10 Ways to Reset Your Sleep Cycle

By Camille Peri
WebMD Feature

Travel, shift work, or even a few nights up worrying can upset your sleep. They can throw off your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that controls when you sleep and wake.

You don't have to take sleep problems lying down. Try these 10 tips to get your sleep cycle back in sync.

Nix the Nightcap for Better Sleep?

Joanne Brucker, 47, grew up with European parents, who considered it traditional to drink wine with dinner each night. But eventually she noticed her nightly quaffing was interfering with her slumber. "I tried to keep it up," she says, "but anything more than two glasses definitely kept me from falling asleep. Why does alcohol before bedtime affect me so much?" Simply put, alcohol makes it hard for you to stay asleep and sleep well, says J. Todd Arnedt, PhD, clinical assistant professor at...

Read the Nix the Nightcap for Better Sleep? article > >

1. Use Bright Light in the Morning

Your body's clock is "set" by cues like light, darkness, and when you eat or exercise. Light is the strongest of these cues. It tells your brain whether it's night or day, and that tells you when to sleep.

When you wake up, turn on bright lights and throw open the curtains to bring in daylight.

2. Dim the Lights in the Evening

Too much light at night pushes your sleep time later. To cut down on light at night:

Keep lights low near the end of the day. Turn off bright overhead lights.Ban laptops, tablets, cell phones, and TVs from your bedroom -- and don't use them in the hour or so before sleep. "Our eyes are most sensitive to the bluish light that electronic screens emit," says Yo-El Ju, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo.If you're on the overnight shift, wear sunglasses from the time you leave work until you get home.

3. Time Your Meals

When you eat may affect your internal clock, according to Harvard researchers who tested that on animals. They suggest that shifting meal times may help people handle changes in time zones or work schedules.

Say you are traveling from the U.S. to Japan -- an 11-hour time difference. If you fast for 16 hours, about the length of the flight, and then eat as soon as you arrive, it could ease jet lag.

At home, keep a regular routine for meals and exercise. That helps steady your internal clock and your sleep.

Go to bed and get up at about the same time, too, even on weekends.

4. Limit Your Time in Bed

If you lie awake when you're in bed, temporarily restricting your sleep may give you better, deeper sleep.

First, log the hours you sleep each night for a week or two. Average them out. Let's say that you sleep about 4 hours a night. If you need to get up at 6 a.m., start going to bed at 2 a.m.

Don't nap during the day. "You want to build up your sleep drive," Ju says. Once you're sleeping solidly the whole 4 hours you're in bed, gradually move your bedtime 15 minutes earlier until you're back on track. Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

5. Limit Caffeine

You may be tempted to use caffeine to get over the afternoon hump. Don't. Instead, avoid caffeine after lunch. It can affect your sleep that night.

View the original article here

Sleep Apnea May Boost Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

Study findings bolster suspected link between sleep disorder and heart-related death

By Kathleen Doheny

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep apnea raises the risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a long-term study that strengthens a link doctors have suspected.

"The presence and severity of sleep apnea are associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death," said study leader Dr. Apoor Gami, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Midwest Heart Specialists-Advocate Medical Group in Elmhurst, Ill.

The new research is published online June 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Sleep apnea -- in which a person stops breathing frequently during sleep -- affects about 12 million American adults, although many are not diagnosed. The diagnosis is made after sleep tests determine that a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more at least five times hourly while sleeping.

Some research suggests that sleep apnea is on the rise, in part because of the current obesity epidemic.

Sudden cardiac death kills 450,000 people a year in the United States, according to study background information. It occurs when the heart unexpectedly and suddenly stops beating due to problems with the heart's electrical system. Those problems cause irregular heartbeats. The condition must be treated within minutes if the person is to survive.

Electrophysiologists are cardiologists who treat these heart rhythm problems.

In earlier research, Gami and his team had found that patients with sleep apnea who suffered sudden cardiac death often did so at night, a completely opposite pattern than found in others without sleep apnea who had sudden cardiac death.

"That was the first direct link [found] between sudden cardiac death and sleep apnea," Gami said.

In the new study, the researchers tracked more than 10,000 men and women, average age 53, who were referred for sleep studies at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, mostly due to suspected sleep apnea, from 1987 through 2003. After sleep tests, 78 percent were found to have sleep apnea.

During the follow-up of up to 15 years, they found that 142 had sudden cardiac arrest, either fatal or resuscitated.

Three measures strongly predicted the risk of sudden cardiac death, Gami said. These include being 60 or older, having 20 apnea episodes an hour or having low blood levels of oxygen.

This "oxygen saturation" drops when air doesn't flow into the lungs. "If the lowest oxygen saturation was 78 percent, or less, their risk of [sudden cardiac death] increased by 80 percent," Gami said. In a healthy person, 95 percent to 100 percent is normal.

