The Insomnia Blog - Sleep Doctor Michael Breus, PhD

The Pillow Tie

What will they think of next? I just read about a new tie coming out next month that has a “cushy” benefit: it converts into a pillow for a midday nap.

Heads up, Dads.  You might be seeing this for Father’s Day.

The aptly named Pillow Tie looks like any normal tie when it’s worn with a suit. But behind it lies a discreet air bag in the backside with a small mouthpiece to blow up. The way the air bag is positioned, the person wearing it only has to lift the tie to his mouth and voila! He’s got a highly portable place to lay his head and get some shuteye. And, according to the manufacturers, the tie needn’t be removed from the neck at all. It also deflates in seconds (good for when the boss comes calling). Other interesting stats:

• It’s made from a microfibre and silk blend, which means it likely won’t crease or leave a mark on your face when you lie on it.

• The inflatable air bag, made from durable PVC plastic, can hold a head weighing up to 25 pounds and is completely undetectable when worn and deflated.

• Sixty designs. Lots of colors to choose from.

• Bonus: it’s touted to help not just the cubicle dweller, but can be used to cushion your head against a window on a train or in a car.

Does it live up to its marketing? The company’s slogan is clever: “Because most functions that require a necktie... deserve to be slept through.”

I love innovation, particularly when it comes to products that support sleep. From masks to monitors, there are a slew of products available today to help you get all the restful sleep you need. Don’t be afraid to try one (just don’t blame me if you’re found sleeping on the job).   

The need to invent a product to allow for comfortable napping in situations where a pillow isn’t handy (but a tie is?), tells me a few things.  There are some pretty creative folks out there.  But particularly inventive and unique products, like the pillow tie, make me stop and wonder about the rationale and the need.  If we weren’t so sleep deprived as a society, would this type of product come to market? Nothing substitutes for a great night of quality sleep. 

 

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Quality vs. Quantity

It seems impossible: could new mothers really get the same amount of sleep as usual?

That’s what one report seems to be saying…until you dig a little deeper (so don’t throw tomatoes at me yet, new moms).

According to a new study that looked at the sleep life of postpartum mothers from the birth of the babies until they were four month old, new moms may often get a decent amount of sleep—an average of 7.2 hours to be exact—but here’s the catch: they don’t get the quality of sleep they really need.

A little more than seven hours of sleep is actually better than average for most Americans, but the sleep these new moms were getting is not the kind of sleep that makes you feel refreshed and “well-rested” the next day. The study revealed, not to my surprise, that new moms experienced highly fragmented sleep that steals much-needed deep sleep. In fact, their sleep patterns mimic those who suffer from sleep disorders like sleep apnea, where you experience enough hours asleep but you don’t spend enough hours in restorative sleep.

How is this possible? It’s simple: patterns of sleep follow definitive cycles, each one lasting about 90 minutes to two hours. A new mom whose sleep is disrupted during the night may not get enough full cycles of sleep, if she gets any at all.

The old adage of quality trumps quantity rings true. You’re likely better off getting high-quality sleep for 6.5 hours than low-quality sleep for a longer period of time. This may explain why some people are okay on fewer hours of sleep than average. If you can log lots of restorative sleep in a shorter amount of time, you’re golden. Few, however, have this ability. The vast majority of us really need 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

And if you’re a new mom who whose baby, even at one year, makes it a challenge to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, there are some solutions to consider:

• Nap for a full cycle: a 20-minute power nap might not do much if you’re severely sleep-quality deprived. You would do well to try and get a full cycle of sleep into a nap, which means about 90 minutes. If your baby sleeps for that long in one of his or her siestas during the day, don’t catch up on your work at that time—take a nap too!

• Be mindful of your mood: if you feel like those post-partum blues are getting worse, speak with your doctor. Sleep deprivation can exacerbate the stress a new mom’s body goes through after giving birth. Hormonal changes add to the challenges. And all of these can further make for troubled sleep.

• Teach your partner so you can skip a feeding: I’ve mentioned this before and it bears repeating because I don’t see this happening enough. It’s not hard to teach your partner how to tend to your baby’s needs in the middle of the night so you can skip a feeding and sleep through it. Even moms who are exclusively breastfeeding can pump and have a bottle ready to go.

