Fixing your children’s sleep problems may improve their grades and their behavior.

The new school year is upon us. From bedtime battles to the misery of morning call, summertime sleep habits die hard. Late summer nights combined with early school start times, and the stresses of just being a kid, deprive our children of essential sleep. And sleep deprivation often wreaks havoc with health, academic performance, and behavior. It is an unrecognized epidemic.

From elementary school through high school and beyond, a great many of our children are chronically sleep-deprived. With more than more than 2/3 of all children having some kind of sleep problem, and most adolescents not getting enough sleep, many will struggle to meet the barrage of new challenges, demands, and emotions of a new school year. It is not widely recognized and appreciated just how pervasive and critical quality sleep is for brain development and how it directly influences daytime functioning, performance, mood, and behavior. When was the last time your doctor or school teacher asked about your child’s sleep? Parents wouldn’t think of letting their child skip meals or run into a busy street, but staying up late is very often of little concern. It shouldn’t be.

Sleep Affects How Your Child Thinks, Feels and Functions and Impacts Academic Performance
More and more research studies demonstrate that daytime sleepiness from chronic sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep has significant impacts on daytime behavior and academic performance, as well as concentration, attention, and mood. Even 20 fewer minutes of needed sleep may significantly affect behavior in many areas. One study showed that those students with C’s, D’s and F’s got about 25 fewer minutes of sleep and went to bed an average of 40 minutes later than A and B students. The pediatric research findings are startling and alarming:

• Poor sleepers reported being significantly more depressed, without energy, tired, tense, moody, stressed, irritable, and less rested and alert than good sleepers. Interestingly and importantly, they were also more likely to have a negative self-image, which, in light of the above, is not surprising.
• Insufficient sleep has been associated with daytime fatigue, inability to concentrate in school, ADHD, a tendency to doze off in class, problematic behaviors, and lower levels of social skills. One study showed that teachers believed that some children with sleep disturbances were hyperactive and less attentive.
• Persistent sleep problems are associated with learning difficulties throughout the school years. In fact, several studies suggest specific academic deficits, including poor school performance.
• Poorly performing first graders with sleep disordered breathing showed significant improvement in their grades after treatment.
• Poorly performing seventh graders were 2-3 times more likely to have frequent and loud snoring.
• Poorly performing middle schoolers were more likely to have snored in early childhood.
• Poor sleepers were more likely to display type A behavior patterns.
• Teenage insomnia has been related to anger, depression, difficulty with school adjustments, and stress. And studies suggest that insomnia often begins early in life and persists into adulthood.
• Sleep-disturbed elementary school-age children may have poorer coping behaviors and display more behavioral problems at home and in school.
• Several studies report that more total sleep, earlier bedtimes, and later weekday rise time are associated with better grades in school.
• Those with poor grades are more likely to sleep less, go to bed later, and have more irregular sleep/wake habits.
• Failure rates on exams for medical students were markedly higher (42%) for frequent snorers than for non-snorers (13%)

From Elementary to High School, Sleep Problems Are Pervasive and Widespread

You may be surprised to learn how prevalent sleep problems are. In studies of elementary school-age children, nearly 40% showed some kind of sleep problem, and 10% had daytime sleepiness.

Adolescence: Sleeplessness impacts personal health and public safety

With increasing freedom from parental control, social activities and academic challenges, sleep is not exactly a high priority for adolescents, and the sleep time most teenagers get is insufficient: the average is under 7 1/2 hours, with only 15% sleeping 8 1/2 hours or more on school nights and more than 25% typically sleeping 6 1/2 hours or less. Up to half of adolescents reported at least occasional difficulty falling or staying asleep, with up to 13% experiencing chronic and severe insomnia.

Sleepless adolescents are not just tired teenagers. They are at increased risk for negative moods, impaired memory, motivation and ability to think and make good judgments. Drowsy driving together with “microsleeps” (i.e., unintended sleep episodes) add up to increased automobile accidents, of which teens are heavily represented.