Having 20 events an hour would be termed moderate sleep apnea, Gami said.

Gami found a link, not a cause-and-effect relationship, between sleep apnea and sudden cardiac death. He can't explain the connection with certainty, but said there are several possible explanations. For example, sleep apnea is related to the type of heart rhythm problem that causes sudden cardiac death, he said.

View the original article here

Treating Sleep Apnea Pays Off at Work, Study Finds

THURSDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- Treating sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder, boosts people's productivity at work, according to a new study.

Sleep apnea interrupts breathing during sleep, causing people with the condition to wake up throughout the night. Previous research has shown that people with sleep apnea are less productive at work, usually because of excessive daytime sleepiness.

The new study looked at whether using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during sleep improved the participants' productivity. With CPAP, a patient wears a mask connected to a machine that sends pressurized air into the throat to keep the airway open throughout the night.

The study included 45 people, aged 40 to 56, with sleep apnea who completed questionnaires before and after three months of CPAP treatment.

The 35 patients who closely followed the treatment program had significant improvements in their daytime sleepiness levels and in their work productivity, but this was not the case for the 10 patients who did not follow the treatment program, the investigators found.

The study was scheduled for presentation Thursday at a meeting of the European Respiratory Society and the European Sleep Research Society in Berlin, Germany.

"Continuous positive airway pressure is the gold standard treatment for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea," study lead author Dr. Evangelia Nena said in a European Lung Foundation news release. "Previous research has shown the potential benefits of CPAP to patients' health and quality of life, and our findings add to this body of evidence, demonstrating the advantages the treatment can have on productivity at work."

Data and conclusions of research presented at meetings typically are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: European Lung Foundation, news release, April 10, 2013

View the original article here

Poor Sleep May Worsen Heart Woes in Women, Study Finds

But lack of shuteye doesn't seem to have same effect on inflammation levels in men

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Poor sleep appears to contribute to the progression of heart disease in women by raising their inflammation levels, but this effect was not seen in men, researchers say.

"Inflammation is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular health," lead author Aric Prather, a clinical health psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a university news release.

"Now we have evidence that poor sleep appears to play a bigger role than we had previously thought in driving long-term increases in inflammation levels and may contribute to the negative consequences often associated with poor sleep," Prather added.

Previous research has shown that sleeping fewer than six hours per night may raise the risk of chronic health problems, including heart disease, and is associated with higher levels of inflammation.

This new study included nearly 700 men (average age 66) and women (average age 64) with coronary heart disease. Among the women, poor sleep quality was significantly associated with increases in markers of inflammation over five years. However, this was not the case among men.

Most of the women in the study were postmenopausal and their lower levels of estrogen could help explain the link between poor sleep and higher levels of inflammation, the study authors suggested.

"It is possible that testosterone, which is at higher levels in men, served to buffer the effects of poor subjective sleep quality," Prather's team wrote in the study published online June 5 in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

The researchers said their findings reveal potentially important gender differences and provide evidence that increased inflammation may be a major way that poor sleep contributes to the progression of heart disease in women.

Although the study found an association between self-reported poor sleep quality and increased signs of inflammation among older women with heart disease, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

View the original article here

Better Sleep for Baby –- and You

Kara Cantrell knew she was in trouble by the second night after her son was born. "He screamed through the night," remembers the 41-year-old actor from Atlanta. "I'd
had a 4-day labor and C-section and was just a mess. And there was this screaming creature and I didn't know what to do."

A couple months later, things weren't much better. Just when her son seemed to be settling into a sleep pattern, he'd switch things up. "Suddenly he'd get up six times a night, or he'd sleep miraculously for 10 hours," Cantrell says.

About the only thing parents can predict about their newborn's sleep cycles is that they'll be unpredictable. "When babies are first born they're all over the place," says Jodi Mindell, PhD, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep. Hunger -- or a lack of it -- usually determines when a newborn sleeps and wakes. By around 3 months, babies start making the hormone melatonin, which puts their sleep cycle into a more regular rhythm.

Every baby's sleep needs are different. Newborns can sleep 10 to 18 hours a day. From 4 months to about 1 year of age, they'll sleep 9 to 12 hours at night, with a couple added naps during the day. But remember, most babies will sleep only about 5 to 6 hours at a time to start. Still, even a 5-hour interval will give you some rest.

After your baby is about 4 months old, running into the nursery at every whimper can set a pattern that's hard to break.

"You really want to start having your child fall asleep independently so that they're not dependent on rocking, nursing, going in the stroller," Mindell advises. "Then when they wake up in the middle of the night, they can fall asleep on their own."