• Ask for help: Don’t be shy about asking for help from family and friends. A long afternoon nap while someone else takes care of your baby may be worth more than you ever imagined.

As an aside: For many parents, the onset of the new school year is like New Year’s in children’s lives. Now that summer has set with Labor Day, it’s a great time to renew commitments to health. Which of course entails a pledge to sleep better. The kids are back on a schedule. Get back to a sleep schedule too. It probably won’t be the same one as your kids’, but it’ll help you to be the best, most refreshed parent (dare I say patient?) you can be.  

 

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Acupressure Improves Insomnia

I’m all for alternative therapies to treat insomnia and enhance sleep. I’m not sure what that word “alternative” means anymore because so many treatments labeled as such are mainstream today. And real studies employing the scientific method continue to emerge for a variety of what were once called alternative therapies.

Case in point: I just read about a new study confirming what we’ve long thought to be true: acupressure can improve insomnia, and the benefits can last up to two weeks after treatment.

How does this actually work?

To start, treatment using acupressure is based on the ancient art of using pressure points to align “chakras” in the body, thought to release the body’s natural healing powers. According to this theory, the human body contains a life energy (also called chi or qi), which flows through meridians in the body. When this energy is flowing properly, a person can be healthy and the body can heal, but when the energy is not flowing properly, disease—and disturbances like insomnia—can occur. In essence, acupressure aims to “re-flow” the energy to support health.

Now that may sound far-fetched, but there’s plenty of science—and lots of anecdotal evidence—to show that whatever acupressure does can actually relieve pain and help treat an array of conditions. Unlike acupuncture, which uses very fine needles, acupressure simply uses physical pressure applied to specific points on the body. This recent study looked at the “HT7” point in particular, which is located on your wrist.

For some insomniacs, trouble with sleep can be caused by an underlying medical condition that correlates with another acupressure point on the body. For example, someone whose back pain keeps them up at night may find relief with acupressure at the spot linked to relieving that kind of pain, and so on.

Often, using your pain’s associated acupressure points can be even more helpful at alleviating insomnia than focusing only on the acupressure points that are solely for insomnia—which, by the way, go beyond a secret spot on the wrist.

The “Shimien” is famous for its relationship with relieving insomnia (some may call it the “insomnia” point). This acupressure point is located on the bottom of your foot; if you were to draw a line from both of your ankle bones to the sole of your foot, the point is where these lines overlap at the midline of the sole (just above the heel of the foot). It’s the most tender spot in this area.

But I don’t encourage you to try acupressure on yourself. This is where having a qualified acupressure therapist is key.

When you consider all the other drug-free strategies for restful sleep, you’ll find that the vast majority of techniques used to support sleep hygiene could be considered “alternative”, such as:

• Aromatherapy: employing the power of scent to lull you to sleep.
• Sound machines: employing the power of white noise.
• Taking a warm bath or sitting in a hot tub or sauna before bedtime.

And my favorite one of all: quitting all forms of work and stimulating activities within an hour of bedtime and just relaxing. And there’s nothing “alternative” about that.

 

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

 

 

Do Football Players Have a Higher Risk for Sleep-Disorders?

I’m still trying to get over the fact we’re into football season already. Monday night has millions of people glued to televisions for their pro games. This past week a news brief reported on Minnesota Vikings player Percy Harvin, who lost consciousness and had to leave practice in an ambulance on August 19^th. It was a scary incident that led to, of all things, a sleep test.

Harvin is a long-time sufferer of migraines, and at first he thought his collapse on the field was solely related to another headache. But it turns out that his problem is much simpler than that: an overnight sleep test determined that Harvin has sleep apnea. Eight times during the sleep test he stopped breathing for up to ten seconds at a time.  The doctors suspect Harvin wasn’t getting enough oxygen while sleeping, which clearly affected his performance during the day.

The reason I call Harvin’s problem “simple” is because migraines can be very challenging to prevent and treat. They are still quite a mystery. But sleep apnea has a clear solution that works on many people. The CPAP device helps regulate a person’s breathing while sleeping, and no sooner did Harvin start using one than his sleep was transformed. And so was his track record with migraines: he no longer needs medication for them. I guess a good night’s sleep is enough to keep his migraines in check.