Late to Bed, Early to Rise, Makes Us Cranky, Moody and Cry

The first day of school often initiates a cycle of poor sleep and problematic behaviors that may be difficult to break. It goes something like this:

• Late Bedtimes, Early Start Times: Late summertime bedtimes collide with early school start times; so kids start the new school year being sleep-deprived.
• Sleep Debt Builds: Each day they lose more sleep, building up a “sleep debt” that, like all debts, must be paid-off.
• Weekend Catch-up – There’s a Catch: Now comes the weekend, and we feel good that our child sleeps late, catching-up on all that sleep. But wait just a minute – there’s a catch to that catching-up: it is actually a big red flag that your child is not getting enough sleep, and late weekend sleeping actually perpetuates the whole dysfunctional sleep pattern.

Interestingly, a study in which school start times were moved from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., resulted in children getting an hour more sleep each night and improved attendance.

Late-night-type, rebellious adolescents are predisposed to this pattern and often complain that it is very hard to fall asleep, easier to fall asleep if bedtimes are later, hard to wake in the morning, late to school and sleep late on weekends.

Sound Familiar?

What to Look for in Your Child: Signs, Symptoms and Typical Tactics

Results from the National Sleep Foundation’s 2004 Sleep in America poll may (or may not!) surprise you:

• Infants most often seem sleepy or overtired during the day (29%) and/or wake too early in the morning (21%) at least a few days a week.
• Toddlers most often stall about going to bed (32%), resist going to bed at bedtime (24%) and/or seem sleepy or overtired during the day (24%) at least a few days or nights a week.
• Preschoolers most often stall about going to bed at bedtime (52%), resist going to bed at bedtime (30%), seem sleepy or overtired during the day (26%), snore (19%) and/or have difficulty waking in the morning (19%) at least a few days or nights a week.
• School-aged children are most likely to stall about going to bed (42%), have difficulty waking in the morning (29%) and/or snore (18%) at least a few days or nights a week.

Does My Child Have a Sleep Problem? Awareness Is Key

Given the prevalence and enormous impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning, we should all regularly look at our own children to see if they are getting the sound sleep they deserve. For some it may be obvious, but for most of us it requires some education, investigation, and a keen, watchful eye. This is because few of us really know what normal, healthy sleep should be, plus there is a great deal of individual variation among children and at different ages. Sleep deprivation is also difficult to detect because sleep problems are masters of disguise, often masquerading in myriad manifestations. Consider that:

• Children rarely complain about sleep problems. A study of adolescents showed that very few sought help for their sleep, even though some considered their problems to be very severe. Another found that almost 90% of adolescents say that they need more sleep, but how many parents have heard their child say, “You know, I think I am going to go to bed early tonight.”
• Adolescent sleepiness is so prevalent that it almost seems normal. Though bedtimes get later and later, the biological need for sleep in adolescents does not decease with age.
• Parents may overestimate the amount of sleep their child gets, because we may be unaware of when our child actually falls asleep, as well as night awakenings. Research has shown that medical conditions may cause or contribute to sleep problems even when overt medical symptoms seem well controlled. For example, asymptomatic children with asthma and gastroesophageal reflux may have poor sleep and daytime fatigue. Allergies may cause respiratory distress when sleeping. In one study, almost 1/3 of the children in elementary school reported significant body pains during the night, of which parents were largely unaware.
• Enlarged tonsils can cause intermittent breathing problems by physically blocking the airway. One study showed an increase in grades in children with sleep disturbed breathing after tonsillectomies.
• Sleep deprivation may present itself in many ways other than daytime sleepiness — inattention, poor concentration, moodiness, behavioral problems, and poor academic performance and social skills, to name a few. Interestingly, poor sleepers were found not to be consistently more tired than good sleepers, and they were actually least tired in the evenings, when most good sleepers were tired.

What Can I Do? Think Sleep!

With so many hidden faces of sleep deprivation, you must be aware and “think sleep.” As a parent, if you do not recognize the problem, it may well go unrecognized. You will also likely implement any remedies required. Early intervention is important, given the consequences and that children do not “grow out of” sleep problems; rather, the sleep problems of childhood tend to persist into adulthood.

