by Pennie Sempell
Perpetual exhaustion is a fact of life, right? You can hear our own mother’s words in your head ‘Honey, you need a good night’s rest”. You know she is right, but how can it happen when it seems there are not enough hours in the day? I remember what my own thought bubble was after finally getting the last of my children tucked in. “Oh, good, now I can get some more things done around the house!” Better yet, in retrospect, I should have said “Now it’s my turn to wind down for sleep.”
Sleep and health: A dynamic duo Sleep is essential to good health. Poor sleep is a contributing factor, or cause, of mental and physical challenges. In my integrative health therapy practice, I encounter fatigue and insomnia as frequent complaints by my clients. I work with children and adults to learn the many skills it takes to have good sleep hygiene.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of sleep. Sleep renews you. During sleep, the pituitary gland secrets growth hormones that stimulate tissue and muscle repair. A host of chemicals naturally release in the body to activate the immune system. Sleep helps the body to defend and build itself. No wonder the sage advice when someone is sick is “Get plenty of rest.”
How much do we need? It turns out that the vast majority of people need 7.5 hours of sleep a night to function at their best, but the majority of American’s get under 7 hours. Children require even more during their growing years. Take an honest look at your sleep patterns. Are you getting 7.5 hours of sleep a night? As a nation, we are sleep deprived.
What are effects of too little sleep? Effects of sleep deprivation, in children and adults, can include irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, impaired moral judgment, symptoms similar to ADHD, growth suppression, risk of obesity, headaches, and impaired immune system.
First steps to good sleep hygiene: To be on top of your game as a parent and educator, here are a few steps towards achieving excellent sleep hygiene. #1 Recognize any sleep issues you may have. #2 What lifestyle habits do you have that may be interfering with sleep? #3 Develop skills to help you relax your mind and body. #4 Develop new habits that promote a good night’s rest.
Signs that you need some help with your sleep hygiene include comments like “I can’t fall asleep”, “I fall asleep but I wake up at 2AM and can’t fall back to sleep”, “I can’t stay awake in the day”, “I can’t get up in the morning”, or “My spouse wakes me up in the night.” More than 2 billion dollars are spent on sleep medications a year, but think about it. Do you want your child to learn how to naturally be good sleeper without reliance on medications (and its side effects)? If so, then modeling good sleep skills for your family will help you and them.
Next month, I will share more helpful facts about sleep, with a focus on helping you learn how to teach your family good sleep hygiene.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
Perpetual exhaustion is a fact of life, right? You can hear our own mother’s words in your head ‘Honey, you need a good night’s rest”. You know she is right, but how can it happen when it seems there are not enough hours in the day? I remember what my own thought bubble was after finally getting the last of my children tucked in. “Oh, good, now I can get some more things done around the house!” Better yet, in retrospect, I should have said “Now it’s my turn to wind down for sleep.”
Sleep and health: A dynamic duo Sleep is essential to good health. Poor sleep is a contributing factor, or cause, of mental and physical challenges. In my integrative health therapy practice, I encounter fatigue and insomnia as frequent complaints by my clients. I work with children and adults to learn the many skills it takes to have good sleep hygiene.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of sleep. Sleep renews you. During sleep, the pituitary gland secrets growth hormones that stimulate tissue and muscle repair. A host of chemicals naturally release in the body to activate the immune system. Sleep helps the body to defend and build itself. No wonder the sage advice when someone is sick is “Get plenty of rest.”
How much do we need? It turns out that the vast majority of people need 7.5 hours of sleep a night to function at their best, but the majority of American’s get under 7 hours. Children require even more during their growing years. Take an honest look at your sleep patterns. Are you getting 7.5 hours of sleep a night? As a nation, we are sleep deprived.
What are effects of too little sleep? Effects of sleep deprivation, in children and adults, can include irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, impaired moral judgment, symptoms similar to ADHD, growth suppression, risk of obesity, headaches, and impaired immune system.
First steps to good sleep hygiene: To be on top of your game as a parent and educator, here are a few steps towards achieving excellent sleep hygiene. #1 Recognize any sleep issues you may have. #2 What lifestyle habits do you have that may be interfering with sleep? #3 Develop skills to help you relax your mind and body. #4 Develop new habits that promote a good night’s rest.
Signs that you need some help with your sleep hygiene include comments like “I can’t fall asleep”, “I fall asleep but I wake up at 2AM and can’t fall back to sleep”, “I can’t stay awake in the day”, “I can’t get up in the morning”, or “My spouse wakes me up in the night.” More than 2 billion dollars are spent on sleep medications a year, but think about it. Do you want your child to learn how to naturally be good sleeper without reliance on medications (and its side effects)? If so, then modeling good sleep skills for your family will help you and them.
Next month, I will share more helpful facts about sleep, with a focus on helping you learn how to teach your family good sleep hygiene.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
