Teen Health Issues|Just another WordPress weblog

A popular saying thus goes, “An idle brain is a devil’s workshop”. If not studying, kids need to be engaged in some other activity which exercises their body as well as brain. This can be anything – ranging from physical to mind-boggling mental activities. After all kids are mini computers, the more data you feed in today, the higher will be the output in the years to come.

To keep your child’s activity level high, you must first disengage them from activities that promote idleness and get them into safe, fun, active alternatives.

• Limit television/ computer games: It causes more harm than good. Introduce them to new and interesting outdoor activities.
• Try to influence your child’s activity level through example: Be a good role model. Children with active parents are usually active themselves. Children whose parents watch excessive amounts of television are likely to do the same.
• Play with your child and make the entire episode enjoyable: Playing together is not only an opportunity to exercise, it also increases family bonding. You get to know your child better, and your child feels that his parents are an integral part in his life.
• Appreciate your child for every new activity he does: This will install in him self confidence and creativity, an urge to do something new.

Here are a few suggestions to keep the brats active and engaged:

• Encourage kids to include any sort of physical activity of their choice in the daily schedule: This will give them leaner bodies, stronger bones and muscles, improved coordination, better posture, and fewer health complications as adults. In addition to the physical benefits, active children concentrate better in school, have increased self-esteem, are less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety, and have a better overall outlook on life.
• Join some hobby classes: You will learn something new and interesting. It can be dancing, gymnastics, painting, playing some musical instrument, paragliding – anything that interests you.
• Strength training: This can be a fun way for your child to build healthy muscles, joints, and bones. With a properly designed and supervised programme, your child can improve his endurance, total fitness level, and sports performance.
• If at home, learn some recipes from your mom: You can be a great help to her if guests are around or you need to cook up something quick for yourself. You can even surprise everyone by cooking the Sunday lunch.
• Plan out with your child a family activity day: It can be a short excursion, a trek or a visit to the beach or zoo. Encourage your child to click pictures. He can mount and label each photo and create a family scrapbook of your special family day out.
• Join a neighbourhood book club or library: Exchange books, magazines with your friends. It will inculcate a good reading habit as well as enhance your knowledge tremendously.
• If it’s hot…go for swimming, indoor ice-skating, or any other water sports. Start today by brainstorming with your child to find a variety of activities that are good and fit for his ability, age and interests. You have to find out something new every time, if you want your kids to be puffed up and panting.

Teenagers are basically nocturnal creatures. The world sleeps when they are awake and vice versa. This behavioural pattern has a real biological cause. Puberty changes an adolescent’s internal clock (that influences sleep cycles and hormonal changes) – thus delaying the time he starts feeling sleepy by approximately two hours. This phenomenon is medically termed delayed sleep phase syndrome. Although it’s quite common, delayed sleep phase syndrome doesn’t affect every teen. Staying up late to study or partying with friends can disrupt the adolescent’s internal clock even more.

A teenager needs about nine hours of sleep every night in order to maintain optimal daytime alertness. But only 15 percent actually sleep that amount regularly, rest usually sleep six hours, or even less. Part-time jobs, tuition, homework, school activities and friends are prioritized. Sleep deprivation can undermine teen health.

Recent findings suggest that adolescent sleep problems are often associated with psycho-pathologies such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Changes in the body clock aren’t the only reason teens lose sleep, sleep quality is often disrupted because of:

Neurological impairment: A thorough behavioural history may unleash a range of neuro issues affecting sleep, including separation anxiety and attention-deficit disorder. Neurologically based disorders of hyper-somnolence often have their onset in adolescence and can have a profound impact on a young person’s academic and social functioning. Such disorders usually go unrecognized and can cause the perception that the teen is lazy, unmotivated, or learning-disabled. At times, it can be because of genetic factors also.

Nightmares: Most teens suffer from nightmares occasionally, but frequent nightmares can disrupt sleep patterns. Triggering factors of nightmares include certain medications, smoking, drugs, or alcohol; emotional stress or anxiety. Sleep deprivation can also be a cause, that is it becomes a vicious circle.

Other causes which can lead to sleep problems in teens and require medical attention are:

• Sleep apnea: Most commonly occurs in obese teens. Also leads to mood swings, inattentiveness and hyperactivity.
• Periodic legs syndrome: This condition causes a creepy sensation in the legs immediately before bedtime. Associated with iron deficiencies during childhood.

Lack of sleep!!! Have a look what’s in store for you……

• Reduced concentration, alertness, awareness, decision making skills
• Poor memory
• Increased chance of mental fixating on one thought
• Increased possibility of mood swings and short temper
• Reduced work efficiency
• Loss of motivation
• Brief periods of involuntary and incomplete sleep that range from a few seconds to a few minutes in duration

What can be done to take care of this problem?

• Try resetting your biological clock: A way out is chronotherapy, which involves delaying bedtime by two or three hours every night for a progression of nights until an acceptable bedtime is reached.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages 3-4 hours before bedtime.
• Improve your sleeping environment in any way you like – for example, put on some light relaxing music.
• Use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly, eg. Take a warm water shower before going to bed.

Most teens need a little effort to adjust their schedules and get the right amount of sleep. But if the problem persists and becomes out of control, it’s best to seek medical help.

Sleep Problems in Teens

Teenagers seemed to have turned into nocturnal beings. The world sleeps when they are awake. This behavioural pattern has a biological reason. Puberty among teens changes an adolescent’s internal clock and this influences the sleep cycles and hormonal changes. This phenomenon is medically termed as delayed sleep phase syndrome. Eventhough it is common, delayed sleep phase syndrome doesn’t affect every teenager.

An average teenager needs around nine hours of sleep every night in order to maintain a healthy daytime alertness. But only around 15 percent of teens actually sleep that amount regularly. They usually sleep for around six hours, or even less, that too in odd timings. Sleep is one of the main causes of illhealth among teens.

How to Keep Kids Active?

A popular saying thus goes, “An idle brain is a devil’s workshop”. If they are not strudying or playing, kids have to be engaged in some other activity which makes their body and brain alert. This activity could be anything from physical to mind-boggling mental activities. kids are more like mini computers, the more data is fed in today, the higher will be the output in the years to come.

To increase your child’s activity level, you must first avoid them from engaging in activities that promote idleness and get them into safe, fun, active alternatives. One of the biggest problems with children is that they love to be around television and computer games which actually cause more harm than good to kids. Parents also should involve themselves with the children by playing with them. This also makes them think that their parents are an essential and integral part of their life.

Read on to know more on exercise and sleep of teenagers.