Do Head Lice Bite?
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Do Head Lice Bite?

 

As parent’s deal with a case of head lice, a hundred different questions can come racing through their mind. One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Do head lice bite?”

 

Yes, head lice do bite.

An adult louse will feed 5 to 6 times per day. The average person with a case of head lice is carrying 10-12 lice at a time. This averages over 50 head lice bites per day that person is infected. Obviously, this is assuming the problem is realized and taken care of fairly quickly. Infestations left untreated can be drastically worse as female lice lay up to 6 eggs per day. Lice eggs hatch every 7 days. You can see that head lice is a problem that can go from bad to worse in just a few short weeks.

 

How Do Head Lice Bite?

Lice have a mouth that acts as a tube with a suction cup on the end. They grab a hold of the skin on the scalp and push through small sharp teeth that penetrate the skin. As they feed, the skin is broken leaving red bumps and marks on the scalp.

 

Do Nits Bite, too?

Lice eggs, or nits, are not yet hatched and therefore unable to bite. As soon as an egg hatches, the newborn nymph will actively start looking for its first meal. Nymphs will bite and fed on human blood the same as adult lice while they grow and mature into adulthood.

 

What Causes the Itchiness?

As head lice bite they leave broken skin and open sores. They can become dry and irritated resulting in itchiness. This is just one of the reasons.  As a louse drinks human blood, they salivate a substance that prevents the blood from clotting as they eat. This saliva is spread over the skin of the host and causes significant allergic reactions. Ever wonder how lice move around? As lice crawl around from hair strand to hair strand on the scalp they use hook-like claws on the tip of their legs. This gives off a tickling or irritating feeling that can lead to itchiness. The combination of bites, saliva, and crawling make itching a major symptom in indicating a head lice infestation.

 

My Child’s Scalp is Itchy? What do I do Now?

The first thing we recommend is using a nit comb, or fine tooth comb to examine your child’s scalp. Pay special attention to behind the ears, near the base of the neck and the crown of the head. These are the areas head lice like to linger and lay their eggs most often. While examining look for yellowish, oval eggs that are very near the base of the scalp. They will not easily flake off as dandruff would, but will be peeled off only using the fine tooth comb. Watch for red irritated bumps or rashes. Live lice will scurry away quickly from direct light and may be difficult to spot. If you do see any small, sesame seed-sized brown bugs crawling on the hair you clearly have a case of head lice.

 

Your Professional Source for Treatment of Head Lice

Head lice are not something to take lightly. They are highly contagious especially to those living within a household and can multiply quickly. The professional staff at Lice Clinics of America have eliminated head lice for thousands of patients. We can help you accurately diagnose the problem, offer the most effective and safe treatments, and give you the assurance that our procedure is guaranteed to work. In fact, the process we use is the only FDA cleared lice treatment device that is proven over 99% effective. Call our clinic today to speak with a trusted staff member about your concerns.

 

 

 

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Spring Break Leading Time for Head Lice
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Spring Has Sprung and So Have Head Lice

Who doesn’t love the warm breeze that blows on a sunny spring day? As the daffodils blossom and the grass grows green many people have plans to head outdoors and enjoy Mother Nature. With the changing of the seasons comes an ever growing concern for head lice. Have you heard of any head lice cases around your neighborhood?

 

Lice Heat Up As Weather Turns Warm

Sunshine and head lice! Not the best combination. Unfortunately, as the winter months fade children spend more time playing with friends, participating in spring sports, and enjoying the great outdoors with friends. As kids socialize, lice spread. Winter months don’t mean lice is obsolete, just not quite as prevalent. Especially when school is out and kids have nothing but time on their hands, they often spend much more time surrounded by friends.

 

Lice Never Take a Vacation, Even When You Do

Along with fun spring break plans comes the worry of head lice. As family and friends gather together to camp, vacation or travel it is a prime opportunity for the transfer of head lice. Do your kids love to travel with cousins and share tablets, iPads, iPods or smartphones to pass the time? How about having a sleepover with friends to celebrate the school break? Anytime direct head to head contact is made the chance of infection increases. The best way to prevent this is to encourage children not to share bedding, towels, pillows, stuffed animals, hoodies, or hair brushes and accessories. As vacations usually mean families together in close proximity, sometimes this cannot be avoided. Talking to kids about the dangers of head lice can go a long way in prevention. When you travel home and the trip is over, no one wants the surprise of head lice.

