Back To School – Time To Reestablish Your Child’s Sleep Schedule

Summer vacation is an opportunity for children to extend their bedtimes at night and sleep a little later in the morning. While most parents tend to be a bit more flexible with their kid’s sleeping habits during this time of the year, it’s important to remember that back to school is just around the corner and now is the time to reestablish a proper sleeping routine for your children.

After a relaxing summer, children might need some time to adjust to a regular schedule. Here are some tips to help your child ease into his or her school-time sleep pattern and to maintain healthy sleep habits throughout the year:

  • Every night, beginning 1-2 weeks before school begins, set an incrementally earlier bedtime and wake-up time.
  • Once your child’s sleep schedule is established, stick with it! Don’t use the weekend to “catch up on sleep.”
  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine to allow your child to unwind including a bath and a bed-time story (for young children) or a reading time (for older children).
  • Limit television, video games, and other electronic distractions before and during bedtime.
  • Avoid big meals and caffeinated beverages close to bedtime as they may prevent your child from falling asleep.
  • Maintain a peaceful bedroom environment which includes a comfy bed, appropriate room temperature and lights turned off, or with a night light if your child needs one.
  • Be a role model by setting a good example for your child. Establish your own regular sleep schedulec and maintain a home that promotes healthy sleep.

Getting your child back on track at bedtime will allow for a smooth transition for the first day of school and will help your children reach their full learning potential.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Know Before You Go: Summer Travel Tips

Preparation for holiday, luggage with swimwear, towel, sunglasses, suncream

Summer is here and you’re thinking about this year’s family vacation. Depending on the destination, you may need to think about recommended vaccines for you and your kids. Here are a few pre-travel tips you should keep in mind to ensure that vaccine-preventable diseases do not stand in the way of your summer fun.

  1. Research your destination. Know background information about food safety and road safety. With the recent outbreak of the ZIKA virus in Central America and some parts of the Caribbean it’s important to stay educated on affected areas.
  2. See your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider is the best source of information on which vaccines you may need. The best time to visit your healthcare provider is at least six to eight weeks before you travel, especially for older travelers, since it takes longer for vaccines to be effective as the immune system starts to weaken.
  3. Visit a travel clinic. Visit the CDC Traveler’s Health website to find out if you need additional vaccines before your trip. It has handy information listed by country. You may want to consider a visit to a specialized travel clinic, as many primary care physicians don’t stock all required travel vaccines.
  4. Use precautions during travel. Protect yourself by eating and drinking safely, washing hands frequently, preventing bug bites, and keeping a first-aid kit with you at all times.

Following these CDC recommended tips are a guaranteed good start to your summer vacation preparedness. However, the return is just as important as the departure. If you are not feeling well after your trip, you may need to revisit your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor about your travel history, including where you went and what you did on your trip. Also tell your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling.

If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.

For more travel vaccination information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention visit: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

For more hospital events, highlights, health and  fitness tips, visit us on 

 Facebook.com/Flushing Hospital and follow us on Twitter @FHMC_NYC !

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.