Nightmares occur during (REM) sleep and usually during the morning hours, while night terrors happen during non-REM (NREM) sleep, and a couple of hours after falling asleep. If your child is old enough to be verbal, he might remember his nightmare or part of it, but he won’t to able to remember anything about the night terrors.
So the questions that arise are many and complex: why do night terrors happen, at what age, and how can we help our children during these episodes?

Night terrors may have a genetic component too, in addition to being caused by environmental factors such as stress caused by separation anxiety, arrival of a new sibling or moving from one home to another. The study involved about 400 pairs of twins who were assessed at 18 and then at 30 months of age. The good news is that night terrors do subside with age, as half the children who had sleep terrors at 18 months of age didn’t have them anymore when they were assessed again at 30 months, according to the study. Other professionals agree that sleep terrors happen mostly in young children, up to 6 or 7 years of age. Obviously, that doesn’t help you much if your child is still a preschooler or even younger and goes through night terror episode.

What to do?
- make sure your child is not overtired when he goes to bed,
- if he is a light sleeper, try not to make noise close to the bedroom, because that sudden semi-arousal state could trigger sleep terrors in some children,
- keeping a regular sleep schedule might prevent sleep terrors, as the body gets used to a certain rhythm.
Night terrors are transient and they will not leave any psychological damage on your child, no matter how frightening her screams. But parents who have witnessed their child experiencing night terrors need a lot of reassurance.

In our busy society, sleeping is often seen as a waste of time, to the point that sleep deprivation has become normal. While people in the early 1960s got an average of 7 hours to 9 hours of sleep per night, nearly 50% of people today sleep less than 7 hours per night.
Spread out over a year, this lack of sleep robs us of, on average, the equivalent of a month and half of sleep, based on our needs. However, sleep is the part of our life with the most underestimated impact on our health:

– It allows us to recharge our energy reserves.
– It is important for the stabilization of emotions.
– It allows for the development of memory.
– It is critical for growth in children, as it is during the night that the secretion of growth hormones is at its highest.

A recent study suggests that sleep could participate in the prevention of colorectal cancer. People who slept less than six hours per day had a 50% higher incidence of polyps than those who received seven or eight hours per night. A lack of sleep can lead to an increased risk of depression, heart disease and stroke.

Nearly one-third of an adult’s life is spent sleeping. Although scientists have identified many of the vital processes that take place during sleep, no one has yet determined why these processes cannot take place while we are awake. It is well documented that some people do not sleep much and – unlike most of us – appear not to suffer for it. For these people, sleep is clearly not essential. 
While many people insist they can happily get by on a few hours of sleep, sleep experts agree that seven hours is the minimum to ensure energy reserves are rebuilt. The average person sleeps only five or six hours a night, building a “sleep deficit” that can impair function and cause depression and ongoing feelings of fatigue and stress.

How much sleep do we need?
- Newborns (0 – 2 months)  16 to 18 hours
- Infants (3 months – 1 year) 14 to 15 hours
- Toddlers (1 – 3 years) 12 to 14 hours
- Preschoolers (3 – 5 years) 11 to 13 hours
- School-aged children (5 – 12 years) 10 to 11 hours
- Teens (12 – 18 years) 8 to 10 hours
- Adults  7 to 9 hours

Sleep scientists are now saying that fatigue can affect the body in much the same way as alcohol, severely impairing judgment, affecting mood, reducing reaction times and performance at work or during athletic activity. A lack of sleep also intensifies the effects of alcohol, making your speech more slurred, and increasing the likelihood of falling.
The primary purpose for sleep appears to be so that the body and mind can repair and recharge for the challenges of the day ahead. This is why people who lack sleep fell lethargic, unable to fully cope, and have increased stress levels. Recent research has determined that loss of sleep can severely impact the emotions, making us tense and fearful.

Every woman experiences menopause differently. Some women seem to breeze through with only minor symptoms while other women have a relatively hard time adjusting to the intense physical and emotional changes. The first step in dealing with your voyage through menopause is to recognize your own sings and symptoms.

Some of the symptoms of menopause:
Sleep Disturbances (insomnia) – If you’re having hot flashes at night (hot flashes are uncomfortable feelings of warmth that move from your chest to your shoulders, neck and head. They are common during perimenopause) which are called night sweats, then these may be menopause related sleep disturbances. If they disturb your sleep, then this lack of proper rest can affect your mood and overall health.
Emotional Changes – mood swings can be a difficult symptom to deal with, which can be attributed to hormone changes or a lack of sleep because of night sweats. Many women complain of being more irritable, sad and discouraged. These feeling are common, but depression that interferes with your quality of life is not a normal part of menopause.
Irregular Periods – these can be the first clue that menopause is starting. In most women who have not had a hysterectomy, periods become less frequent over a period of time.
Urinary Tract Changes – during perimenopause, some women will experience bladder control problems because of the drop in estrogen levels. The most common bladder problem experienced in this phase is called stress incontinence.
Vaginal Changes – when estrogen is reduced in your body, the tissues lining your vagina may become drier, thinner, and less elastic. You may feel more burning sensations and sexual intercourse could become painful.
Other Physical Changes – physical changes that may occur during menopause include:
weight gain, headache, joint pain, heart palpitations, fatigue, forgetfulness, changes in the skin, eyes, hair and teeth.

Are there any lifestyle changes that could help?
Lifestyle changes that include regular breathing and aerobic exercise and quitting cigarettes can help reduce the intensity of hot flashes. Also, increasing the quantity of specific foods that are high in “Isoflavones – phytoestrogens” (example: soy beans, yams, soy milk, tofu, miso soup, etc.) can help reduce hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness.

