SLEEPING HEALTHY IS SLEEPING RIGHT

RONIE R. CALLADA

Educators and parents should help children understand that a few small changes can improve the quality of their child’s sleep.

At least 70% of kids nowadays said they wish they could get more sleep. There are things we should encourage them to do to get a good night’s sleep. Doing some exercise, maybe 3 hours, helps the body get ready for sl eep .

The exercise should be done earlier in the day, however, never within a couple of hours before going to sleep.

Sodas with caffeine are a no-no especially in the afternoon or evening. How about trying to go to bed the same time every night? This would help the body get its rhythm.

But avoid lights from a screen (TV, computer, game, phone, tablet) because they interfere with the production of melatonin.

Just 30 minutes of TV before bed can mess with melatonin enough to keep the young ones up an extra two hours, research says.

So, turn off ALL screens 2 hours before bedtime to help the kids sleep. While allowing kids to sleep a little later on weekends and holidays is generous, it can set them up for long, sleepless nights because the extra hours of sleep will affect their body like jet lag, making it hard for their body to feel tired at bedtime.

What can be done to make up for lost sleep is opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late.

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The author is Secondary School Teacher I at Basa Air Base National High School