Archive for the ‘Light for Babies and New Parents’ Category

 In the January 2012 issue of PARENTS magazine, an article by Betsy Stephens outlines the significant impacts that sleep disturbances have on children – much more serious ones than most parents probably appreciate. For example, according to a recent study from University of Virginia, children who lack adequate sleep consistently suffer a drop in IQ points that is equivalent to the effect of lead poisoning. According to Dr. Judith Owens, M.D. at Children’s National Medical Center, tired brains cause neurons to lose their ability to work- to form the connections needed to learn. Furthermore, there can be long-term cardiovascular and obesity effects from consistent lack of sleep in children.

A rare occurrence? Hardly – the number of young children considered at risk for these sleep problems is estimated to be more than 20-30%. There are now more than 40 accredited pediatric sleep centers nationally, but many parents do not seek medical help, because they think their child’s sleep issues are as much their problem as the child’s.

Pediatricians suggest a number of strategies for addressing your child’s sleep disturbance. One of the easiest first steps is to use a bedroom light that has a gradually fading light, which is nature’s way of engaging the body’s circadian rhythms to respond with sleep.

Baby and sleep. Sometimes it seems like they’re like oil and water. Getting to sleep and staying asleep are the sometimes unobtainable ambitions of every parent.

Photo by Xlibber via Flickr.

Every parent struggles with a fussy child at bedtime, but it’s healthiest to encourage children to keep to a sleep routine. Enter the EZ Wake — a small, playful green unit with a rounded globe. Smaller in scale and more vertical in appearance, the EZ Wake features a set 30-minute sunrise cycle, back-up beeper, and simple, four-button display. The globe is made of unbreakable, polycarbonate plastic. It features the same warm wake-up glow as the larger clocks. Valerie in Philadelphia shared in a review what a lifesaver the BioBrite Sunrise clock has been. The clock ended bedtime struggles and 5 a.m. wakings for her daughter, starting from a very young age. Beginning the clock’s 30-minute fading sundown routine at bedtime, she would read a bedtime story.  At the end of the book, her daughter was ready to go into her crib. Using the clock’s 30-minute fade up sunrise routine successfully delayed wake up times that had been a punishing 5 a.m.

Valerie even found that she could use the clock to create a different sleep schedule on a given day. If she wanted her daughter to wake at a different time than usual, she could adjust the clock. Her daughter would wake earlier or later if the clock told her to.

Any parent who’s dealt with a chronically early waking child, or daily bedtime struggles, or the transition to daylight savings time, can envision the value of the BioBrite Sunrise Clock. It’s the key to changing the chemistry of baby and sleep so the two do mix. And the best part is it’s not chemical: the sunrise clock is a natural remedy, completely safe for your baby or young child.

There’s evidence that improving sleep patterns from an early age will pay off for years to come. Researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio reported in the journal Pediatrics in 2012 that 21% of children with a sleep problem at six months of age continued to have issues later on, compared with only 6% of children without sleep problems at six months. If you fix it now, you’ll be glad later. And so will your child as she knows the benefits of a great night’s sleep throughout her life.

Check out the review of our SunRise EZ Wake Junior alarm clock on The Classic Baby Store.com!

We were chosen as a top-quality, luxe baby product to be featured in their exclusive boutique section. Have an EZ Wake JR? Leave a comment. Don’t have one but want one? We now carry the EZ Wake and the SunRise traveler, both sunrise clocks that are made of unbreakable plastic and sized for portability and ease of use. Contact us or purchase online via our site www.BioBrite.com.

Did you know about sleep debt? If you lose two hours of sleep a night, by the end of the week you owe yourself 12 hours of sleep! This sleep debt can feel even worse on top of stress or erratic sleeping patterns. Fortunately, there are ways to help ease the tension caused by sleep problems.

There are several classifications of sleep disorders. Light therapy is an effective treatment for a branch of disorders concerning circadian rhythm disruption. Disorders such as late night- (Delayed Circadian Rhythm Disorder) and early morning-insomnia (Advanced Circadian Rhythm Disorder) are especially aided by this type of therapy.

The BioBrite SolarMax Light Visor Using light therapy at strategic times can help you to reset your body’s internal clock and combat jet lag, fatigue, insomnia, and sleeping patterns due to shift work, because when you expose yourself to light at certain times, your body gets used to the new biological cues.

For those with a milder sleep debt, dawn simulation can be a soothing aid. Dawn simulation is not akin to light therapy, but both can work together to help shift circadian rhythms that are out of sync. Dawn simulation helps the user wake during hours before the first crack of sunlight. With a BioBrite SunRise Alarm Clock, a warm, glowing light gradually increases before reaching full brightness; mimicking the natural dawn, coaxing the user out of sleep efficiently and restfully. It can be very soothing to rise in this manner instead of jolting awake to an annoying traditional alarm in a dark room!

With light therapy, a patient sits at a prescribed distance from a light box for a certain length of time. That length is usually prescribed by a doctor, depending on the patient’s needs. The standard lux requirement is 10,000 lux at between 18 and 20 inches and the treatment should be every morning, from 20 minutes to an hour. The light box is great for those who have more sedentary schedules in the mornings. If they desire mobility, the patient may prefer to use a light visor, usually in the mornings after waking. By wearing a visor on your head, the light is positioned above the eyes more naturally than with a light box. And, because the light has further to travel to reach your eyes, the treatment time is usually cut in half. You should consult with your eye doctor before trying light therapy to see whether a box or a visor is best for you.

The SunRay Light Box Note: With light therapy, your eyes must be open in order to receive treatment. Because with the dawn simulator your eyes are closed, dawn simulation is not a viable source of light therapy.

Check out our Web site to view the products discussed here. Feel free to give us a call with any questions at the number on our site!

The BioBrite EZ Wake SunRise Alarm Clock We invite you to visit our site at www.BioBrite.com!

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