Wrapping your baby in a blanket can help him feel secure enough to drift off to sleep. When you swaddle, make sure your baby's legs can bend at the hips, to avoid hip problems later. Also, make sure you only swaddle when you're awake and watching him. If your baby is alone in the crib, no blankets should be on or around him (you want to lower the risk of SIDS).

"Unless you plan on having a family bed indefinitely, don't co-sleep with your baby, thinking you'll transition them to their own crib at some point in the future." -- Sara DuMond, MD

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD Magazine." 

View the original article here

Is a CPAP machine the only treatment option for my sleep apnea?

Posted May 29, 2013, 2:00 am

I have sleep apnea. My doctor has urged me to use a CPAP machine, but it’s too uncomfortable. Are there other options?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing stops or becomes shallower many times each night. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your upper airway collapses or gets blocked during sleep. These airway obstructions starve your brain of oxygen and stress your cardiovascular system. Untreated sleep apnea increases your risk of high blood pressure, stroke and premature death.

OSA can be treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine keeps your airways open as you sleep by delivering continuous air pressure through a mask worn over your nose and mouth. But many people find it uncomfortable, and as a result, they use CPAP inconsistently — or not at all.

Some new treatments may provide more comfortable alternatives. Discuss the pros and cons of these options with your doctor:

APAP is an “autotitrating” version of positive airway pressure (PAP). It continuously adjusts the pressure in your airway as your needs fluctuate during the night.Custom-made mouthpieces slide your jaw forward to keep your airway open. They are called “mandibular advancement systems,” or “MAS” for short. In recent years, studies have shown that MAS devices really work — and nearly as well as CPAP and APAP. For people who cannot tolerate CPAP, these devices can be valuable.Another device called Oral Pressure Therapy creates a negative pressure that “sucks” the tissues in the back of your throat forward, preventing the collapse of the upper airway. This device is approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, and received recognition in the 2012 Wall Street Journal Technology Awards, for which I have served as a judge.Expiratory pressure resistance valves are disposable devices that stick to your nostrils. The valves force your own breathing to pressurize your airway and hold it open. These devices have not yet been as carefully studied as the MAS devices.

You should also talk to your doctor about medications you’re taking. Medications can help or hinder sleep apnea. For example, narcotic painkillers, sedatives and muscle relaxants can worsen sleep apnea. On the other hand, a sleep drug might help when you’re first getting used to a treatment device.

Lifestyle changes can also help. If your sleep apnea occurs only when you sleep on your back, switch to sleeping on your side. Try losing weight, which almost always reduces the severity of apnea. In some people, it eliminates the problem altogether. Finally, limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol may make you sleepy, but it can worsen your sleep apnea symptoms.

When a person’s obstructive sleep apnea is caused by very enlarged tonsils, surgery (tonsillectomy) can cure the condition. However, it is unusual for there to be such a correctable cause of sleep apnea.

If you do decide to try a treatment device, remember that it works only if you use it.

window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({appId: "199616670120169", status: true, cookie: true, xfbml: true});}; (function() { var e = document.createElement("script"); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js"; document.getElementById("fb-root").appendChild(e);}());

View the original article here

Tots' Sleep Differences Due to Genes, Environment, Study Suggests

But parents should still try to correct bad sleep habits, expert says

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- A new study of twins suggests that genes may play a big role in how long babies and toddlers sleep at night, while environment is key during nap time.

Researchers found that among nearly 1,000 twins they followed to age 4, genes seemed to explain much of the difference among youngsters' nighttime sleep habits. In contrast, napping seemed mainly dependent on the environmental setting -- especially for toddlers and preschoolers.

So does this mean the amount of sleep your little one gets at night is out of your control?

No, said the lead researcher on the study, which was published online May 27 in the journal Pediatrics.

"[Parents] should not give up on trying to correct inadequate sleep duration or bad sleep habits early in childhood," said Evelyne Touchette, of Laval University in Quebec, Canada.

For one, the study found that environment did matter in babies' and toddlers' nighttime sleep -- and even seemed to overshadow genes by the age of 18 months.

The reasons for the findings are unclear, Touchette said. But she said it makes sense that environment would matter more at the age of 18 months versus 6 months, when the maturation of the brain may be key in infants' ability to sleep for longer stretches at night.

There's no clear explanation, though, for why genetic influences became stronger again after the age of 18 months, Touchette said.

A sleep researcher not involved in the study said it's not really possible to break down children's sleep into "nature or nurture" questions.

"Everything is a complex interaction between genes and environment," said Hawley Montgomery-Downs, an associate professor of psychology at West Virginia University in Morgantown.

It's not possible, she said, to parse out what proportion of young children's sleep duration is due to genes, and what proportion is environment.

For the study, Touchette's team followed nearly 1,000 Canadian twins whose mothers reported on their sleep habits from the ages of 6 months through 4 years. About 400 children were identical twins, which means both twins share all of the same genes; the rest were fraternal twins, who are no more genetically similar than non-twin siblings.

