Sweet dreams
Posted on 24. Jul, 2009 by PR Mum in News
It’s nearly the end of the first week of the summer school holidays and I’m already exhausted after three days with the rotters. With another six long weeks to go, I was pleased to hear that children who run around all day fall asleep faster and have a better night’s rest. A study of more than 500 children published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, found that for every hour children are inactive it adds three minutes to the time it takes to nod off. Most children in the study fell asleep within 40 minutes, with an average of 26 minutes, while some took almost three hours to fall asleep. The researchers found that those who fell asleep faster also tended to sleep for longer. Over the past three days, we have been swimming twice, to a fun fair with dwarf donkey rides and a baby waltzer whose G-force kept them very quiet, cleaned up the front garden, made three trips to the park and visited Grandma to tend the big rotters vegetable patch. All this activity meant that they were both in bed and asleep by 8.00 pm every night. While I can wholeheartedly confirm the findings of the study, the researchers have failed to mention the impact of this high energy activity on parents. It is 8.34 pm as I write this column and with the added twist of dealing with a double case of nits this evening and a nosebleed for the little rotter, I am well and truly exhausted and will probably fall asleep quicker than any of the kids in the study. Going back to work tomorrow feels like bliss, as I leave the postie to hold fort.
On the subject of nits, I was concerned to read about new medical guidance from NICE on spotting abuse in children. Repeated infestations of head lice (the rotters have only had it twice for the record), bruising, sunburn, being persistently smelly or dirty and tooth decay are all signs that parents may be neglecting their children. While I of course welcome guidance to help healthcare professionals spot the signs of abuse early and safeguard children, some of these signs (on occasion and in moderation) could also mean that they are having fun and not being wrapped-up in cotton wool.
With so many things to worry about to keep the rotters healthy, happy and safe, I was alarmed to read that schools could be forced to stay closed after the summer break if the swine flu pandemic worsens. Figures issued by Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England, suggest that the under-14 age group is being hit hardest, with a further surge in cases possible as early as late August or September. The Department of Health commented: “We expect that schools, early years and childcare settings will re-open as usual, but at this time we cannot be certain what the situation will be. We will need to monitor developments over the summer, and take decisions based on the best advice available shortly before the start of term.” Sir Liam said that there was “exceptional influenza activity” across most of the country apart from Yorkshire and the Humber. How lucky then that we are going to Bridlington in Yorkshire in the last week of August for our annual pilgrimage to an old and much loved 87 year-old great aunt. There’s always a silver lining…
