Bedtime blues. Helping your children get a good night's sleep

All new parents expect some broken nights but when a child's wakefulness becomes excessive it can lead to exhaustion and even marital breakdown. Sleep counsellors can help but are often in short supply.     

Sleep and Bedtime Routines of Non-Institutionalized Aged Women

Sleep is one of the basic physiological needs experienced by human beings. As such, it is important to the individual's sense of well-being. Lack of sleep may result in apathy, irritability, increased sensitivity to pain, and a lack of daytime alertness (Shirmer, 1983). These adverse effects on daytime functioning are particularly significant to the elderly who may already be experiencing difficulty in carrying out their activities of daily living due to other alterations in their physical and/of psychological well-being. In an attempt to ensure receiving a good night's sleep, most people follow a certain bedtime routine prior to retiring for the night. Magnusson (1953) pointed out that performing certain habitual activities every night for an hour before bedtime is of great significance to many people. When these activities are neglected, their sleep is disturbed. For others, a routine is not particularly significant. Indeed, Luce and Segal (1969) suggested that some people are not even aware that they have a bedtime ritual because it may be inconspicuous; an example is the way one gets into bed and arranges the covers and body for sleep. Even without this awareness, sleep may come easier because of the comfort provided by habitual acts.     

Special swallowing problems in children

As the swallowing process evolves from infantile suckle feeding through transitional feeding to mature function, the process can go awry at many points. Understanding the changes in structure and function of the mouth and pharynx that occur with growth and development is of basic importance. When a child is referred because of unsuccessful feeding or suspicion of aspiration, dynamic imaging of the swallowing mechanism and scrutiny of radiographic abnormalities described in this article can lead to greater understanding of the underlying cause and to more effective treatment.     

Skin problems in children.

Common skin problems in 340 children routinely seen during a winter period, included napkin rashes in infants, atopic eczema throughout childrhood, and acne vulgaris in late childhood. Skin infections and psoriasis were also commonly seen. If possible, when topical steroid preparations more potent than hydrocortisone cream BPC are used in children, they should be used sparingly and for short periods only.