Dr. Rebecca I. Howard, PsyD, LLC
News
Upcoming events related to my services and others around the community will be posted here.
From time to time, I will post summaries or links to interesting psychology news here as well.
Upcoming Events:
9/15/10-10/15/10
Back to School Specials!
5 Therapy Sessions for the Price of 4!
The beginning of the school year, whether you are beginning or returning to college or your child is going to elementary, middle, or high school, brings new changes and challenges. Schedule by September 30th, and 5 sessions for the usual 4 session fee, new clients only.
Contact Dr. Howard at 303 730 8083 or mail@drrebeccaihoward.com to schedule
In the News: Kids and Sleep
Back to School: Healthy Sleep Habits
(Summarized from ABC.com Copyright August 23rd, 2010 ABC News Internet Ventures)
Do your children's sleep habits affect their grades? A recent study shows that the inadequate sleep can result in lower math and literacy scores. Research shows that getting a good night's sleep may be the single most powerful predictor of a child's academic performance in school. One thing parents can do to help with their children's academic success is to set up a sleep routine each night.
Who needs the most sleep?
School-age children between age 5 and 12 need 9 to 11 hours. Adolescents need eight and a half to nine and a half hours. Adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep. In eastern Virginia, researchers found that in one city, delaying high school opening times by an hour to give more kids more time to sleep helped reduce the number of car accidents involving teenagers. The crash rate for 16- to 18-year-olds was 19.2 percent lower than in a nearby town where the start time was 7:20 a.m.
Bad Sleep Signs
One sign that may indicate a sleep problem is snoring. About 16 percent of kids snore a few times a week. Researchers now caution that kids' snoring is not like adult snoring. Even a little snoring is a major cause for concern because their developing brains can be deprived of oxygen. Other common sleep disorders such as nightmares, restless leg syndrome and frequent night waking can have a negative impact including early drug use or clinical-level anxiety as adults.
Sleep Disorders and Medications
Kids are on much more medication than they used to be. Despite the risks posed by sleep disturbance, the number of children treated for them is small. Parent should consult a qualified sleep specialist -- few pediatricians have expertise with sleep problems. ADHD is often treated with Adderall, which has the side effect of making it difficult to sleep. But if your child is not sleeping well and there doesn't seem to be any other sleeping disorder, talk to your doctor about timing the medication so that it's taken earlier in the day.
In the News: Your Health
The Longer You Sit, the Earlier You Die
(Summarized from the Orlando Sentinel, Copyright August 25th, 2010)
Unlike most bad news, this one is best heard standing up: people who sit more than 6 hours a day are more likely to die earlier. That's even for people who exercise regularly after long sit-a-thons at the office and aren't obese.
That's the sobering news from a new study that tracked more than 100,000 adults for 14 years. Researchers from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta followed 53,000 men and 70,000 women and asked them to fill out questionnaires about their physical activity.
Even after adjusting for body mass index (BMI) and smoking, the researchers found that women who sit more than 6 hours a day were 37 percent more likely to die than those who sit less than 3 hours; for men, long-sitters were 17 percent more likely to die.
Pople who exercise regularly had a lower risk, but still significant, risk of dying. Those who sat a lot and moved less than three and a half hours per day are the most likely to die early: researchers found a 94 percent increased risk for women and 48 percent increase for men, they announced recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
To squeeze in some more exercise at the office, try a few of these tips:
- Take frequent laps around the office or outside.
- Stand up and stretch every hour. Set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you.
- Do calf raises: while standing, push yourself up on your toes, hold, and release.
- While sitting, raise your shoulders up to your ears, then back down.