In general, such studies can help researchers sort out the influences of genes versus "shared environment," which could include anything from a mom's diet during pregnancy to family income.

When it came to hours slept at night, genes seemed to explain more than half of the variance among children at the ages of 30 months and 4 years. Genes were nearly as important at the age of 6 months.

The exception was the age of 18 months, when environment seemed to account for about half of the variance among the children.

View the original article here

Weekend 'Catch-Up' Sleep May Cut Young Drivers' Crash Risk

Study found 21 percent higher chance of accident among those who slept less than 6 hours a night

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Young drivers who get behind the wheel while drowsy run a higher risk of getting into car crashes, but Australian researchers have found that not catching up on missed sleep on weekends puts them in even greater danger of having an accident at night.

"This is another challenge to adolescents that comes with lack of sleep," said Dr. Flaura Winston, co-scientific director and founder of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"You have to be ready, body and mind, to drive," she said. "If you are exhausted, you are neither ready body nor mind."

In tackling this challenge, both parents and the community have roles to play, said Winston, who was not involved with the study.

"This is a safety concern," she said. "If the teen doesn't get enough sleep, then they are at increased risk for crashes, so parents need to step in."

Parents should see their role as one that helps their teenager stay safe without being controlling, Winston explained. They can encourage their children to get more sleep, and provide rides at night to ensure that their teens are not driving exhausted.

One of the more positive things parents can do is let their teen sleep late on the weekends, Winston noted. "Teens need their catch-up sleep," she said. "They do need to sleep late on the weekends."

There are also social factors that limit teens' sleep. For example, many high schools start classes very early, cutting into students' sleep time, Winston pointed out. "Studies have shown that later school start times are better for adolescents," she said.

Not only do they start school early, but "they have long days. They have sports, after-school activities and studying, so there are things that are way beyond the family that put these teens at risk when it comes to driving," Winston said.

The report was published online May 20 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

To look at what role sleep plays in teen car crashes, a team led by Alexandra Martiniuk, an associate professor at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, collected data on more than 20,000 drivers aged 17 to 24.

The investigators found that those who said they slept six or fewer hours a night had a 21 percent higher risk of having a car accident than those who got more than six hours of sleep.

Moreover, those who got less sleep on the weekends had a 55 percent increased chance of having a single-car accident, where the car drifts or swerves off the road, they added.

Most accidents (86 percent) happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., the researchers noted.

"Sleeping six hours a night is enough to put young drivers at significant risk of having a car crash. With work, study and social commitments, especially on weekends, it is easy to miss out on the extra hours of sleep we need," Martiniuk said in a statement.

More than 3,000 people die every day in car crashes around the world -- that's more than 1.3 million car-related deaths a year, with between 20 million and 50 million people injured or disabled, the researchers noted.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that 20 percent of all car crashes are the result of drowsy driving, which adds up to 1 million crashes, 50,000 injuries and 8,000 deaths a year, the study found.

View the original article here

This Is Your Kid’s Brain Without Sleep

This Is Your Kid’s Brain Without Sleep: How Much Sleep Kids Need webmd.ads.adSeedCall = function() { var self = this; var defer = new jQuery.Deferred(); // need a set a 1 second timeout here to resolve it if the ad call hangs // if we get to 1 seconds, resolve the deferred object self.adSeedCallTimeout = setTimeout(function(){ defer.resolve(); webmd.debug('timeout happened'); },1000); // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; // save out the PB iFrame URL as we need to clean it up var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=1157456451&tile=13267071&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=11958&scent=1190&pos=5200&xpg=3609&sec=&au1=&au2=&uri=%2fparenting%2fraising-fit-kids%2frecharge%2fbrain-without-sleep&artid=091e9c5e80cb0954&inst=0&leaf=&cc=10&tmg=&bc=_age1_fit_&mcent=12008µ=¶ms.styles=json01&pvid=' + pageviewId; // remove the ampersands. This regex is cleaner than trying to drop it into an element and all that, as all we want it to replace the &'s var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); // using require instead of webmd.load as we will eventually depracate webmd.load require([cleanIframeURL], function(){ // if you get here before the timeout, kill it clearTimeout(self.adSeedCallTimeout); // go ahead and resolve the deferred object // if the ad call took forever and the deferred object was already resolved with the timeout, that is ok // because of deferred functionality, it will not be resolved again. Thanks jQuery defer.resolve(); webmd.debug('actual seed call came back'); } ); return defer.promise(); } webmd.ads.adSeedCallPromise = webmd.ads.adSeedCall(); // self executing function for scope (function(){ // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=1157456451&tile=13267071&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=11958&scent=1190&pos=101&xpg=3609&sec=&au1=&au2=&uri=%2fparenting%2fraising-fit-kids%2frecharge%2fbrain-without-sleep&artid=091e9c5e80cb0954&inst=0&leaf=&segm=0&cc=10&tmg=&bc=_age1_fit_&mcent=12008µ=&pvid=' + pageviewId; var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); var ad = { adLocation:'banner', adURL:cleanIframeURL, trans:'1157456451', tile:'13267071', pos:'101' }; // check to make sure this seed call functionality exists, if it does, dooo it if(webmd.object.exists('webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall')) { webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall(ad); } })(); Skip to content Enter Search Keywords. Use the arrow keys to navigate suggestions. Health A-Z

