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Study Connects Snoring to Behavioral Problems

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Another study has found a link between sleep-disordered breathing in young children and a higher risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems later on. This is the largest study that has focused on this topic. Could this connection be part of the reason why your child has ADHD? Sleep-disordered breathing is a phrase used to describe a wide variety of health issues that result in sleep related breathing abnormalities. This could include situations where a child chronically snores, engages in mouth-breathing (instead of through his nose while sleeping), or apnea. Children, and adults, who have sleep apnea seem to stop … Continue reading →

Linking Financial and Physical Health

A recent poll from the Associated Press and AOL Health took a look at the link between financial health (or lack thereof) and physical health. The poll was conducted in March and April of 2008 with more than one thousand adults from forty-eight states. The last time a poll like this was conducted was 2004. Comparing the two polls found that debt-related stress is fourteen percent higher now than it was four years ago. A research psychologist on the study estimated that between ten and sixteen million people are living in debt and suffering physically from the stress. Respondents in … Continue reading →

The Anxiety of Growing Up

It can be tempting to think of childhood and the growing up years as being one nonstop romp for our kids. It can also be tempting to imagine that the parent is the one who is anxious and stressed and sad to see that little one grow into adult. The fact is, however, that growing up can be anxiety-producing for kids too. I know firsthand that during some of those major developmental leaps and, especially now that my kids are on the eve of adulthood, there can be a great deal of emotion and anxiety on their part associated with … Continue reading →

Having Trouble Sleeping? (4)

In this the concluding article in the present series on getting a better night’s sleep, we look at the issues of using alcohol as a sleep inducer and the importance of daily exercise in getting a good night’s sleep. But you can’t just exercise at any time, so read on! 6. Give the nightcap a miss Although alcohol is a well known muscle relaxant and it does make you more relaxed, it sounds like an excellent sleeping aid, right? Wrong! Alcohol is often used to unwind at the end of a long and stressful day but unfortunately taking alcohol before … Continue reading →

Having Trouble Sleeping? (3)

So far we have addressed poor sleeping habits such as not waking at the same time each day, using the bedroom for activities other than sleeping, the trouble with lights in the bedroom, and the emotional effects of a messy bedroom. You can find the links to the first two articles in this series below. Today we look at the issues of anxiety and stress in sleep disorders. 5. Worry and anxiety and their effect on sleep We all intuitively know that anxiety and worry are professional sleep killers. Yet we can’t always avoid worry and anxiety in our lives, … Continue reading →

Having Trouble Sleeping? (2)

In our previous blog on better sleeping habits (see link below), we looked at the importance of getting up at the same time each day, including weekends, and the detrimental effects of electronic appliances such as televisions in the bedroom. Today we’ll look at more tips for getting the health and beauty sleep that you need. 3. Declutter your bedroom Is your bed a rumpled mess with sheets half pulled off and blankets tossed onto the floor? Does the rest of your bedroom look like a hurricane’s been through it? Be honest, would you have trouble knowing whether a burglar … Continue reading →

Having Trouble Sleeping? (1)

Sleep is essential to good mental health and even just a good life! One night of bad sleep can interfere with your day. It’s no wonder then that chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with your life. The main causes of poor sleep are depression and anxiety, together with structural throat problems. But there are also other, less critical, reasons for that “tired all the time” feeling. Let’s have a look at some basic sleep hygiene rules. 1. Irregular waking patterns Sleep researcher Dr. Adam Fletcher claims that waking up at the same time every day is a cornerstone of good … Continue reading →

Have You Failed to Recognize Your Child’s Anxiety Disorder?

We assume that parents intuitively know when their child has a problem. Yet in about half the cases of childhood anxiety, mom and dad have failed to recognize what is going on (Berstein and Layne 2004). See if you’ve observed any of the following symptoms in your son or daughter (he or she may have several or many): The child: worries about as many as six things at a time. has difficulty falling asleep, unlike most children who are sleeping twenty minutes after going to bed. wakes in the night or early morning and can’t get back to sleep. has … Continue reading →

More concerns with Prozac and other SSRIs

A psychiatrist who headed at team of researchers at Columbia University in New York City has found that young mice given Prozac grow into adult mice who display emotional problems, chiefly depression. The results add to the growing unrest concerning the effect of Prozac and other SSRI-type antidepressants on young children, adolescents, and the embryos of pregnant women. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac, Paxil and many other antidepressants in this family are coming under increasing scrutiny as their long term effects are not known. In the Columbia University experiment, young mice were injected with Prozac and given … Continue reading →

Anxiety and sleeping problems

If you’re an anxious person, chances are you also experience sleeping problems from time to time. Depending on individual anxiety levels and environmental stressors in your life, the natural sleep process can be easily disturbed by stressful events which, in turn, lead to further stress and fatigue. Where stress is chronic, sleep disorders may occur. Problems with the wake-sleep cycle are common both among anxious people and those undergoing long periods of periods of stress or depression. When we are stressed, serotonin, a neurotransmitter which performs important roles in the processing of messages in the brain, can affect melatonin levels. … Continue reading →