is not to drink at all - however, if it is unavoidable, do not put the keys in the ignition, and certainly do not start the car, not even to run the heater. Instead, put the keys in the glove box - and be sure not to sleep in the driver’s seat. Be aware that if the car is parked on public roads, the police or other emergency services may need to ask you to move it, which can make life interesting.

Furthermore, in some places sleeping in a car may be a dangerous practice, as there could be a possibility of being mugged or even killed. If you can find a safe place, however, sleeping in your car can be an extremely useful option when making road trips. On a weekend excursion it can allow you to save money that would otherwise be used to pay for a hotel room, and it can also remove the possibility of driving unsafely after a good night on the town. It may also be necessary to sleep in one’s car for a variety of unforeseen reasons - when broken down and awaiting rescue during daylight hours perhaps, when you’re so completely lost you can’t even find a town (let alone a B&B), or when you’ve locked yourself out of the house (or someone else has locked you out), or when very bad weather has forced you to stop, or, in extreme circumstances, when you don’t have anywhere else to sleep.

Select a Spacious Car to Sleep In. If you attempt to sleep in a vehicle such a Ford Ka, you are unlikely to get a good night’s sleep. Such a vehicle is small and has thin doors that do not keep the heat in very well. A larger vehicle with a more spacious interior, such as the Ford Cortina, will offer superior comfort. Read The Full Story…

Your “sleep hygiene” describes your sleep habits. By boosting your sleep habits, you can increase your possibility of falling asleep fast, staying asleep and sleeping between seven to nine hours each night. A good night’s sleep has many health benefits. Most importantly, you will feel great.

• 1. Keep a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a “circadian clock” in our brain and the body’s need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep-in.

• 2. Create a Bedtime Ritual. Create a nightly ritual to signal that it is time to sleep. Start the ritual about 30 minutes before you lie down to help release stressful thoughts and be ready to sleep when you lie down. A little quiet reading (not in bed) or a warm bath can be great. Avoid watching TV, since it stimulates your brain.

• 3. Do not use alcohol or tobacco products close to bedtime. Use of these products may calm you at the time of use, but they can have disrupting effects on your sleep during the night.

• 4. Do exercises daily. Daily exercise will improve your chances of falling asleep quickly and sleeping deeply. Try to exercise early in the day and never within three hours of bedtime. Exercising too late in the day can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. A daily exercise habit will not only improve your sleep hygiene, but it will also improve your overall health.

• 5. Only Sleep and Have Sex in the Bedroom – No TV. The bedroom should be used only for sleep and sex. That means no reading in bed and no TV in bed. Doing these things (or anything else) confuses your body, making it difficult to fall asleep. Give yourself about 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you haven’t fallen asleep by then, get out of bed until you are sleepy. You can do some quiet reading (pick something boring), but avoid TVs and computer screens. Remember, your goal is to train yourself to fall asleep quickly. Reading a stimulating book, watching TV or doing anything else undermines that. Read The Full Story…

Snoring is a worldwide health concern that affects more than fifty percent of all adults and, yes, it can be successfully treated without the need to spend any more money on ‘yet another’ stop snoring treatment, or even worse still, on dangerous surgery.

But there’s no such thing as a ‘wonder snoring cure’, so stop looking for it right now because it doesn’t exist! In fact, if you do ever read about one, put it in the snake oil category along with magic potions to re-grow hair on a bald head. It’ll simply be a con.

Instead, the two best natural stop snoring treatments are to firstly address your daily food and drink intake and secondly, assess the impact of the lifestyle choices that you have made on whether you snore or not.

Otherwise you will always be behind the eight ball, because these contributing factors that may well be causing your snoring in the first place will still be there to haunt you and your sleeping partner, night after noisy night.

For example, it’s common knowledge that milk can cause upper respiratory tract congestion, which then may exacerbate snoring. But most snorers are unaware that consuming certain specific carbohydrates groups after 3pm, such as potatoes and dried fruit, can also influence whether they snore of not. Read The Full Story…

Note: This guest post was written by Dr. Rick Donald. Check out his websites: www.stopmysnoringnow.com and www.slimtone.com.au .

• Snoring is definitely no laughing matter. You may think it funny, even make jokes about it, but please, think again. Snoring is not only an annoying inconvenience for those sleeping within earshot, it can also be an indication of more deep-seated health issues. Snoring has been linked to marriage break-ups, engagements being called off, being socially black-listed when weekends away with friends are organized … even death.

• Now this last complication is a big call I know. And I am not talking here about a frustrated sleeping partner finally flipping out and pulling the trigger. Instead I am referring to actually dying either in your sleep, or departing from this world as a direct result of your snoring.

• Scary thought isn’t it, but it does actually happen. And unfortunately, the probability of this occurring actually affects more people than most of us would care to imagine. If someone does die as a result of their snoring, it is usually due to complications that have arisen as a result of the respiratory disorder Obstructive Sleep Apnea (O.S.A.).