Harvin’s recent experience brings to light a lot of similar health concerns for football players:

• The nature of the sport raises their risk for physical injury, head trauma, and fractures.
• Defensive players are encouraged to keep a certain amount of weight on, so they tend to be “overweight” according to standard body-mass-index charts, and live with a heighted risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, etc.
• Having a sleep disorder exacerbates these risks.

But here’s something interesting: a new study shoots down prior studies that have suggested that the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) among NFL players is disproportionately high. According to this latest study, which examined a total of 137 active veteran players from 6 NFL teams, SDB wasn’t nearly as pervasive among players as you’d imagine. It was “modest,” predominately “mild” and any SDB documented did not account for excess cardiovascular risk factors.

I admit, I was scratching my head at this one. I would have guessed that the scientists confirmed the obvious—that football players are more likely to have sleep disordered breathing, which in turn increases their risk for cardiovascular problems. What really surprised me was reading that linemen and non-linemen were no different in their prevalence or severity of SDB!

If there’s one takeaway to highlight here it’s the fact sleep can be the ticket to a reduced risk for headaches and migraines.  There’s plenty of research to back this up. And you don’t have to be a professional football player to appreciate that!

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

 

 

Sleep, Mortality, and Mental Decline

It’s the kind of headline that generates attention: “Insomnia Triggers Men’s Death, Kids’ Mental Decline.”

That’s what this week’s latest studies, published in the journal Sleep, are showing.

In one study, researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found that:

• Men with chronic insomnia who got less than six hours of sleep a night, were four times more likely to die in a 14-year study than those who regularly got more rest. Weight and smoking habits were factored into the difference.

In another study, this one done in Australia, another group of researchers looked at the link between sleep and mental illnesses among young people and discovered that:

• Young adults who habitually slept fewer than five hours a night were three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders than those that got eight to nine hours of shut-eye.

That’s pretty alarming. The Australian researchers surveyed about 20,000 people between the ages of 17 years and 24 years over 18 months. I’ve written numerous times about the importance of sleep for our youth, and this further confirms my recommendations. Teens need at least 8 1/2 hours of sleep a night to function best, but many aren’t getting that.

If you’ve got young adults in your home, you’re well aware of the challenges to changing household habits around sleep. It’s long been known that the effects of sleep deprivation are deadly. Sleep deprivation raises your risk for a slew of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. That’s the reasoning behind the increased risk of death among men who don’t get enough sleep. You have to wonder, though: did their poor sleep habits begin in adolescence? They may not have grown into adults with “psychiatric disorders,” but habits typically start in one’s youth.

Changing the sleep habits of a young person takes a concerted effort, starting with a simple conversation about the value and importance of sleep. This may not go over too well with teenagers who prefer to stay up late, but as with everyone else, their morning wake-up call doesn’t usually change. So to get more sleep, you have to be an enforcer:

• Change the bedtime routine and get to bed sooner.

• Set limits on things like electronics, television viewing, and engaging in stimulating activities.

• Maintain sound sleep environments.

This goes for children, their dads, and their moms. Women don’t get a free pass here. They’ll be the target of another study soon enough. And the headline will read something like Sleep: Live Longer, Stay Sharper, Be Happier.

 

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Does Your Teen Get Fewer than 8 Hours?

If so, listen up: your teen is more at risk for obesity and all the health problems connected to that (high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke…).

The link between sleep deprivation and a higher risk for obesity and related cardiovascular problems may not seem obvious. But here’s the key: when you’re sleep deprived (and yes, for the vast majority of teens, fewer than 8 hours on a regular basis qualifies as being sleep deprived), you’ll crave high carbohydrate foods—especially those that are loaded with fat, salt, and sugar.

I know, it’s not fair to crave junk food when we’re already lacking in the sleep department, but you can blame our ancient DNA on this fact. Encoded in our genes are signals to eat like this when we’re tired. Hormones that control our signals of hunger and, conversely, fullness, get thrown out of whack when we are sleep deprivation.