Common Conditions

View All ADD/ADHD Allergies Arthritis Cancer Cold, Flu & Cough Depression Diabetes Eye Health Heart Disease Heartburn/GERD Pain Management Sexual Conditions Skin Problems Sleep Disorders

Featured Topics

Identifying Bugs and Their Bites Bothered by Yeast Infections? The Worst Shoes for Your Feet WebMD Symptom Checker Health concern on your mind?

See what your medical symptoms could mean, and learn about possible conditions.

Learn More

Resources

WebMD Expert Blogs: Read expert views and commentary on popular health topics. WebMD Communities: Connect with people like you, and get expert guidance on living a healthy life. WebMD Physician Directory: Find a doctor in your area.

WebMD Pain Coach

Track your pain levels, triggers, and treatments. Set goals and get tips with our app for iPhone. Drugs & Supplements

Find Information About:

Drugs & Supplements

Get information and reviews on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. Search by name or medical condition.

Find or Review a Drug Find or Review a Vitamin or Supplement Find Drug Coupons Drug Basics & Safety

Commonly Abused Drugs What's Your Medication IQ? Food, Medical Product & Cosmetic Safety WebMD Pill Identifier Having trouble identifying your pills?

Enter the shape, color, or imprint of your prescription or OTC drug. Our pill identification tool will display pictures that you can compare to your pill.

Learn More

Drug News

Get the Latest Drug Approvals & Alerts Find FDA Consumer Updates Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox. FDA Approves Diet Pill Belviq FDA Delays Decision on Blood Thinner Eliquis

WebMD Mobile Drug Information App

Drug, supplement, and vitamin information on the go. Living Healthy

Featured Content

Want luxurious locks?

WebMD cuts through the hype to reveal the best kept secrets for healthy hair.

Must-See Diet, Fitness & Beauty Info

Living Healthy Centers

View All Diet, Food & Fitness

Weight Loss & Diet Plans Food & Recipes Fitness & Exercise Beauty, Balance & Love

Healthy Beauty Health & Balance Sex & Relationships Oral Care Living Well

Women's Health Men's Health Aging Well Teens

Featured Topics

BMI Calculator: Get Personalized Results Portion Size Plate: Easy Serving Size Guide Your Birth Control Options 19 Secrets Men Wish Women Knew Quiz: Weird, Crazy Dreams Food & Fitness Planner: Personalize Your Weight Loss Plan

WebMD Allergy App for iPhone

Fight allergies with daily forecasts, local alerts, and personalized tips. Family & Pregnancy

Featured Content

Traveling abroad?

Protect yourself and your family by learning which health precautions and vaccines are advised for your destination.

Our Best Pregnancy & Parenting Tips

Family and Pregnancy Centers

Pregnancy Trying to Conceive First Trimester Second Trimester Third Trimester Parenting Newborn & Baby Children's Health Children's Vaccines Raising Fit Kids Pets Healthy Cats Healthy Dogs

Featured Topics

Know the Signs of Early Pregnancy? Test Your Smarts: What's Safe to Eat When You're Pregnant? Peek Inside the Womb to See How Baby Grows Healthy School Lunches Quiz: Know How to Avoid The Next Toddler Meltdown? WebMD Vaccine Tracker: Manage Vaccinations for Your Entire Family

WebMD Pregnancy App for iPhone

The big day is coming! Get organized and track baby's weekly development. News & Experts

News

View All Today's Top Health Headlines Get the Latest Drug Approvals & Alerts Find FDA Consumer Updates On The Road Again: FDA Mobile Laboratories Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox.

WebMD Health Experts and Community

Talk to health experts and other people like you in WebMD's Communities. It's a safe forum where you can create or participate in support groups and discussions about health topics that interest you.

WebMD Experts & Blogs

Read expert views and commentary on popular health topics. WebMD Communities

Connect with people like you, and get expert guidance on living a healthy life. WebMD Answers

Got a health question? Get answers provided by leading organizations, doctors, and experts.