 

Symptoms Won’t Show for Weeks

Don’t be fooled if you don’t initially see any symptoms of head lice. Once a louse or two find their way onto a new head they begin to feed on the blood of their new victim. They burrow around the scalp and female lice lay up to 5 eggs per day. The eggs are most often found behind the ears, close to the hair neckline and the crown of the head. The eggs are laid close to the scalp so that the heat and humidity from their host can keep them alive. It takes a nit, or lice egg, 8-9 days to hatch. Once hatched, the nymph, or immature louse, will molt three different times until it finally develops into an adult louse. This process takes a week. At this stage, more females lay eggs, up to 100 in their lifetime. Several adult lice can be found on the head after 2-3 weeks and symptoms become more apparent. The CDC states the following symptoms indicate head lice:

 

  • Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair.
  • Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites of the head louse.
  • Irritability and difficulty sleeping; head lice are most active in the dark.
  • Sores on the head caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected with bacteria found on the person’s skin.

 

Lice Clinics of America Are Your Best Resource

The stress of head lice does not have to take over your spring break! The Lice Clinics of America offers the latest technology in removing head lice and their eggs.  Using the AirAllé medical device, an FDA-cleared medical treatment our professionals are able to guarantee a one-time application with over 99% effectiveness.  Question or Concerns? Call today to speak with a professional who deals with head lice every day.

 

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Head Lice Worries
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Rise in Head Lice Has Parents Scratching Their Heads

All over the country people are talking about head lice. Parents can seem worried or even distressed about the “super lice” rumors.  What is the truth about this nasty problem? Is it more common now? Yes, head lice are proving to pop up more quickly and in more areas than in years past. A recent news report from NBC Nightly News indicated that this common problem is becoming even more prevalent than before. Here are a few reasons it is a growing concern.

 

Reason #1 – Head Lice Are Indeed Harder to Kill

 The active ingredient in over the counter lice shampoos and treatments, pyrethrin is simply not killing head lice anymore. Over the last thirty years that these products have been on the store shelves, they have been the go-to solution for parents whose kids contract head lice. Overuse has led to immunities being built up by head lice much in the way vaccinations help humans develop immunities to disease. Evolution at work has created a bigger problem for getting rid of head lice. Without realizing “super lice” are immune, parents are still relying on over the counter treatments and not getting rid of the problem. This is causing a more rapid spreading of head lice in communities around the country.

 

Reason #2 – Home Remedies Are Not Eliminating the Problem

On the flip side, a lot of parents are choosing to scour the internet for a list of helpful home remedies when they realize their child has a head lice outbreak. Pinterest, Instagram, and various other sites have loads of blogs or videos with tips and tricks. They will try mayonnaise, vaseline, olive oil, or even go as far as Vodka or kerosene. Certainly these cures could do a bit of damage, but in the end, they simply will not suffocate all of the adult lice or even begin to kill any nits, or lice eggs present on the infected person’s head. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that these home remedies are not proven, effective methods for eliminating head lice. In fact, use of these products could be wasting valuable time. The longer your child is carrying head lice, the more likely others in your home will become affected and ultimately make the problem much worse. Do not rely on these old wives tales as many parents are. It is not doing much to solve the dilemma.

 

Reason #3 – Tech Savvy Teens and Young Kids are Contracting Lice

This generation of young people is practically physically attached to handheld devices. Whether it is an iPad, smartphone, tablet or an iPod, young kids and teens are usually seen together, closely watching their small screens and laughing about who posted what. This close proximity to one another is again another reason head lice are spreading more commonly through junior high and high schools. Usually, teens have developed a personal space zone, leaving them less vulnerable for head to head contact. Nowadays that is not always the case when it comes to electronics. Screen time can lead to direct head to head contact and therefore more and more teens are catching the head lice bug.

 

Whether someone in your household has contracted lice or you just have questions about prevention, Lice Clinics of America is an excellent source. Our expert staff is here to help you with your head lice concerns and we offer the most effective, up to date and affordable options for preventing and eliminating head lice. Call our staff today to speak with a professional about treatments that do work! 

 

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Super Lice No Match for Supermom
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Super Lice No Match for Supermom (or Dad)

Who hasn’t heard the recent panic sweeping across the United States about new super lice that are resistant to lice shampoos and much more difficult to get rid of? In fact, these super lice have been reportedly found in 48 states throughout the country. They have indeed developed over the past thirty years an immunity to the main ingredient in lice treatments you buy at the store. Permethrin, a synthetic chemical related to pyrethrin, that once proved effective in killing lice has been virtually rendered useless against these super lice that are popping up on heads across the map.

