Is your child getting enough zzzzs?

Sleep is one of the cheapest, most effective and most natural ways to boost your child's immunity. When your child sleeps, his body is able to renew damaged tissues, and his bones and muscles get a chance to grow.

Without sleep, your child will have a harder time concentrating in school, which leads to poor or inconsistent performance. Studies show that lack of sleep also affects your child's memory skills. Sleep deprivation may also delay your child's response time (which can be scary when you think of him crossing the street!). Also, sleep is your child's time to rest from a whole day of studying and playing.

Is your child getting enough sleep? Here are some indicators:

Does he seem clumsier than usual?
Does he seem moody or easily irritated?
Does he fall asleep during class?
Are his grades slipping?
Is it hard to wake him up in the morning?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, your child may be sleep deprived. Help him sleep better with these suggestions:

Bedtime routines are important. Help him get into the mood by reading him a book, having him listen to soft music, or listening to him say his nightly prayers. Just make sure you keep your routine calm—a pillow fight won't put him to sleep any time soon.
For dessert, avoid giving your child food with too much sugar or caffeine, such as candies or cola. These can disrupt his sleep cycle. Give him fruits or yogurt instead.
Observe your child and make a note of the usual time when he gets sleepy. Then put him to bed before that time.
Make sure that your child gets enough exercise and fresh air during the day. This would make sleep easier to come.
Your child may be too stressed or tired to sleep. Talk to him regularly about how his day went, or if he's dealing with any problems in school. Loving and encouraging words would comfort him greatly.

Remember mom, sleep and immunity benefit from each other. When your child has a strong immunity, he gets to sleep better, and when he sleeps better, his immune system becomes stronger. So make sure that he gets at least eight hours of quality sleep every night.