Get Answers

WebMD Newsletters

Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox. My WebMD Sign In, Sign Up

My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer Show more Information If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", every time you visit WebMD.com you won't have to type your email address and password. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success Manage your family's vaccinations Join the conversation See more benefits Sign Up Why WebMD? My WebMD Show Menu My Tools My WebMD Pages My Account Sign Out FacebookTwitterPinterest WebMD Home Health & Parenting Center Raising Fit Kids Recharge Email a Friend Print Article if (pf_param == "true") {printElements();} Raising Fit Kids: Healthy Nurtition, Exercise, and Weight   This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff in collaboration with Sanford Health Systems.False This Is Your Kid’s Brain Without Sleep WebMD Feature

By R. Morgan Griffin

Reviewed By Hansa D. Bhargava, MD

You know your child needs sleep. But do you know why?  

It's not just that overtired kids are cranky. Not getting enough sleep can hurt their health and ability to make good choices.

How much sleep should your kids get?

You may be surprised by how much they need.

Toddlers: 12-14 hours Preschoolers: 11-13 hours School-age kids: 10-11 hours Tweens and teens: 8.5-9.25 hours How Poor Sleep Affects Your Child

Your body uses sleep as a time to repair itself. Even half an hour less each night can derail that process. The effects of not getting enough sleep include:

Weight gain. Lack of sleep can make kids hungrier and drawn to high-calorie foods. When you’re tired, your body makes more of the hormone that makes you hungry, increasing your appetite. And when you're tired, it makes less of the hormone that tells you you’re full. So not only do you feel hungrier but you may eat more than usual before you realize that you’re full. Plus, lack of sleep also affects your metabolism. Not getting enough sleep raises the risk of diabetes and unhealthy weight gain in kids and adults.

Bad moods. "Kids who don't get enough sleep have trouble regulating their emotions," says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night. Some of the surliness we associate with teenagers just being teens may actually be because they aren’t getting enough sleep, she says. Overtime, not getting enough sleep can increase risk of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse in teens.

Trouble in school. Sleep is essential for building memory. Without enough, your kids may not recall what they've learned, Mindell says.

Accidents. Tired kids are prone to accidents, including sports injuries. More than half of all teen drivers drove drowsy in the past year -- and drowsy-driving accidents are most common in people under age 25, Mindell says.

Bad judgment. "Kids who are overtired make worse decisions," Mindell says. That's not just a problem during SATs. They may be more likely to post an inappropriate picture on Facebook or get in a car with a kid who's been drinking.

How to Help Kids Get Enough Sleep

Take bedtime seriously. Set a firm bedtime and stick to it. Don't let your kids get jobs or take part in after-school activities that keep them out too late. Build your weekly schedules around having enough time for sleep.

Keep gadgets out of the bedroom. That means no TV -- and no laptops, phones, or tablets either.

"Have a rule that all gadgets stay plugged in on the kitchen counter at night," Mindell says. "That goes for the parents too, not just the kids."

