Sleep, Nutrition, and Guidelines for Healing Injuries
sleep but think about how physically active these kids at this age and the incidence of injury increases with fatigue. So let’s switch gears and talk about the treatment of simple bruises and injuries, these happen at any age. Bruises are from a break in a blood vessel wall that allows the blood to escape into the skin. There may be swelling and localized pain. Bruises are usually blue or purple and change to brown and yellow as they heal. Healing of a bruise may be 10 days on average. There are some factors that effect how much we bruise and the healing time. Some drugs and medications may cause the increase in bruises. Foods that help increase or speed up the healing time of bruises, strain and sprains are foods high in Vitamin C or A such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit as well as peppers, carrots, squash cantaloupe. You can also supplement with an oral vitamin with Vitamin C, A and a B complex, Vitamin E, selenium, zinc and bioflavinoids also are essential for healing. Also helpful for bruises, are cold compresses (ice) for the first 24 hours will decrease the internal bleeding then heat may be helpful after the first 24 hours to bring blood flow to the area to be healed. This rule of thumb is good for sprains and strains as well. I also use a lot of arnica topically in a gel or cream and then internally as a homeopathic remedy such as the brand Borion at potency 30C, this can be purchased at a health food store. With any injury, I almost immediately give Rescue Remedy, which is a Bach Flower Remedy that helps with everything from mental anxiety to physical traumas this can also be purchased at a health food store as well.
By Dr. Michelle K. Jackson As a parent of 4 boys ages 10 down to 3, I am familiar with the local Emergency Rooms and Urgent Care facilities. We have been there several times- trampoline injuries (who doesn’t have a trampoline injury story) and occasional mishaps. So I am often asked what we do at home to prevent injuries and heal from them. I have several general guidelines and remedies in the home first aid kit that I can’t imagine living without and would I like to share them with the hopes that they help keep your family too. First of all, good old common sense of eating right and getting enough rest goes very far with preventing injuries and helping your body heal faster. Proper nutrition will help the body to heal faster. The vitamins and minerals in “real food”- meaning foods that are as unprocessed as possible- fruits, vegetables, grains, meats that are closest to their natural form are full of the vitamins and minerals that you need to heal faster.
Finally proper hydration also can help keep everyone healthy and help us heal faster. Kids as well as adults should be drinking half their body weight in ounces of water per day. So a 60-pound child should be drinking 30 ounces of water per day. And that is just water- NOT including juice, milk or other drinks. Nothing is better advice then an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that always includes rest, nutrition, and hydration for injury prevention and healing. Dr. Michelle Jackson is a local Naturopathic Physician. She can be reached at 541-385-0775.
Getting enough sleep and resting is so important too. During deep REM sleep is when the body heals the most. As for general sleep guidelines for 1-3 years old children: 12 - 14 hours of sleep per day in overnight sleep and naps in various combinations. As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he/she will likely lose his morning nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, on average they typically get only about 10. Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long and then make the rest up at night, typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m. 3-6 year old children need 10 - 12 hours of sleep per day. Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping, while at 5, and most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. 7-12 year old children need 10 - 11 hours per day. At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours but in order to stay healthy and focused 10-11 hours is best. Finally, in the 12-18 years Olds: 8 - 9 hours per day are needed. Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of
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