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Industrial Revolution, people would sleep in two four-hour sessions with a “waking period” of two hours in between. During this waking period, people were surprisingly active. They often got up, used the restroom, smoked tobacco, and even visited neighbors. Others stayed in bed, where they would read or write by candlelight. By the 1920s, the idea of having two sleep sessions each night had receded entirely from social consciousness. Historians attribute this shift to improvements in street lighting and domestic lighting, along with a surge in coffee houses. As night became a time for greater activity, the length of time people could dedicate to rest dwindled. In an attempt to find a cure for teens’ sleep problems, modern psychiatrists conducted sleep studies to understand how the human body regulates itself when outside stimuli, like televisions, phones, and even unnatural light, are removed. Their discoveries were two-fold. First, they found that after the fourth week of the
study, their subjects unknowingly reverted to a sleep routine consisting of two four- hour segments. Second, they learned that the sleepers of today are far more anxious about their sleep schedules than their ancestors. The psychologists determined that a consolidated block of sleep could be damaging if it makes people who wake up at night anxious, as this anxiety can prohibit sleep and is likely to seep into waking life too. Furthermore, they suggest that the waking period between sleeps, when people were forced into periods of rest and relaxation, could have played an important part in the human capacity to regulate stress naturally. It’s easy for parents to feel concerned about their teens’ sleep schedules. Between telling them to go to bed at a decent hour, waking them up early to catch the bus, watching them physically exert themselves on the soccer field, and helping them understand complex chemistry equations, parents get a firsthand view of their kids’ energy-draining daily routines. Often, just having a little more
information about sleep in general can help assuage any fears or concerns parents feel about the number of hours their teens spend in bed.
Have a Fun and SAFE Halloween! Even the Most Frightening Ghouls Need to Be Careful
Happy Halloween, you goblins, ghouls, witches, and spooks! It’s that time of year again when kids and adults alike can dress up and roam the streets as their favorite heroes, frights, or princesses. While kids are eager to show off their outfits and fill their pillowcases with sugary treasures, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential dangers on Halloween night. Practice Street Safety Make sure your kids understand basic road safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, “Children are more likely to be struck by a vehicle and killed during Halloween than any other day of the year.”
over basic safety tips. Teach kids to look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks and traffic signals, cross streets on the corners, and never run across the street. Making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of their cars is also a good way to make sure the driver knows the child is there. Choose Smart Costumes Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes! They should be fun, but you can also make them safer by following a few simple guidelines. Add reflective tape to candy bags and costumes and wear light colors to stand out in the dark. Buying or making the right- sized costumes is also important. If they’re too large, they create a tripping hazard, and if they’re too tight, they can restrict movement.
If your child wears a mask, make sure they can see out of it properly.
Make a Plan Before heading out to trick or treat, create a plan and discuss it with every member of your family. This ensures that if someone in your group wanders off, they’ll know where to look for you or where to go. In case you’re separated, label your child’s costume with your name, address, and phone number. If your children are old enough to trick or treat without adults, make sure that their cellphones are charged and on them at all times, and schedule regular check-ins.
Before heading out for some good old- fashioned trick-or-treating, take the time to go
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