1 2 #url_reference {display: none};#url_reference { display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10px; }#logo_rdr img { visibility: visible; }.titleBar_rdr .titleBarMiddle_fmt { padding-top: 1.5em;}   Raising Fit Kids div.list_mod h3 { text-align: left; } div.left-nav { margin-bottom: 20px; float: left; width: 100%; } div.left-nav ul.root-nav { margin: 0 0 0 -5px; padding: 0; } li.icon-nav { list-style-type: none; clear: both; } li.icon-nav a img { float: left; } li.icon-nav a div { float: left; font-size: 14px; margin: 10px 0 0 7px; } li.icon-nav a:hover div { text-decoration: underline; } li.icon-nav.sel a div { font-weight: bold; }.list_mod h3{color: #3789B9;font-size: 140%;font-weight: normal;margin: 0;padding: 0px 0 8px 0px;text-align: center;}.left-nav{background: url(http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/modules/hc_redesign_2011/left_nav_background.gif) no-repeat 0 0;padding: 11px 0px 0px 5px;}.left-nav ul.root-nav{padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;margin: 0px;}.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item{background: url(../../../consumer_assets/site_images/modules/hc_redesign_2011/arrow_blue.jpg) no-repeat 0 4px;list-style: none;list-style-type: none;margin: 0px 0px 9px 0px;padding: 0px 0px 0px 7px;}.left-nav ul li.nochild{background: none;}.left-nav ul li{font-weight: normal;font-size: 140%;}.left-nav li ul { margin: 0px; }.left-nav ul li li{font-weight:normal;font-size: 90%;}.left-nav ul li.selected{background: url(../../../consumer_assets/site_images/modules/hc_redesign_2011/arrow_blue_down.jpg) no-repeat 0 8px;font-weight: bold;padding: 0px 0px 0px 10px;}.left-nav ul li.nochild.selected { background: none; }.left-nav li a.current { font-weight: bold; }.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item ul { padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; }.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item li{line-height: 20px;list-style: none;list-style-type: none;background: url(../../../consumer_assets/site_images/modules/li_bull_blue.gif) no-repeat 0 7px;margin: 0px;padding: 0px 0px 0px 7px;}.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item li.see_all_link{background:transparent none repeat scroll 0 0;list-style-image:none;list-style-type:none;margin:0 0 0 -4px;}.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item li.see_all_link a{background: url("../../../consumer_assets/site_images/modules/hc_redesign_2011/arrow_blue.jpg") no-repeat scroll right 4px transparent;font-size: 90%;font-weight: bold;padding: 0 12px 0 0;}.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item a:active, .left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item li a:active{font-weight: bold;}.left-nav ul li.primary-nav-item a:hover{text-decoration: none;font-weight: bold;} What is FIT? Food Mood Move Recharge Healthy Weight Family FIT Tools Is Your Family Fit? Healthy Recipe Finder BMI Calculator and Height Predictor // self executing function for scope (function(){ // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=1157456451&tile=13267071&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=11958&scent=1190&pos=113&xpg=3609&sec=&au1=&au2=&uri=%2fparenting%2fraising-fit-kids%2frecharge%2fbrain-without-sleep&artid=091e9c5e80cb0954&inst=0&leaf=&segm=0&cc=10&tmg=&bc=_age1_fit_&mcent=12008µ=&pvid=' + pageviewId; var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); var ad = { adLocation:'left', adURL:cleanIframeURL, trans:'1157456451', tile:'13267071', pos:'113' }; // check to make sure this seed call functionality exists, if it does, dooo it if(webmd.object.exists('webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall')) { webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall(ad); } })(); This Week on Feel Better When You're Sad 3 Stretches for Kids Got Finals? Tackle Test Stress Today in Raising Fit Kids Slideshow Fast, Not-So-Boring Breakfasts Video Solving Bedtime Battles   Evaluator How Fit Is Your Family? fitSlideshow Beat Teen Prom Stress   .messaging_content{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/message_back.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 314px; height: 460px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;padding-top: 10px;padding-left: 10px;position:relative;}.sign_up{font-size:31px;color:#f58220;font-weight:bold;margin-top: 0px;}.fit_kids{}.six_weeks{font-size:25px;color:#f58220;font-weight:bold;margin-top: 30px;}.orange_icon{}.know_more{font-size:10pt;margin-left: 2px;margin-top: 0px;margin-bottom: 3px;float:left;}.info_icon{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/info_icon.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 12px; height: 11px;float:left;margin-top: 3px;margin-left: 6px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;}.info_icon_bottom{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/info_icon.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 12px; height: 11px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;position: absolute;left: 115px;top: 89px;}.messaging_content .checkbox{float:left;}.messaging_content span{font-weight:normal;text-decoration: italic;}.selection_label{font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left: 25px;width: 270px;line-height: 1.3;}.selection_container{clear:both;margin-top: 5px;}.cell_label{clear:both;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:13px;margin-left: 5px}.cell_input{margin-left: 5px;position: relative;}.submit_button{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/btn_submit.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 67px; height: 22px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;padding-top: 10px;padding-left: 10px;float:left;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;}.standard_rates{float:left;font-style:italic;}.agree_label{font-size:11px;padding-top: 3px;}.disclaimer{margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:10px;width: 274px;font-size: 8pt;line-height: 1.35;}.info_tip{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/tooltip_back.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 239px; height: 165px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;padding-top: 10px;padding-left: 10px;padding-right: 20px;padding-bottom:10px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;position:absolute;top: 125px;left: 25px;font-size:9pt;line-height: 1.3;}.info_tip_bottom{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/tooltip_back_bottom.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 239px; height: 165px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;padding-top: 5px;padding-left: 10px;padding-right: 20px;padding-bottom:10px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;position:absolute;top: 204px;left: 25px;font-size:9pt;line-height: 1.3;}.val_tip{background-image:url("http://img.staging.webmd.com/dtmcms/staging/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/sponsored_programs/fit-initiative/sms/close_back.png");background-repeat:no-repeat; width: 239px; height: 75px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;padding-top: 30px;padding-left: 10px;padding-right: 10px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand;position:absolute;top: 225px;left: 25px;} Sign Up! 6-Week Challenges Want to know more? Eat Better Challenge - No diets here. One new healthy habit, one step at a time. Get Up and Go Challenge - Get inspired and stay motivated. Mood Boost Challenge - Fight the blahs, lower stress, and be happy. I have read and agreed to WebMD's Privacy Policy. Enter cell phone number - - Entering your cell phone number and pressing submit indicates you agree to receive text messages from WebMD related to this challenge. WebMD is utilizing a 3rd party vendor, CellTrust, to provide the messages. You can opt out at any time. Standard text rates apply Each challenge lasts for 6 weeks. You will receive 2 text messages per week for a total of 12 text messages. If you sign up for more than one challenge, you’ll receive more than 12 text messages in a week. You can opt out at any time by following the instructions in each text message. You will receive a text message directly from WebMD’s cell service provider confirming your opt out request.Each challenge lasts for 6 weeks. You will receive 2 text messages per week for a total of 12 text messages. If you sign up for more than one challenge, you’ll receive more than 12 text messages in a week. You can opt out at any time by following the instructions in each text message. You will receive a text message directly from WebMD’s cell service provider confirming your opt out request. fitSlideshow Grow Your Own Tomatoes Recipe Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce   Quiz Are Your Kids Getting Enough Sleep? Video Foods for a Busy Schedule   Parents... See what our friends at Sesame Street have to say about healthy eating.

