How Your Baby's Gut Health Affects Their Sleep

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

As a parent, you want to make sure your baby is as healthy as can be. That includes their sleep health. Just like adults, babies can suffer when they don't get enough rest. Sometimes the problems keeping an infant from sleeping aren't environmental, but internal. When you've tried different calming methods and nothing works, it may be time to look at another issue.

What Is The Brain-Gut Axis?
For some babies, the problem could be in their stomachs. Although we don't think about it often, the stomach and intestinal tract are filled with nerves. These nerves mean that the gut and the brain can communicate. Unrest in one area can lead to unrest in another.

For instance, a lot of stress can lead to an upset stomach because some of the communication between the brain and gut is not happening as it should. The upset stomach can then cause discomfort that makes it hard to sleep or rest. You may not realize it but babies can experience some stress that could make it hard to sleep. Try lavender sleep spray for baby and other calming products to help them.

Seratonin & Dopamine Production For Sleep
The gut also plays a role in helping regulate the neurotransmitters that influence the sleep cycle. According to Medical News Today, the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the stomach can affect cognitive function as well as circadian rhythms.

This is because some of these microbes help produce serotonin and dopamine. Both of these chemicals are important neurotransmitters for your health. Many people associate these chemicals with mood and happiness, but they also play important parts in regulating REM sleep cycles.

So what does that mean for your baby? Simply put, if they don't have the right mix of micro-organisms in their bodies, they have a harder time regulating their sleep. Without the right amounts of serotonin and dopamine, it becomes hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Parents can use probiotic drops for infants to encourage a healthy gut biome.

Growing Pains That Interrupt Sleep
You may also have another issue that disrupts your baby's sleep: teething. When a baby starts getting their teeth, they tend to be very uncomfortable and that makes it hard to sleep. While teething is not directly related to gut health, it's not uncommon to have the two issues coincide for your baby. The time when they start getting teeth is usually about the same time whole foods are introduced, so the little body is thrown off. As you work to improve their gut health, you should also learn how to relieve baby teething pain at night. By addressing all sleep problems, you can get some peace for your child (and yourself).

Helping infants sleep can be tricky since your baby can't tell you what they need. Talk to your doctor about what you are seeing and ask if their gut health could be affecting their sleep. If it is, get a probiotic specially formulated for little stomachs so everyone can get some rest.

5 Tips To Reboot Your Morning Commute

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

Commuting by bike has quickly gained popularity. With cities like San Francisco adopting more bike-friendly measures, more and more city dwellers are changing their mode of transport. The benefits of bike commuting are evident: less money spent on gas, improved physical health and better mental health — plus you don't have to fight for parking! So how can you make the switch? Check out this short guide for useful tips, plus learn about women's e bikes for city riding.

Get Your Bike Out of the Garage And Go
If you already have a working bike in your garage, then congratulations! You've already one step closer to rebooting your morning commute. If not, you'll need to go bike shopping. With so many kinds on the market, it's easier than ever to find one that meets your needs.

Today's bikes come in two- and three-wheel models, with both traditinnal and electric-powered versions available. Three-wheeled bicycles offer a little extra stability, especially for those brand-new to riding. Popular electric bicycles San Francisco include Sixthreezero's Around the Block, available with your choice of a 250- or 500-watt rear hub drive motor. Around the Block features an ergonomic riding and pedaling position to minimize soreness in your joints. Wider tires and a comfy seat made the ride even more smooth and pleasant. The Around the Block 250W and 500W both offer two power modes: pedal assist and full power.

Know Your Gear
Proper maintenance can help you keep your bike in good working order. Remember the ABC's of biking: air, brake and chain. Check to make sure that your tires are properly inflated, your brakes work and your chain is lubricated and free of damage. You may also want to learn how to remove battery from electric bike.

Plan Your Route
To get the most out of your commuting experience, you need to plan your route. Fortunately, accomplishing this is also easy. Check out resources from your city's public transit agency. For instance, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority offers its Bike Map Network online. You may also want to look for bike path maps from local cyclist groups or online resources like TrailLink or Bikemap.

Find Your New Coffee Stop
Millions of Americans fuel up with a cup of joe each morning. With the money you're saving on gas, you can afford a quick pit stop to enjoy your favorite roast. Besides saving time on your commute, planning your route also helps you find these convenient pit stops.

Check the Forecast
Sometimes, commuter drivers take the weather for granted. But knowing what lies ahead weather-wise is essential for planning your bike commute. After all, you don't want to be caught in the pouring rain without protective gear. Having everything you need in an easily accessible place also saves you time in getting out the door.

Transitioning from driver to bike commuter is easier than you think, but it does take some planning, equipment and supplies. Many helpful and trustworthy resources can guide you in making the switch.

Why is Reading so Important for Children?

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

All subjects at school require reading. Your child will need the skill to research as well as understand and attempt exam questions. There’s also more to its importance as it can help children with their creative thinking and vocabulary which is why it’s recommended that they spend at least 20 to 30 minutes a day reading. Below are some more facts which were shared by a boys’ senior school in Tooting.

