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Everyone can appreciate a good night’s rest. It is especially appreciated and missed when we do not have one. Why can’t every night be a solid eight hours of good sleep then? What causes us to toss and turn some nights and wake up feeling like we never went to sleep? There are several possible culprits to examine. By learning about what they are, we can all work on getting that good night’s rest.

Caffeine

Do you drink coffee at night? Or soda? You could be consuming tons of caffeine, which in turn keeps you awake at night. Sometimes we’re not even aware that we are drinking caffeinated beverages because theyhave become such a routine part of our day. And even if you do fall asleep, the caffeine can keep you from a good, solid sleep. Try cutting out caffeine anytime after 6pm. Drink milk instead. The age-old habit for children is actually spot on. Dairy foods have tryptophan, an amino acid that your body converts to melatonin and serotonin, both of which are thought to induce sleep.

Naps

It can be difficult to avoid naps sometimes, particularly when you get home from work and your brain is taking a break from the stress of the workplace. But, if you want to be tired at bedtime, then don’t cut into your sleep time by taking a nap earlier in the day. If absolutely necessary- you just can’t keep your eyes open- then a power nap should be okay. A power nap is a short sleep that ends before your body enters into a deep sleep. It’s easier to bounce back from a power nap then it is from a longer one. This is because a person is more likely to be groggy if the body has entered into a deep sleep cycle but wakes up and is unable to complete it. The average duration of a power nap is fifteen to thirty minutes.

Stimulation

Avoid stimuli that are going to get your adrenaline going and make it more difficult for you to fall sleep- for at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. This can be anything from video games, going on the computer, exercise, or TV. The more active your brain is when you are trying to fall asleep, the less likely the probability that you will fall asleep. Additionally, even if you are able to fall asleep, it may reduce the quality of your sleep. This could mean waking up frequently or tossing and turning. Activities right before bedtime should be conducive to falling asleep; even better, if they’re slightly boring, they can actively help you drift off to sleep.

Consistency

A consistent sleep schedule should not be discounted. Parents are encouraged to put their children on a sleep schedule because it’s healthy for the body. It shouldn’t be any different for adults. Our bodies prefer to work in a rhythm. It is why we get jet lag when we fly to a drastically different time zone. When you allow yourself to fall into a sleep schedule, your body will physiologically reinforce your habits. Eventually, when your body recognizes the sleep schedule you have set for it, you will find it easier to fall asleep at the appointed time. Conversely, when you do not follow a routine, you have probably noticed that it is more difficult to wake up and fall asleep.

Recently, with the H1N1 flu (or swine flu) making headlines, people are concerned have become concerned about the safety of their children at school. Is there a high likelihood that children can catch it from their classmates? How serious is it really? How can they work to protect their children against it? It is reasonable and understandable that parents are concerned. Colleges across the country are dealing with outbreaks so why wouldn’t our local public schools be at risk as well?

The goods news is that measures can be taken to keep children healthy. Parents should be vigilant about several factors when sending their children off to school in the morning.

Cleanliness

Staying clean, not just of dirt but of germs, is crucial. Children should be told to wash their hands frequently throughout the day. And, of course, it is crucial that parents teach their children how to wash their hands effectively. Even better would be a hand-washing and to have their kids carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer with them in their backpacks. Hand sanitizer is excellent at preventing the transmission of germs by killing them instantly, in addition to being a convenient option when hand washing is not a possibility.

Stay Healthy!

Sharing Food and Drink

Parents should talk with their kids and explain that sharing foods and especially drink are a good way to spread germs. This means no sharing beverages and no eating leftovers from their friends’ lunches. It’s important to stop illnesses from spreading.

Coughing and Sneezing

Manners aside, using a tissue to cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing is necessary to keep germs from spreading. Parents should teach their children to sneeze or cough into their shirt sleeve rather than the air or their hands. This is a better alternative to accidentally coughing or sneezing on someone, or leaving germs on the hands.

Staying Home

Finally, although it can be tempting to send kids to school when they only have a minor cold, it may end up harming other children who are healthy. In the end, it is better to keep sick children at home. They will get better faster with the rest, and the teachers and other parents will be appreciate it.

Vitamin D is has always been associated with the bones. Bone-related issues that arise later in life, such as osteoporosis, are a result of lack of Vitamin D consumption. Recent research has suggested, however, that Vitamin D affects several other conditions, including:

• Diabetes
• Weight Gain
• Muscle Ache
• Cancer
• Mood (That’s right; Vitamin D is your mood swing fix!)

Unfortunately, the amount of Vitamin D we need is simply not feasible with our current lifestyle. Our lifestyle has changed dramatically in the last 1000 years and Vitamin D got kicked out of the ring sometime in the interim.

Double Vitamin D Intake

Due to the broad spectrum Vitamin D encompasses, doctors are suggesting that children double the amount of Vitamin D intake; that’s 400 units instead of 200.

Beyond getting your child, or yourself, some Vitamin D supplements, here’s additional things you can do increase Vitamin D intake:

• Sun exposure; it’s summer, get outside! The prescribed amount is 5 to 30 minutes twice a week without sunblock.
• Drink fortified milk or eat fortified cereal (Did you know that Vitamin D is not naturally in milk?)
• Eat leafy, green vegetables

The Vitamin D Cure

Lorna Garano released a book called The Vitamin D Cure, in which he discusses the importance of Vitamin D:

CNN announced a recall of food due to E. coli found in cookie dough and beef:

The cookie dough is much easier to follow than the beef. The cookie dough specifically being recalled is Nestle. Nestle has offered full cooperation and expresses concern for consumers already hospitalized by the E. coli. The recall occurred when the federal Centers for Disease Control claimed its preliminary investigation of 65 hospitalized people in 29 states showing “a strong association” between eating the raw cookie dough and illness.

While cooking with the cookie dough would likely remove the harmful bacteria, consumers often prefer to eat the cookie dough raw.

The beef recall is a little more tricky. Due to the beef going through JBS Swift Beef Co., a beef distributor before packaging, and then grocery shop distribution, it is difficult to locate which beef is contaminated. Their recall is wide-ranged, according to the Wyoming Business Report:

The beef products suspected of carrying the bacteria were produced on April 21 and are in boxes marked “EST. 969” with a package date of 042109 and a time stamp ranging from “0618” to “1130.”

E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that may cause diarrhea and kidney failure. According to the reports, the beef has already lead to two people sickened to the point of kidney failure, and 18 out of 24 cases that showed the same strain of E. coli (through DNA testing).

Make sure to take caution with your cookie dough and beef consumption this summer! It might prove better to direct your diet towards different treats and meats.

Coverage of the swine flu is sweeping print, broadcast and online media and world health organizations are taking swift and comprehensive measures to control the spread.But just how dangerous is the swine flu to you and your family? You should always be as hygienic and safe as you can, but before you resort to drastic measures, let’s examine the facts as to just how potentially deadly and worrisome this virus is.

The first factor to consider in how dangerous the Swine Flu is is that those diagnosed in the United States thus far have had very mild symptoms.There has only been one US death thus far and that came from a very immune-compromised child who had just returned from Mexico.The seasonal flu that occurs every year kills an average of 35,000 people each year, so there is no reason to believe that the Swine Flu is any more deadly or dangerous than the seasonal flu.

Finally, keep in mind that unless you have been exposed to Swine Flu directly, your chances of contracting it are very slim. So if you feel a cough or stuffed nose coming on…don’t panic! It is probably just your regular run of the mill flu and nothing to be worried about.