Blog Posts 1–5, based on the United States of America Department of the Army Field Manual: Holistic Healing and Fitness, describe what really matters for your child’s sleep. If sleep is an important enough topic for national defense than surely sleep should be considered a serious topic for parenting!
SLEEP BASICS #1 |
THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM FOR SLEEP AND WAKEFULNESS IS GENETICALLY CONTROLLED.(Blog Post 8) The brain alternates between output for sleep and wakefulness. There is an automatic, biologically driven, 24-hour cycling of electrical activity in the brain as the brain alternates between an awake mode and a sleep mode. It is driven by the rotation of the earth on its axis. If you fight circadian rhythms, you, and your child, will lose. Parents can help their child sleep well: A. Parents can control the bedtime and B. Parents can provide opportunities during the day for naps. |
SLEEP BASICS #2 |
THE BRAIN IS THE ONLY ORGAN IN THE BODY THAT HAS AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT FOR SLEEP. (Blog Posts 1–5) A. For normal growth and development over time, as the child gets older B. For healthy function at any given age. |
SLEEP BASICS #3 |
SLEEP QUALITY COUNTS. (Blog Post 15) |
SLEEP BASICS #4 |
ADAPTIVE AROUSALS-THE ‘WITCHING HOUIR’ Adaptive arousals are countermeasures fight sleep deficits for survival. The body counters sleep-deprivation by producing neurologically stimulating chemicals to maintain arousal. This is a biologically evolutionary adaptive response that developed so that primitive man could hunt longer, fight harder, or flee danger faster to survive, even when short on sleep. It’s like a second wind or a turbo boost to be used under life-or-death situations. In children who are short on sleep, in the late afternoon or in the early evening, this second wind is sometimes called ‘the witching hour’ because the child appears ‘wired’ or out-of-control. Similarly, if the bedtime is too late in the evening, your child develops a higher level of neurological arousal, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Thus, moving the bedtime earlier before hyperarousal occurs, makes it easier for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night and early in the morning. By moving the bedtime earlier your child might sleep in later in the morning. Sleep begets sleep. It’s not logical, it’s biological! |
For more Instagram Reels:
Blog Post 90A: Fake News
Blog Post 95A: Sleep Tips