What Can I Do? Think Sleep! continued…

Talk with you child. Just taking the time to ask some of the right questions can go a long way. If there is a problem, discuss it and make a plan agreeable to all. Include detailed targeted behavior changes and rewards.

With your child in school during the day and with after-school activities and part-time jobs for many, it is critical to talk with teachers, coaches, bosses, etc. to see if your child is exhibiting any signs of sleep deprivation. This may involve you taking some time to educate the educators.

Teach your child good sleep habits, also known as “sleep hygiene”.

• Establish sleep-healthy bedtimes, bedtime routines, habits, and diets. If late bedtimes are an issue, try ticking back bedtimes in 15 minute increments every night or other night until you get to a bedtime where your child wakes up easily and refreshed.
• Identify and reduce as much daytime stress as possible.
• Limit TV and other “screen time” (computers, video games), especially at bedtime, and do not put a TV in your child’s bedroom: children with a TV in their room tend to go to bed later and get less sleep than those without, and those kids who get less sleep are more likely to spend 2 or more hours watching TV.

As in everything in life, do your best to be consistent and ask for help. Do not hesitate to call your doctor or sleep specialist. It’s too important not to.

CREDIT: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/fixing-sleep-problems-may-improve-childs-grades-and-behavior

Getting kids to take a healthy lunch from home is one way to fight the high-fat, high-sugar, and high-sodium offerings found in many school cafeterias and vending machines, says McAllister, author of Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.

But even McAllister — a family practice doctor in Kingsport, Tenn., who specializes in nutrition and weight loss — concedes that in the end, parents have to let kids make a lot of their own food choices. “You can’t be completely hard-nosed about this,” she says.

The crusade to get children to eat more healthfully during the school day is one that McAllister and other health-care professionals, educators, and parents are serious about — and with good reason.

Public school lunches must meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for nutrition (for example, no more than 30% of their total calories can come from fat). And many schools take pains to make sure their offerings include healthy choices. But that’s not necessarily translating to our children eating better at school.

One reason, many experts say, is the “a la carte” items offered alongside the standard school lunch, or sold at in-school snack bars or vending machines (often, proceeds go to help the schools meet their budgets). Further, some physicians’ groups believe that the USDA guidelines don’t go far enough to ensure that children eat healthfully.

Several recent studies have offered less-than-encouraging news:

• A 2003 study by University of California-San Diego researchers found that middle school students were taking in too much fat at school. The researchers estimated that the average student was consuming 26 total grams of fat at school — although a healthy figure would be more like 20 grams. Some of this extra fat came from snack items sold in vending machines and student-run stores. But the study also found that the average cafeteria-cooked lunch had 31 grams of fat, compared with only 21 grams found in lunches students brought from home.
• A May 2004 study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that vending machines in public schools are stocked mostly with high-fat snacks and sugary drinks and may be undercutting federal efforts to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The researchers looked at more than 1,400 school vending machines. They found that 75% of beverages offered in the machines were high-sugar sodas and imitation fruit juices, and 80% of the available snack foods were candies, chips, or sweet baked goods.
• A March 2004 study by Baylor College of Medicine researchers found that when children moved up to middle school from elementary school, they started consuming less fruit, milk, and vegetables, and more sweetened drinks and high-fat vegetables (like french fries). The snack bars often found in middle schools might be part of the reason, the researchers say.

All this is despite the fact that poor eating habits in children not only contribute to childhood obesity but also may increase the risk that they will develop certain chronic diseases as adults, experts say. The prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. has doubled since the 1970s.

What’s a Parent to Do?

Much as you might like to, you can’t follow your children around school all day to make sure they’re choosing healthy foods. So what’s a parent to do?

McAllister, of course, thinks bringing lunch from home is the best alternative. Not only does this let you decide what they have for lunch, but it also helps keep them away from the vending machines.

“There’s no guarantee what the kids will use their lunch money for once they get to school,” she says. “You have no control over where that money goes once they leave home.”