GO!/* ********************************* * Generic * ********************************* */#bmi-calc-rr .clear { clear: both; font-size: 0; line-height: 0; height: 0; overflow: hidden; }/* ********************************* * BMI Right Rail * ********************************* */#bmi-calc-rr { position: relative; width: 268px; /* width 300 */ padding: 15px; margin: 6px; border-left: solid 1px #ccc; border-right: solid 1px #ccc; }div#bmi-calc-rr-top { position: absolute; top: 0; left: -1px; width: 300px; height: 6px; background: url(http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/bmi-calc/images/right-rail/bmi-calc-rr-rounded-corners.jpg) no-repeat 0 0; }div#bmi-calc-rr-bottom { position: absolute; bottom: 0; left: -1px; width: 300px; height: 6px; background: url(http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/bmi-calc/images/right-rail/bmi-calc-rr-rounded-corners.jpg) no-repeat 0 -7px; }#bmi-calc-rr div.hr { font-size: 0; line-height: 0; height: 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; margin-bottom: 15px; }/* ********************************* * Font styles * ********************************* */#bmi-calc-rr .red { color: red; }#bmi-calc-rr h2 { color: #88A906; font-size: 180%; font-weight: normal; line-height: 110%; padding: 0 0 5px 0; margin: 0; }#bmi-calc, #bmi-calc-rr p { padding: 0; margin: 0 0 1em; color: #333; font-size: 90%; }#bmi-calc-rr .nospace { margin-bottom: 0; }#bmi-calc-rr .spacetop { margin-top: 1em; }#bmi-calc-rr .required { color: #88A906; }/* ********************************* * Form styles * ********************************* */#bmi-calc-rr div.col1, #bmi-calc-rr div.col2, #bmi-calc-rr div.col3 { position: relative; float: left; margin: 5px 0; }#bmi-calc-rr div.col1 { width: 67px; padding-top: 6px; }#bmi-calc-rr div.col2 { width: 89px; }#bmi-calc-rr div.nopad { padding: 0; }#bmi-calc-rr select, #bmi-calc-rr input { border: solid 1px #99b8cc; padding: 4px; }#bmi-calc-rr input.radio { border: none; }#bmi-calc-rr select.fixed { width: 64px; }#bmi-calc-rr input.fixed { width: 57px; }#bmi-calc-rr a#bmi-calc-rr-submit { height: 11px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 8px 0; line-height: 1em; background-position: -156px 0; color: #fff; }Kids Healthy Weight & BMI CalculatorEnter your child's information:Gender  Male  FemaleHeight--234567ft--01234567891011inBirthdate--010203040506070809101112mo--yrWeight lbsGet Started Slideshow Family Comfort Food Makeovers Recipes Kid-Friendly Recipes Everyone Will Love   Article Get Kids Back on a Routine Slideshow Bad Habits That Can Hurt Your Kids   Subscribe to WebMD Newsletters

WebMD Daily Women's Health Men's Health Weight Loss Wisdom I have read and agree to WebMD's Privacy Policy. Sign up for more topics! Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Osteoarthritis Center Therapy for Low T Treating Fibromyalgia Living with Depression Injectable RA Treatment Vaccine Questions? Diagnosed With Low T? Vaccines for All Ages Chronic Osteoarthritis? Bent Fingers? Chronic Low Back Pain Treat Depression Middle-of-the-Night Wakeup? What's in Vaccines? RA Patient Support In-depth coverage: Recognizing & Treating Depression|Healthy Mouth Help|RA Assessment|Living Healthy Guide|Family & Pregnancy Toolbox|Low Testosterone Find us on:URAC: Accredited Health Web SiteHonCode: Health on the Net FoundationAdChoicesAbout WebMD Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Sponsor Policy Site Map Careers Contact UsMedscape Reference eMedicineHealth RxList Medscape MedicineNet BootsWebMD WebMD CorporateFirst Aid WebMD Magazine WebMD Health Record WebMD Mobile Newsletters Dictionary Physician Directory

©2005-2013 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

View the original article here