• However luckily most snorers suffer from what is often referred to as ’simple snoring’. They do not have the breathing disorder Sleep Apnea and this article primarily refers to this more common form of snoring. If you do feel that you may have O.S.A., always have it checked out by a healthcare professional because as mentioned, it can lead to serious health issues developing. Read The Full Story…

Sleep and weight loss have a power connection. They are invert relation: sleep loss, weight gain and sleep more, weight loss. Sleep loss appears to do two worst things that affect our weight: boost the appetite that makes you take in more calories and reduce the metabolism which helps to burn calories.

Study:
Researchers at Laval University in Quebec looked at 276 people for six years who were part of a larger Canadian study.

Sleep duration was determined from a questionnaire and the participants were classified into three groups: short sleepers slept five to six hours a night, the average got seven to eight hours, and the long sleepers put in nine to 10 hours of sleep every night.

Some of the findings:
Over six years, short sleepers were 35% more likely to gain 11 pounds than average-duration sleepers.
Over the same time period, long sleepers were 25% more likely to gain 11 pounds than average-duration sleepers.
Short sleepers gained 58% more around their waists and 124% more body fat than the average sleeper.

Sleep Apnea and Weight
Weight loss to treat sleep apnea can create an interesting dilemma. While losing weight reduces the symptoms of sleep apnea, losing weight when you have sleep apnea can prove to be a difficult undertaking. The reason for this is simple: when you can’t get enough sleep, you are too tired to exercise for weight loss. Read The Full Story…

A power nap is a short nap, normally between 10 and 30 minutes long, taken in the middle of the day in order to reinvigorate and refresh you for the next part of the day. Power naps are not similar to normal sleep, so you will not be groggy after taking one. While you might have “dreams”, power naps are more similar to meditation, where thoughts are allowed to move from the sub-conscious mind to the conscious mind and back again without you concentrating on them.

How to Power Nap Effectively:
- Don`t be shame - be proud of your nap, announcing your intentions in advance toworkmates or family members. Napping is great for your health and productivity.
- Choose a time of the day when you are most likely to crash, such as the mid-morning or in the middle of the afternoon. Plan to nap between 10 and 30 minutes in your quiet spot during those times. The time limits may vary depending on how much sleep your body will need to renew its energy.
- Choose a quiet, location to power nap. One thing you want to make sure is that you have a silence place that you can power nap without being interrupted or distracted by environmental factors, such as cars or ground maintenance workers. If you choose to power nap in your office, then make sure that you post a sign that lets people know that you are power napping and not to disturb you.
- Collect your equipment blankets, pillows and, where possible, a foldout bed will ensure you get the most out of the rest, and help you separate naptime from the rest of the day
- Eat right - Avoid caffeine and sugar. If you choose to practice power napping, then you want to make sure you avoid eating too much caffeinated or sugary products before you power nap, as these can obviously obstruct with your ability to sleep. Read The Full Story…

Choosing the right sleeping position is the most important thing what you need to consider to help you sleep better and wake up more rested.There are a number of sleeping positions that you might find comfortable and at the same time promotes proper blood flow. Having a correct sleeping position would prevent that stiffness and soreness you might experience during mornings.

1. Sleeping on your side (with arms on the sides or with legs bent)
Sleep on your side with your legs drawn up slightly toward your chest and a pillow between your legs. Use a full-length body pillow if you prefer.
This position can help keep your skips level and reduce any pain you might have there.
Also , this position may be particularly helpful if you have osteoarthritis in the spine, spinal stenosis — a narrowing in the spine — or hip pain.

2. Sleeping on your back (with arms by the side or with arms by the head)
If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back. You might try a small, rolled towel under the small of your back for additional support. Support your neck with a pillow.This position is helpful if you have low back pain. Read The Full Story…

There are many factors, both internal and external, that can influence the quantity and quality of your sleep. Food can be a common source of creating a chemical origin for insomnia. You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night.

Here are a ten “Not-to-do” lists that may improve your quality of sleep:

1.Eat right, sleep tight. Try not to go to bed hungry, but avoid heavy meals before bedtime. An over-full belly can keep you up. Some foods can help, though. Milk contains tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting substance. Other foods that may help promote sleep include tuna, halibut, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, and bananas.

2. Avoid napping. Napping can only make matters worse if you usually have problems falling asleep. If you do nap, keep it short. A brief 15-20-minute snooze about eight hours after you get up in the morning can actually be rejuvenating.

3. Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed. The bed should be used for sleep and sex only. If not, you can end up associating the bed with distracting activities that could make it difficult for you to fall asleep.

4. Avoid smoking. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which has been linked to difficulty falling asleep and problems awakening. Also, when smokers fall asleep, they experience nicotine withdrawal, which may cause them to awaken. Read The Full Story…