It’s important for kids to have choices, though, she says. So before you pack their lunches or hit the grocery story, ask them what they want: What kind of fruit would they prefer? Which vegetable? What kind of dip? (Kids love to dip, she says; chop broccoli into bite-size pieces and add a container of fat-free dip, and your kids might actually eat their veggies.)

This doesn’t mean junk food is an option. “Let the kids have tons of choices, but make sure they’re good choices,” McAllister says. “A choice between a Ho-Ho and a Ding-Dong is not a choice.”

Try to include the five food groups in every lunch, McAllister says: protein, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods. “Kids don’t have a lot of time to eat,” she says. “You need to get the most nutrition into them in the least amount of time as possible.”

And skip the cookies or other sweets. “Dessert is a treat, not a staple,” McAllister says.

If bringing lunch to school isn’t considered “cool” among your children’s friends, make sure your children get to select their own lunch bags — whether it’s a trendy lunch box with their favorite celebrity or action figure, or an attractive insulated bag that looks more like a fashion accessory than a lunch carrier.

If your children want to buy their lunch at school, encourage them to choose the salad bar, if that’s an option, says McAllister. Lean ham, shredded cheese, fruits, and vegetables are good choices, she says.

Avoid Brown-Bag Boredom:

If you run out of fresh ideas for brown-bag lunches, here are a few suggested by Jody Villecco, Whole Foods Market’s top nutritionist, and Jyl Steinbeck, author of 10 cookbooks for healthy living, including the upcoming Busy Mom’s Make It Quick

Cookbook:

• Mozzarella cheese sticks with baked tortilla chips, a container of salsa, and orange segments
• Fruit, cheese, and meat kabobs: Alternately thread turkey (or other low-fat meat), cheese cubes, bell pepper, and pineapple chunks on Popsicle sticks.
• Yogurt parfait: A 6-8 oz. container of low-fat yogurt, a snack pack of low-sugar, high-fiber cereal, berries, grapes, apple slices, and/or banana
• A low-fat tortilla spread with low-fat cream cheese, sprinkled with shredded carrots and raisins.
• A pita pocket stuffed with lunchtime favorites like tuna, turkey and/or cheese, and chopped vegetables (or with peanut butter and jelly).
• Cinnamon-raisin pita bread stuffed with cream cheese and grated carrots.
• Whole-wheat bread with peanut butter, banana, and chopped dates.
• A hollowed-out red or green pepper stuffed with tuna salad.
• A hollowed apple filled with a mixture of farmer cheese, granola, and raisins
• Scooped-out dinner rolls filled with tuna or egg salad.

Reality Check

Even if you pack the most delicious lunch imaginable, it’s not likely you’ll be able to keep your children away from the vending machines 100% of the time.

Not to worry, says McAllister — as long as your children don’t eat the snacks instead of a healthy lunch, and as long as they don’t overdo it.

“As long as most of your child’s lunches are healthy, an occasional soda, bag of chips, or candy bar is not a problem,” she says.

Not all vending-machine choices are bad, either. The Center for Science in the Public Interest notes that some of the best ones include unsweetened applesauce cups and fruit cups, cereal mix, low-fat milk, granola bars, dried fruit, bottled water, and 100% juice

So just how do you get your kids to make these kinds of choices? That’s where educating them about good nutrition at home — and, especially, modeling healthy eating behaviors — comes in. “Parents should eat healthy meals themselves,” says Charles Shubin, MD, director of pediatrics at Mercy FamilyCare in Baltimore and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland. “They have to set the example.”

Christine Gerbstadt, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, couldn’t agree more.

“Kids need the support of both their family and their school to make sound nutritional choices,” she says.

Reviewed by: Louise Chang, MD

CREDIT: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/what-are-your-kids-having-for-lunch

Most kids have been teased by a sibling or a friend at some point. And it’s not usually harmful when done in a playful, friendly, and mutual way, and both kids find it funny. But when teasing becomes hurtful, unkind, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying and needs to stop.