Empathy
Books introduce children to ideas that are different from their own, encouraging them to consider new perspectives and ways of thinking. Through the author's writing, they can connect with the characters and develop empathy for how they feel.

Increased Knowledge
They also give children an insight into the world around them. Regardless of whether their reading material is fiction or not, they can learn new concepts and broaden their understanding.

Keeps The Brain Active
Reading keeps the brain active and can be useful during long periods away from school where learning loss is typically felt. This can help to keep it healthy and reduce the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Creative Thinking
Also, unlike a film or a TV show, books have very few pictures. This leaves the rest to the imagination, helping children to explore their creative thinking.

Concentration
Children can get distracted easily, making it difficult for them to gain their full concentration. Reading is an activity that relies on it as you must piece bits of information together in order to follow storylines and anticipate what’s going to happen next. This practice can help to build their attention span, helping them in the classroom.

Interests
As there’s such a variety of different books, they can explore a wide range of things and form their own passions and interests.

Top Tips for Supporting Your Child's Mental Health

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

Child mental health has become a growing concern for parents and educators. Over recent years, the number of children aged between 6 and 16 suffering with a probable condition has risen by 17%. This can be attributed to many reasons such as the rise of social media and screen time. For advice and guidance on how you can support your child with their mental health, we’ve included some guidance below from a school in London.

What Is Mental Health and how can I help?
Mental health is something that we all have. The issues can be just as debilitating as physical health problems as they can affect your motivation to want to do things, overall mood, and sleep.

1. Make Yourself Available
Being more outwardly available to speak to your child can make it easier for them to come to you with their problems. Speaking can tremendously help those with mental health issues as they are able to rationalise their thoughts by conferring with others.

2. Be Understanding
It can be easy to get frustrated with your children as a parent. After asking them to tidy their room for the hundredth time, you may lose your rag. This, however, may not be something in their control as they suffer with their mental health. Instead, try taking a more sympathetic approach to get to the root of the problem and see how you can help.

3. Know The Signs
Mental health is like a spectrum. Some days will be better than others. Recognising what a bad day looks like for your child can help you to support them in the best way possible as you will know what they need.

4. Look After Your Own
Children like to replicate the behaviour that they see displayed around them by their parents and other influential people in their lives. By making an effort to take care of yours, you may be able to encourage your child to do the same.

5 Educational Activities for the Summer Holidays

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

Learning loss is something that concerns both parents and teachers while children are off school. There is a prolonged period of time where their brains aren’t active which can affect their progress once they get back to school. To avoid this, teachers set homework while parents try to keep all other elements of their day-to-day the same by sending their child to a holiday club or homeschooling. There are other ways in which you can minimise the effect of learning loss as a school in Halstead shares.

Garden
Fixing the garden together as a family not only frees you some time but it teaches children about nature and how to nurture the things that are a part of it. They can learn about areas of science in the process such as plant biology and develop a green finger.

Visit a Local Farm
A farm is an example of another place that can teach your child about the natural world and help them to develop a connection with it. They can see animals in real life, and learn about what they are and where our food comes from.

Visit Family
There is no better time to travel and visit family that live further afield than the holidays. You don’t need to worry about interference with their school schedule and can make full use of the time. While it's a social cause and helps to strengthen family bonds, it can educate children about the importance of family and taking care of them.

Visit Museums
They are great places for inspiration and can give children the opportunity to come face to face with the things that they have learned about at school, enriching their learning.

Cooking
Why not help your child to pick up a new skill during the holidays? Cooking is a vital life skill and can help children with their education as maths and science are involved.

Is My Child Old Enough to Be Left at Home Alone

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

As a parent, you may be stretched from time to time. Having to manage your errands etc whilst having children isn’t the easiest and sometimes you may find yourself struggling to find childcare. You may be left with no other option but to consider leaving your child at home alone. Whether it’s for 15 minutes or a few hours, it’s not a decision that you should take lightly. You should think about your child, where they are in their development, and how old they are to evaluate whether or not it’s a safe call to make. An independent school has shared some guidance to help parents make this judgement.

The Law
While there is no legal age to leave your child at home unsupervised, it is illegal to put them in any sort of danger and at risk. It is deemed as neglectful behaviour which can be prosecuted for.

Young Children
It goes without saying that young children and babies should never be left home alone. They are unable to take care of themselves and have little to no understanding of the world around them. Despite whether they are clever for their age, if a situation were to arise, they would not know how to respond and deal with it accordingly.

Children Aged (6 to 12)
Primary-aged children between these ages usually cannot walk home by themselves, babysit and cook. They lack the maturity to deal with such situations and therefore should not be left alone for long periods.

Secondary Aged Children (12 to 18)
While your child may display signs that they are mature enough and wise enough to be left at home, you should speak to them to gauge how they feel about it. If you are considering doing so, set some ground rules surrounding issues like who to open the door to and how to deal with hazards. If your child has special needs, you should also take them into consideration as it may prevent them from getting the help that they need in the event of an emergency like a fire.