Should parents be alarmed? What is our best defense? Arm yourself with knowledge. A parent who knows how to react will have an edge on head lice or super lice for that matter. Supermoms (and dads) everywhere can take action and eliminate or prevent super lice from becoming pests in their home.

 

How to Guard My Family Against Super Lice

 

  1. Head Checks At Home. Regularly checking your children’s scalp for signs of a lice outbreak is an important part of keeping lice at bay. Get yourself a nit comb, separate portions of your child’s hair and begin to comb through thoroughly. After combing through each portion have a bowl of water or a paper cloth readily available to clean off the nit comb. Look for signs of small, brown insects the size of a sesame seed. This would be a live louse. Eggs, or nits, are the size of the head of a needle, yellowish in color and oval in shape. They can be difficult to diagnose and are laid very close to the scalp. If you are unsure what to look for, Lice Clinics of America offer head checks for anyone in your family. We can help you diagnose the problem and suggest the best steps for you moving forward.
  2. Trust Modern Methods. When the permethrin-based shampoos hit the market to consumers during the 1990s they were effective. However, now we know that super lice are showing strong immunities to these products. Parents who do choose to try at home methods often spend weeks with a problem, causing it to spread to other household members, costing more money and stress in the long run. Not to mention the harsh chemicals used are a risk to young, developing children.  Lice Clinics of America offer the latest technology in eliminating head lice, super or not. The AirAllé device uses dehydration to kill lice AND their eggs. The process takes less than an hour and is guaranteed. With over 99% effectiveness it is a proven, modern, FDA approved method that is available to you in eliminating head lice. Why would you continue to use products that do not work when a solution that is safe and convenient is readily available?
  3.  Talk to Your Kids About Prevention. Parents who know how difficult it is to remove lice from a home know that prevention is easier than elimination.  Keep the conversation of head lice active in your home. Teach children to avoid sharing headgear, helmets, hoodies, hats, hair brushes, hair accessories, pillows, or anything else that could transfer lice to them. Remind those with handheld devices to avoid sitting for long periods of time with head to head contact looking at their small screen. A few conversations with your child might save you a world of trouble in the long run.
  4. Spread the Word. Don’t keep these tips to yourself! Share these prevention tools with friends, neighbors, co-workers or anyone who you feel would benefit. Preventing head lice in your family could start by helping those around you stay lice free as well.
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Winter Head Lice Worries

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! What Does That Mean for Head Lice?

Many parents automatically think that because the weather turns colder, head lice somehow isn’t as big of a concern. What are the risks with colder weather? Is head lice still a problem I should be worried about? Short Answer: YES!

Facts About Winter Weather and Head Lice

Fact #1 – No, head lice do not die off in the cold like many other types of bugs. Why? Lice are human parasites. As long as the humans they inhabit are warm and supplying food and shelter lice care very little about the temperature outside.

Fact #2 – Colder weather does have an impact on head lice, but not in the way you may think. It affects the way that head lice are spread. Summer camp, back to school, and spring break are all major times we see a spike in the spread of head lice. Believe it or not, winter breaks fall in the same category. Children may not be rolling around in a sandbox together outside or bumping heads playing soccer, but they are spending time with family or friends in closer confined areas doing various activities through the winter months indoors. Spreading of head lice can happen just as easily as other times.  

Fact #3 – What are some of the biggest risks? Vacations spent at cousin’s houses or visiting overnight with friends are a huge risk. Make sure to pack your own pillows, blankets and towels to help prevent spreading infection. Also, wash bedding as soon as your little one returns home to be extra cautious.

Fact #4 – Winter clothing is also a major problem. Hats, gloves, scarves, hoodies and beanies are all a source for spreading lice or nits during the winter. Have you ever walked into your child’s karate, gymnastics or ballet class and noticed a huge pile of winter coats and accessories shoved by the door? Kids don’t think about keeping their belongings away from others. Teach them to hang up their stuff and keep it away from the pile up of potentially head lice infested clothing of their teammates. Do not share winter gear and teach your children to do the same.

Fact #5 – Kids at school can also pass on head lice through personal belongings. Take your child’s backpack, winter coat, gloves and hats and throw them in the dryer for 20 minutes each week. This will help keep them lice and nit free.