What exactly is sleep?
Loosely defined, sleep is the cessation of consciousness. When we fall asleep, all activity decreases and the breathing and heartbeat slow down. Sleep is divided into two distinct phases which alternate during the night. These are referred to as REM sleep and non-REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement.
During REM sleep the body’s heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rates rise. The eye twitch rapidly and mental activity closely resembles waking activity. This is the stage of sleep in which we dream and a person woken during REM sleep will often be able to recall his dream. The body enters a state of paralysis during the REM sleep cycle, so dreamers do not act out their dreams.

Non-REM sleep is split into four different stages:
- stage one, during which the eyes are closed but the individual is easily awakened
- stage two, or light sleep, when the heart rate slows and body temperature falls
- stage three, when the body enters deep sleep
- stage four, when sleep becomes even deeper

Stress is a useful defence mechanism in the short term, but chronic stress can be detrimental. Take time out each day to escape and unwind from stress, don’t skimp on your sleep, and try to avoid
processed foods.
As if high cortisol and poor sleep were not enough to worry about, stress can also lead us to poor nutrition. During fast-paced, high-stress times it is common for us to miss out on proper nutrition as we reach for quicker, convenient, and generally more processed foods.
Just when our bodies need more nutritional support, we often provide them with less. This can really sap energy and compound the already negative effects that stress has on our system.
When we are short on time, sleep is usually the first thing we start to cut down. We are all guilty of skimping on sleep, but good sleep is one of the body’s best defences against stress and is crucial for proper immune function.
A study looked at how much of an effect sleep can have, and the results were remarkable. Those who slept less than seven hours were almost three times more likely to get a cold than those who slept eight hours or more.
When researchers looked at the amount of time spent in bed with the intention of sleeping compared to how long people actually spent sleeping, even more interesting results surfaced. Those who spent less than 90 percent of their bedtime sleeping were over five times more likely to get a cold than those who spent 95 percent or more of their bedtime asleep.
This demonstrates that it is not just a matter of lying down and resting that provides health benefits; we must actually get proper, restorative sleep in order to keep ourselves in peak form.

The effects of chronic stress are many and can be seen throughout the body:
- sleeping too much
- moodiness, irritability, or short temper
- eating more or less
- procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
- using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
- agitation, inability to concentrate or relax
- depression
- feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or isolated
- memory problems
- headaches, aches and pains
- frequent colds
- chest pain, rapid heartbeat
- hormone imbalances
- poor healing
- immune suppression
- cardiovascular disease

The build up of waste and toxins in cells (especially in fat cells) and tissues, causing
wrinkles and premature aging. These bad changes in the cells weaken the body and lead to:
- Sleeplessness
- Fatigue
- Aches and pains
- Headaches
- Dry, itchy and irritations skin
- Nausea
- Indigestion
- Mood swings

Removing toxins from your body promotes health and beauty.
Improves quality of:
- Improved sleep patterns
- Relieves fatigue
- Renewed energy
- Clear skin
- Relax muscles

Hypnosis will help you to put you into a deep trance and into deep sleep. Improve your sleep nightly by listening to this night time hypnosis program, filled with suggestions that will program your subconscious mind to help you fall asleep faster and easier than ever. Hypnosis is (can) put the power of your mind to work in managing your body. This method of utilizing the untapped energy of your mind to support your overall health and well-being is natural, safe, and simple.

Or you can try these three lifestyle modifications:

Exercise tips
Practise yoga and meditation to help you relax and fall asleep.
Exercise regularly during the day.
Do not exercise within three hours of bedtime.

Diet strategies
Skip caffeine, especially late in the day.
Avoid alcohol and nicotine, especially before bedtime.
Do not eat or drink too close to bedtime. 

Boudoir basics
Create a dark, cool, quiet, comfortable sleep environment.
Establish a regular wake-up and bedtime schedule that`s the same each day.
Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only.

Please see more information at:
Insomnia Sleep Problem
Sleep Disorders
Deep Sleep CD the power that amazes your self.

 Parents of elementary school students dread the day their child comes home from school with lice. But although lice are unpleasant, it is not the end of the world. Lice don’t cause any serious medical diseases, and they have nothing to do with the cleanliness of your home or your child. Head lice are tiny insects that lay their eggs, or nits, close to the scalp. Shaped like tiny teardrops, the nits are brownish white, about the size of a poppy seed and stick to individual hairs. Adult lice have six legs and are 2 mm to 4 mm long, about the size of a sesame seed. They spread through direct contact or by sharing items such as combs, hats or hairbrushes, lice crawl quickly; they do not jump, fly or hop. An itchy scalp may be a sign of lice, but often there are no symptoms. To look for lice, regularly check behind your children’s ears and their entire head, hair by hair from root to tip. Part damp combed hair into thin narrow sections, then run a lice comb through one section at a time. Place comb against the scalp and pull it to the of the hair, checking the teeth after each stroke.

Sleep is a peaceful time of beautiful dreams, rest, relaxation, growth, and much needed recuperation for our tired bodies. The heart beats more slowly, blood pressure is lowered, respiratory movements are lees frequent, and muscles are relaxes. Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. Now we know that our brains are very active during sleep. Moreover, sleep affects our daily functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to understand. Nerve-signalling chemicals called  neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or not. Since sleep and wakefulness are influenced by different neurotransmitter signals in the brain foods and medicines that change the balance of these signals affect whether we feel alert or drowsy and how well we sleep.