Hot Topics

"Caleb was two when we first noticed his loud snoring," said Scott, Caleb's father. "We were alarmed but didn't really start to worry until we began hearing him gasp for air between the snores. That made my wife and me very uneasy.

• Start early to educate the community and all parties involved. Use hard data and testimonials. Consider the research and what you hope to gain, not lose. Network with other schools to learn from their experience. Apply what you learn to your school district’s particular challenges or concerns. Be prepared with concrete examples of the successes of others.
  

The following are eight major obstacles to changing school start times:

Adolescents today face a widespread chronic health problem: sleep deprivation. Although society often views sleep as a luxury that ambitious or active people cannot afford, research shows that getting enough sleep is a biological necessity, as important to good health as eating well or exercising.

"When you are pregnant and have narcolepsy you will have to make sacrifices, surrendering some independence."

Pregnancy is a time of immense joy and a time of numerous life-altering challenges. Imagine how these challenges are intensified when narcolepsy is added to the picture.

 1. In the third trimester, sleep on your left side to allow for the best blood flow to the fetus and to your uterus and kidneys. Avoid lying flat on your back for a long period of time.

2. Drink lots of fluids during the day, but cut down before bedtime.

The third trimester is the most sleep challenged stage of pregnancy. With the frequency of urination, inability to get comfortable and exhaustion from trying to keep up with the demands of their normal schedules, some women find themselves struggling to stay awake. Hayley complained, "The third trimester was tough. I felt huge and could not get comfortable.

The second trimester may come as a relief to weary first-time mothers who didn't initially expect to be so tired throughout pregnancy. Although many mothers start to feel more energetic, Dr. Lee suggests that instead of packing in more activities, just enjoy the second trimester and continue to get as much sleep as possible.

Women in America are getting less sleep according to NSF's annual polls and they report more sleep problems, too. But these problems pale in comparison to the sleep disruptions that occur with pregnancy.