In a new study published this month in the journal Sleep, researchers determined that teens can’t escape this hard-wired reality that adults are saddled with. Though plenty of studies in recent years have implicated obesity with sleep deprivation in adults, not many have been performed on younger generations to find similar associations. In this latest study:

• Sleep-deprived teens consumed 2.2 percent more calories from fat;

• Ate more snacks than those who slept eight hours or more a night; and

• Ate more total calories.

And you know what that spells: weight gain. When we think of adolescents losing out on sleep, our minds quickly turn to potential accidents, and an inability to concentrate or perform well in school. Studies like this highlight the health consequences of sleep deprivation.

The health repercussions of sleep deprivation at this “tender” age may actually be worse than those of an adult. For starters, teens are establishing habits they will keep for a lifetime. A teen who gets used to eating poorly and packing on the pounds will likely grow into an overweight adult, when it’ll be that much harder to change those habits and lose the excess weight. The more fatty foods you eat, the more you crave them.

Secondly, we’re only beginning to understand the biomechanics of a developing person’s metabolism. Do teens who begin to have metabolic disturbances early in life suffer from a lifetime of irreversible higher health risks? It wouldn’t surprise me. And those higher risks may go far beyond just obesity and cardiovascular challenges. They may in fact go as far as upping the risk for cancer.

So thirdly, it’s a foregone conclusion: teens need their sleep as much as adults do. Need help establishing healthy sleep hygiene in your family life? Go here for more. Or pick up a copy of my book if you need a total makeover on the home front.

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Tai Chi, Fibromyalgia and Sleep

Every wonder what those people are doing in the park on Saturday mornings?  Or on the beach early in the morning? They are all standing in lines and seem to be moving very slowly, with purpose, with their arms or legs in very specific positions, in what looks like a beautifully orchestrated dance. They are actually setting themselves up for a good night sleep! In an article in the New York Times, a research group out of Tufts University has published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing the effectiveness of Tai Chi on Fibromyalgia (and sleep).

A clinical trial at Tufts Medical Center discovered that after 12 weeks of Tai Chi (60 minute sessions, twice per week), patients (66 subjects) with the chronic pain syndrome known as Fibromyalgia performed significantly better on measurements of pain, fatigue, depression and sleep. Subjects were then tested again at 24 weeks to see if the findings persisted, which they did. The study design was excellent, and the journal that published the study is of particular significance. Historically it has been very difficult to define Fibromyalgia, since there are no blood tests or biopsies that can be done for diagnosis. To have one of the most respected medical journals accept an article about this topic helps validate its existence. In the sleep research world we have seen some possible markers of Fibromyalgia.

When looking at sleep studies of those suffering from Fibromylagia, 40%  show a very unique brainwave called alpha-delta sleep. While this brainwave can be seen in other populations, it is interesting because it often reflects how the Fibromyalgia person reports their sleep, which is typically un-refreshing. Delta or deep sleep, includes stages 3 and 4 sleep where we see a large number of delta brain waves. This is the most physically restorative sleep, where the body re-energizes. Alpha waves are the brainwaves produced when someone is awake lying with their eyes closed. So alpha-delta sleep is your deepest sleep, but with an awake pattern thrown in, so your deep sleep does not feel so deep anymore. And maybe your physical restoration does not occur as well, causing the fatigue and pain feels often seen in Fibromyalgia patients.

Currently there are no medications to help us address alpha-delta sleep in Fibromyalgia patients, but there are some encouraging studies with the Narcolepsy medicine Xyrem.  Currently the FDA does not approve the use of Xyrem for use outside of the treatment of Narcolepsy.

In my clinical experience, many patients with Fibromyalgia have an underlying sleep disorder, and if we treat that disorder (apnea, narcolepsy, etc.), often the Fibromyalgia gets better.

With this new research in mind, there may now be more evidence of this amazing alternative therapy with the beautiful rhythm of Tai Chi to help those in need.

Sweet Dreams,

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Innocent by Sleep-Deprived Insanity?

That’s what one man is saying in one of the strangest trials of the year (maybe even the decade). When I read about it, I dug a little deeper only to find that the details of the trial were even more complicated than the claim of innocence.  Here are the facts of the case (pretend you’re in the jury box):

• Woody Smith of Dayton, Kentucky strangled his wife to death in May of last year.
• Police records indicate that Smith learned about his wife’s extra-martial affair and confronted her just before attacking her.
• He was then hospitalized for an overdose of prescription pills.
• His defense attorneys claim the violence occurred due to insanity brought on by lack of sleep, as Smith was allegedly having trouble sleeping because he was worried that his wife would leave him.
• According to his lawyers, Smith was taking caffeine pills and drinking energy drinks to get him through the day.

