Category Archives: Mental Health

Sleep is a vital and necessary function of the human body as countless biological processes occur during periods of sleep. In addition, there are several health risks that have been associated with extended periods of sleep deprivation including weight gain, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, decreased learning, poor memory, hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and increased stress hormone levels.

This being said, how much sleep, on a consistent and regular basis, is really necessary to support a healthy lifestyle?

A few days ago, we reported that younger children tend to fall short of recommended sleep requirements, despite the fact that those recommendations are based on little medical, clinical, or scientific evidence.

Now, a recently published study is recommending an amount of sleep for teenagers with some actual scientific backing. According to researchers Mike Showalter and Eric Eide of Brigham Young University, approximately 7 hours of sleep is just right for teens each night.

We all know, as adults, that it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life’s trials and tribulations. In many cases, this type of lifestyle leads to erratic eating habits, inconsistent physical activity, and irregular sleeping patterns. In addition, parents that find themselves in this scenario often find that it can affect their children’s lifestyles as well.

If you frequently worry about sleep recommendations for children, you are not alone. A recent study proves that, first, parents have been worrying about this problem for approximately the last century, and second, their fears are based in reality. In fact, the study showed that the average child falls short of getting enough sleep each night by 37 minutes. Lisa Anne Matricciani, the lead author behind the University of South Australia study, described the findings as “surprising.”

Parents have debated this vary question, to a varying degree, for literally centuries: does spanking a child teach them important lessons that add value to their life, or does it teach them that violence is an acceptable solution to a problem? It should be noted that there is an obvious difference between physically disciplining your child and physically abusing your child. In fact, as with most things in life there is a balance and physical discipline is no different.

A new study conducted by the University of Manitoba’s Family Social Sciences department indicates that slapping or spanking your child can have serious negative effects on their long-term development. However, it is also important to mention that there are conflicting studies that show that appropriate levels of physical discipline are beneficial in child rearing.

This being said, it is ultimately up to the parent to determine when and if physical discipline is necessary. To this end, it is important to remember that in times where discipline is required, the end goal is to use the approach that is best suited for teaching the lesson that actions have consequences.