Bullying is intentional tormenting in physical, verbal, or psychological ways. It can range from hitting, shoving, name-calling, threats, and mocking to extorting money and treasured possessions. Some kids bully by shunning others and spreading rumors about them. Others use email, chat rooms, instant messages, social networking websites, and text messages to taunt others or hurt their feelings.

It’s important to take bullying seriously and not just brush it off as something that kids have to “tough out.” The effects can be serious and affect kids’ sense of self-worth and future relationships. In severe cases, bullying has contributed to tragedies, such as school shootings.

Why Do Kids Bully?

Kids bully for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they pick on kids because they need a victim — someone who seems emotionally or physically weaker, or just acts or appears different in some way — to feel more important, popular, or in control. Although some bullies are bigger or stronger than their victims, that’s not always the case.

Sometimes kids torment others because that’s the way they’ve been treated. They may think their behavior is normal because they come from families or other settings where everyone regularly gets angry, shouts, or calls names. Some popular TV shows even seem to promote meanness — people are “voted off,” shunned, or ridiculed for their appearance or lack of talent.

Signs of Bullying

Unless your child tells you about bullying — or has visible bruises or injuries — it can be difficult to figure out if it’s happening.

But there are some warning signs. You might notice your child acting differently or seeming anxious, or not eating, sleeping well, or doing the things that he or she usually enjoys. When kids seem moodier or more easily upset than usual, or when they start avoiding certain situations, like taking the bus to school, it may be because of a bully.

If you suspect bullying but your child is reluctant to open up, find opportunities to bring up the issue in a more roundabout way. For instance, you might see a situation on a TV show and use it as a conversation starter, asking “What do you think of this?” or ”What do you think that person should have done?” This might lead to questions like: “Have you ever seen this happen?” or “Have you ever experienced this?” You might want to talk about any experiences you or another family member had at that age.

Let your child know that if he or she is being bullied — or sees it happening to someone else — it’s important to talk to someone about it, whether it’s you, another adult (a teacher, school counselor, or family friend), or a sibling.

Helping Kids

If your child tells you about a bully, focus on offering comfort and support, no matter how upset you are. Kids are often reluctant to tell adults about bullying. They feel embarrassed and ashamed that it’s happening. They worry that their parents will be disappointed.

Sometimes kids feel like it’s their own fault, that if they looked or acted differently it wouldn’t be happening. Sometimes they’re scared that if the bully finds out that they told, it will get worse. Others are worried that their parents won’t believe them or do anything about it. Or kids worry that their parents will urge them to fight back when they’re scared to.

Praise your child for being brave enough to talk about it. Remind your child that he or she isn’t alone — a lot of people get bullied at some point. Emphasize that it’s the bully who is behaving badly — not your child. Reassure your child that you will figure out what to do about it together.

Sometimes an older sibling or friend can help deal with the situation. It may help your daughter to hear how the older sister she idolizes was teased about her braces and how she dealt with it. An older sibling or friend may also be able to give you some perspective on what’s happening at school, or wherever the bullying is happening, and help you figure out the best solution.

Take it seriously if your hear that the bullying will get worse if the bully finds out that your child told. Sometimes it’s useful to approach the bully’s parents. In other cases, teachers or counselors are the best ones to contact first. If you’ve tried those methods and still want to speak to the bullying child’s parents, it’s best to do so in a context where a school official, such as a counselor, can mediate.

Many states have bullying laws and policies. Find out about the laws in your community. In certain cases, if you have serious concerns about your child’s safety, you may need to contact legal authorities.

Advice for Kids

The key to helping kids is providing strategies that deal with bullying on an everyday basis and also help restore their self-esteem and regain a sense of dignity.

It may be tempting to tell a kid to fight back. After all, you’re angry that your child is suffering and maybe you were told to “stand up for yourself” when you were young. And you may worry that your child will continue to suffer at the hands of the bully.

But it’s important to advise kids not to respond to bullying by fighting or bullying back. It can quickly escalate into violence, trouble, and someone getting injured. Instead, it’s best to walk away from the situation, hang out with others, and tell an adult.