 From my standpoint there are two questions to address here:

1. Can you really become psychotic or delusional from sleep deprivation?
2. How can caffeine or energy drinks play into one’s propensity to kill another human being?

First, sleep deprivation itself can indeed impair someone’s judgment and ability to think clearly but that doesn’t necessarily lead to committing a murder.

Second, it doesn’t surprise me to learn that perpetrators of crimes have laid blame on lots of things to justify claims of insanity. And when used in an over dosage situation caffeine can produce paranoid, delusional behavior. While I do not know all of the specifics of this case, I would find it hard to believe that the “Red Bull” made him do it.

And you might recall me blogging about the story of Kenneth Parks, who killed his mother-in-law while he was sleepwalking. He was found not guilty, but then again…it’s not the same as killing someone while wide awake.

Though for someone like Mr. Smith, he’s facing the possibility of a life sentence that no amount of restful sleep can take away. We’ll have to see what happens here.

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

What’s in a Yawn?

We all do it. It’s a force of nature that can be embarrassing at times. If it’s excessive, it can be downright annoying and disrupting. Somehow it seems to be contagious.  I don’t think anybody can get through life without yawning thousands of times.

Just how many times does the average human yawn in a lifetime?

A better question: what exactly is a yawn?

You’d think I would have covered this question before, given the fact I’m a sleep expert and yawning is frequently associated with tiredness. But when I read a funny, brief article about yawning the other day that suggested yawning could signify erotic arousal, I decided to dig a little further into this mystifying world of a mouth wide open for a few seconds.

Technically, a yawn is a reflex of simultaneous inhalation of air and stretching of the eardrums, followed by exhalation of breath.  I know you are glad to have that explained.  But it’s the why that has most people curious, rather than the what.

Is a yawn always linked to exhaustion, fatigue or the need for sleep? Actually, no. Yawing can be connected to any number of conditions and even emotions, including stress, boredom, lack of stimulation (which can be code for boredom), and being overworked (another code for tiredness). I have no idea why yawning can be so “contagious”—watching some yawn (or, for that matter, just hearing someone yawn or even thinking of yawning) can trigger you to yawn as well. Are you yawning yet?

Strangely, we don’t actually know why we yawn. Just as sleep remains much a mystery, so does this universal human behavior. And, actually, most animals yawn. A single yawning shark can set off a yawn reaction in the entire school. A few theories exist, though, to explain human yawning:

 

• Do increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the blood induce yawning to bring in oxygen? This theory has been around since Hippocrates, but studies have since shown it to be either incorrect or flawed. Why? Because yawning may, in fact, reduce oxygen intake compared to normal respiration (breathing), not increase it.
• Is yawning the body’s way of controlling brain temperature? This theory suggests that yawning cools off the brain much like a fan cools the insides of a computer. Reptiles, for instance, might yawn to maintain their body temperature. Since most reptiles rely on ambient temperature to maintain body temperature, yawning might be a means for promoting rapid cooling down. This may also work for animals that don’t sweat. Pigs and dogs may yawn because they don’t sweat. Exposing the mouth and tonsils to the outside air may cool down the head, even if only by a few tenths of a degree.
• Does yawning satisfy the need to stretch your muscles?
• Is a yawn associated with nervousness?
• Do yawns help you to stay alert?  Some studies have suggested that yawning—especially “contagious” yawning—may have developed as a way of keeping a group of animals alert. Anecdotal evidence suggests that yawning helps increase the state of alertness of a person. Paratroopers, for instance, have been noted to yawn in the moments before they exit the aircraft.
• Is yawning a sign of dominance? Observation of dog and primate behavior has shown that alpha males and alpha females tend to yawn more frequently than do their beta counterparts. Yawning may actually be considered aggressive in certain species, since it is a chance to display lots of pointy teeth!

None of these theories has been definitely proven, and these are just the tip of the theoretical iceberg. Though some scientists are now claiming that yawning is a sign of sexual attraction rather than a desire to sleep, I’m not so sure.

