Page 30 - Charlie the Keen Kid

Sleep

Answers for parents and educators Sleep is an important part of our daily biological rhythm and is necessary to maintain and reset our physical and mental

functions.

Why do I need to go to bed?

Charlie, the main character in the story 'Charlie the keen kid', manages to develop into an enthusiastic and capable child. • The brain needs time to sort and process the day’s information in order to form long-term memories.
Charlie builds resilience and confidence by embracing natural lifestyle habits; habits which have disappeared in our busy • The release of many hormones is based on your body’s internal clock. The majority of Growth Hormone (GH), for
society over time. example, is released in pulses when you sleep. GH plays a key role in bone and muscle growth, cell repair and
metabolism.
The brand keen kids has been designed to deliver universal and holistic health education. Its goal is to point out and explain
simple lifestyle habits which will have a positive effect on children’s health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally. • Sleep enhances your immune defence and helps the body fight inflammation, infection and trauma.
Following these achievable and intuitive concepts will help children become what and who they want to be. • The gut needs a break at night to recuperate from processing food during the day.

What happens if I don’t sleep?

• Insufficient or disturbed sleep can lead to many chronic diseases and significantly affects our health and wellbeing far
beyond the notion of tiredness.
• People who are sleep-deprived have more problems concentrating due to 'brain fog' and are more vulnerable to
depression and anxiety. They also tend to make bad food choices which can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart
disease.
While the explanations that Mr. Y gives in the story sound quite
simplified, each one of these messages has well-researched
science behind it.
In order to be able to answer the many 'why' questions that your How do I set my child up for a good night's sleep?
child will likely ask, the following information will be helpful for you. • The body works best if you go to bed at roughly the same time each night.
• Include foods that help deliver the right nutrients for the body to produce melatonin such as oats, natural
cherries, walnuts and chickpea hummus.
• Avoid screen time 2 hours prior - the blue light interferes with the production of melatonin which is our body's
natural sleep-inducing hormone.
• Run a warm bath with magnesium or essential oils (e.g. valerian, chamomile or lavender).
• Dim all lights and reduce noise.
• Develop a bedtime routine and end with reading a book with your child.

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