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Health & Fitness

Strong4Life: Getting Healthier…in Your Sleep!

Ever wish your family could just go to sleep and wake up a little bit healthier? You can! Dr. Walsh shares her secrets for overnight success.

Wish you could go to sleep, wake up and magically be just a little bit healthier? You can—and your kids can, too! 

Surprisingly, sleep (and lack of it) plays a big role in both hunger level and food preferences. Did you know that when you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases chemicals that actually make you hungrier?

Sleep deprivation makes your body crave foods that make you "feel better" or, as many of us in the South call them, “comfort foods." These are foods that tend to be higher in sugar, salt and fat. Sure, after eating them you feel better in the moment, but it’s a temporary fix because you haven't solved the real problem—sleep deprivation. 

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The same goes for our kids. When they get enough sleep, they not only eat better, they’re able to learn better, handle emotions and be more active during the day. One of our roles as parents is to ensure our children get enough sleep.  Here are three tips to help get your young ones off to dreamland smoothly:

  • Turn off all screens (TV, phones, handheld devices, etc.) 30 minutes before bedtime. Not only will this help kids begin to settle down for bed, it’ll also help limit their overall screen time for the day (which is one of Strong4Life's 4 Healthy Habits).
  • Make sleep a routine. Set a schedule so kids get used to going to bed and getting up at around the same time every day (especially in the summer, when schedules aren't as regular).
  • At bedtime, ban hand-held devices from the bedroom. The burst of light from a phone (even if it’s just to check the time) can break a sleep cycle. A regular alarm clock is best. (Plus, getting devices out of the bedroom means kids can’t text, call or play at all hours of the night. 

When your kids were babies, you worked hard to get them on a good sleep schedule, right? Often, as kids get older, we stop paying as much attention to sleep—but we shouldn’t! Elementary school children generally need 10-11 hours of shuteye each night. If your child is sleepy at school or falling asleep watching TV in the afternoon, it’s a red flag.

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Good sleep habits also have an extra benefit for busy parents. In addition to improving the health of your children, they provide you with additional downtime to take care of the million things you have to do a day!   

So treat your family to better sleep and watch what happens. Tonight’s the perfect night to start your new prescription for a healthier family. Before you turn in, let me know your thoughts, questions or advice about sleep. Leave a comment below or join the conversation as it continues on Facebook and Twitter.  I look forward to hearing from you. Sleep tight!

Strong4Life is a movement created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to address the childhood obesity medical crisis that is threatening nearly one million kids in Georgia. For information about Strong4Life visit our website,FacebookTwitterYouTube, and Strong4Life Blog.

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