We may never know exactly why we yawn or why dogs, monkeys and all other vertebrates—with the inexplicable exception of the giraffe—do it either. Perhaps giraffes do yawn, and we just haven’t (or can’t!) observe it. And perhaps humans yawn for different reasons at different times. A combination of events might trigger a yawn.

But back to the first question I posed: how many times do we yawn in a lifetime? Answer: approximately 240,000 times!

The concept of the erotic yawn emerged after many sexologists said they were consulted by people who yawned during sex. I’ve heard about excessive yawning during exercise and even during pregnancy, but not during sex.

For fun, you can view some pretty impressive pictures of animals yawning on sites like Google.

Want to know more? Well, if you’re really curious, then I suggest you plan to attend the International Conference on Yawning next year. The inaugural conference was held this year. In the meantime, enjoy your yawns —whatever they may signify. 

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com

Snoring in Children Link to Poor Academic Performance?

A recent observation made in Australia could have significant meaning in the United States: children who snore and have a bad night’s sleep could be lowering their IQ.

The domino effect goes something like this:

• A child has trouble breathing at night, which explains the snoring and sparks a bad night’s sleep.
• The labored breathing ultimately leads to a lack of oxygen.
• A bad night’s sleep translates to being constantly tired and unable to concentrate or learn new things easily.
• This in turn exacerbates developmental delays, poor memory, and behavioral problems in terms of attention, low frustration tolerance, and poor impulse control. 
• Over time, prolonged poor sleep can affect a child’s IQ and education.

I get asked about snoring children on a regular basis. Is it normal? Is it considered the same as an adult who snores?

Between 10 and 20 percent of normal children snore on a regular or intermittent basis, making the line between “normal” snoring and “abnormal” snoring seem a bit fuzzy. It’s when snoring hampers restful sleep that it should be addressed, as in adults. But there are a few things unique to snoring children.

In 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all children be screened for snoring and that a diagnosis be conducted to determine if a child is experiencing normal (primary) snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. About one to three percent of children not only snore, but also suffer from breathing problems during their sleep.

First, speak with your pediatrician to get an accurate diagnosis. Though obstructive sleep apnea among adults is commonly discussed, it’s true that children can suffer from the same condition. And they won’t necessarily grow out of it.

Although most younger children with OSA are not overweight, which is typically associated with OSA, it’s key to determine if weight is a contributing factor. Now that childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate—with 1 out of 3 kids today considered overweight or obese—it’s no surprise to me that more kids are getting diagnosed with OSA. Other underlying medical conditions, especially allergies or asthma, could also be to blame, in which case a nasal steroid spray could help improve nasal obstruction and OSA symptoms in children that also have allergies. If GERD (gastroenterological reflux disorder) is a factor, this condition could also be treated.

There could be other reasons, though, that are unique to children. A child could have been born with a small jaw or a small airway that makes it hard to breathe fully. There's also the possibility that the muscles and the nerves controlling those muscles are not well integrated during sleep and therefore do not open the airway enough. And then there’s the chance that a child has enlarged tonsils and adenoids that prevent normal breathing. This last possibility, in fact, is very common among youngsters. When the problems are significant enough, parents can choose to have their child’s tonsils and adenoids removed. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 263,000 children in the U.S. have tonsillectomies each year and sleep apnea is a major reason.

Getting to the bottom of a child’s constant snoring that affects his or her quality of life is critical during those early developmental years. But aside from addressing any medical conditions triggering the problem, it’s also important to instill good sleep habits—or hygiene—in your children from as early an age as possible. If you teach your children how to prepare for sleep and to embrace it as an healthy component to life (and that they need their sleep to enjoy their days maximally) then they will naturally lower their risk for sleep disorders and grow into adults who experience restful, rejuvenating nights on a routine basis—maybe more so than their own parents!

No one likes a cranky, overtired child. Or an adult in that same state for that matter!

Here’s another way to look at it: If your kids can increase their mood and happiness, and possibly even their IQ, through more restful sleep, wouldn’t you want to encourage that?

Sweet Dreams,

 

Michael J. Breus, PhD

The Sleep Doctor™

www.thesleepdoctor.com