Here are some other strategies to discuss with kids that can help improve the situation and make them feel better:

• Avoid the bully and use the buddy system. Use a different bathroom if a bully is nearby and don’t go to your locker when there is nobody around. Make sure you have someone with you so that you’re not alone with the bully. Buddy up with a friend on the bus, in the hallways, or at recess — wherever the bully is. Offer to do the same for a friend.
• Hold the anger. It’s natural to get upset by the bully, but that’s what bullies thrive on. It makes them feel more powerful. Practice not reacting by crying or looking red or upset. It takes a lot of practice, but it’s a useful skill for keeping off of a bully’s radar. Sometimes kids find it useful to practice “cool down” strategies such as counting to 10, writing down their angry words, taking deep breaths or walking away. Sometimes the best thing to do is to teach kids to wear a “poker face” until they are clear of any danger (smiling or laughing may provoke the bully).
• Act brave, walk away, and ignore the bully. Firmly and clearly tell the bully to stop, then walk away. Practice ways to ignore the hurtful remarks, like acting uninterested or texting someone on your cell phone. By ignoring the bully, you’re showing that you don’t care. Eventually, the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother you.
• Tell an adult. Teachers, principals, parents, and lunchroom personnel at school can all help stop bullying.
• Talk about it. Talk to someone you trust, such as a guidance counselor, teacher, sibling, or friend. They may offer some helpful suggestions, and even if they can’t fix the situation, it may help you feel a little less alone.
• Remove the incentives. If the bully is demanding your lunch money, start bringing your lunch. If he’s trying to get your music player, don’t bring it to school.

Reaching Out

At home you can lessen the impact of the bullying. Encourage your kids to get together with friends that help build their confidence. Help them meet other kids by joining clubs or sports programs. And find activities that can help a child feel confident and strong. Maybe it’s a self-defense class like karate or a movement or other gym class.

And just remember: as upsetting as bullying can be for you and your family, lots of people and resources are available to help.

Reviewed by: Michelle New, PhD

CREDIT: http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html#

# 1:  Horseback riding

There’s no running around with this sport, but if you’re taking proper lessons, your thighs will get one hell of a workout via posting, jumping and just generally holding yourself in the saddle. I trained and competed for many years, and I never felt overexerted or exhausted from riding. If your kid hates the sports they offer at school, this may be one he or she loves.

#2:  Pool

I’ve been competing at pool since I was 13 and I was 11 when I started learning. I was lucky in that I was able to play for free a lot of the time, otherwise, this can be an expensive hobby. You don’t have to rush out and buy a pool table, but if you do, you’ll probably be the coolest parents on the block.

#3:  Golf

Hey, you might have the next Tiger Woods sitting across the kitchen table from you. No running around in this game, to be sure. You do need some upper body strength, obviously, but it should be safe for kids who overheat or have issues with running about.

#4:  Archery

I think I was an Amazon in a past life, because I have always loved archery, and I excelled at it. There are junior archery leagues around and kids love playing Robin Hood. Again, you need some upper body strength, but not much. Archery is great fun kids love it!

#5:  Shooting

Some parents get freaked out about this one, but for those who don’t, shooting is a lot of fun and teaches kids how to use and respect a firearm. You do not have to buy one and keep it in your house. I loved riflemen competitions at camp, they were loads of fun.

#6:  Bowling

What kid doesn’t like bowling? No running around in this sport, just hideous clothing and shoes. I always wanted my own bowling ball with my name on it — your kids would probably love to have the same thing if they had the chance to get into this sport.

#7:  Curling

Curling is like shuffleboard on ice. At least, that’s what it seems like to me. There is actually an Olympic category for this, so it’s definitely a sport!

#8:  Table tennis (ping pong)

You may not think of this as a sport, but thems would be fighting words in Asia! Have you seen the Chinese play this? I wouldn’t mess with them! Another Olympic category, so don’t think this one isn’t a sport!

Also: Biking, Fencing, Badminton, and Swimming!

CREDIT: http://hubpages.com/hub/Sports-Ideas-For-Non-Athletic-Kids

- NothernKentuckyMedia.com, LLC