Fact #6 – Keep up with head lice checks on your children to make sure they aren’t showing symptoms of head lice. The most common things to look for are nits, yellow eggs at the base of the scalp. They will be the size of the head of a pin, very small and difficult to detect. They will not flake off as dandruff would, but are stuck to the hair follicle with a glue like substance. Red sores, blotchy rashes or itching may also be signs of a problem. Remember that adult lice are difficult to spot as they avoid direct light and will burrow into the scalp to avoid being detected.

Contact Lice Clinics of America with any further questions, concerns or for advice about winter cases of head lice! Our expertise can give you the peace of mind you deserve.

 

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Spread Love Not Lice
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This Valentine’s Day Spread Love Not Lice.

February fills the air with love. Valentine’s Day is a fun opportunity to give those we love that extra special attention to fill their hearts! As parents, it is our job to protect those loved ones from lice and other common sicknesses that are around this time of year. We thought of a few quick tips to help you spread the love this Valentine’s Day and prevent head lice while you’re at it!

 

Spreading the Love to Your Family

  • Make Personalized Valentine’s – Take a piece of cardstock or construction paper and artistically print or draw each person in your family’s name on their own paper. Now using color markers or pens have each member of the family write a loving note to one another. List their good qualities or things you appreciate about them. Now roll up the paper, attach their favorite candy with a ribbon and tie it off with a bow.
  • Fill Their Buckets – “Filling a Bucket” for someone is an analogy often used to demonstrate how they feel about themselves. If someone’s feeling unhelpful, unimportant or like they have little to offer to others it is as if their bucket is empty. They don’t feel needed and loved. Parents and family members can do a lot in “filling the buckets” of those in their family. Notice the good your family members do and then acknowledge it! Don’t miss an opportunity to give a compliment, praise a good deed or point out moments that make you feel proud of them. Go the extra mile and only focus on the positive. In other words, try not to “empty their bucket” with negativity. Leaving kind notes, text messages or just bite your tongue when you feel like placing blame or pointing out a flaw.
  • Family Time is Worth It – Schedule a day and time each week that is sacred family time. Treat this like an important appointment that cannot be missed or rescheduled. With this time create a pattern to go over weekly schedules, play games, watch family movies, address important topics and create fun, happy memories as a family.
  • Nix Screen Time at Meals – When it comes time for family dinner, unplug your devices and focus on what really matters. Talk to each other about the day. Listen to the highs and lows everyone experienced. Mealtime is a great time to interact as a family and be involved in each other’s lives.

 

Preventing Head Lice on Your Loved Ones

  • Spread Awareness – Make sure your children understand that head lice is a common problem in public schools, daycares, or any type of facilities and activities where children are together in a group. Talk to them about making sure to avoid head to head contact or sharing headwear and clothing as much as possible. If they are going somewhere overnight provide them with their own clean pillow, blankets, and towels.  Throw their winter gear and backpacks into the dryer once a week for 20 minutes to kill any possible nits or lurking lice. 
  • Take Time to Check for Lice – Routine head checks on your children are an important step in catching head lice at the early stages. Take a small comb and sift through their hair for traces of bites, rashes, irritations or nits at the base of the scalp. As you do this regularly you will begin to notice what is normal and become aware of any warning signs as they may arise. This is a great way to catch the problem early and eliminate it quickly before spreading to your whole household.

 

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Dale Clayton

Meet Dr. Dale Clayton, Inventor of The AirAllé® Lice Treatment

Around the world lice are becoming less treatable with over the counter shampoos that people have used for decades. Lice have developed immunities to these products that are making it more difficult to get them under control once a home or family has been infested.  Dr. Dale Clayton, a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Utah, learned this fact the hard way. His school age children encountered lice and after trying various treatments they were also unsuccessful in eliminating the problem. Luckily for them, Dr. Clayton’s scientific interests have included the biology of birds and the feather lice that live out their life span on the birds. During his analysis of these birds and their lice, Dr. Clayton moved his science lab from the humid climate of Oxford University in England to the arid, desert region of Utah. As a result, he noticed a drastic reduction in the amount of lice that would stay alive on his captive birds of study. After consulting with various other scientists he determined that the desiccation of the lice in Utah was counteracted by using steam that was pumped into the lab to create a more humid environment. With positive results for his feather lice he was once again able to study the lice as they were much more likely to survive.

This information started to make him curious about more effective treatment possibilities for head lice on human patients. If a machine was developed that could eliminate humidity near the scalp, could the head lice and their eggs be dehydrated and therefore killed? He spent years with this theory trying various methods that involved chemicals to dry them out, heat caps fitted to the head, rice bags, and many variations of blowers that were tested on several subjects that had contracted lice.

The tests affirmed that head lice can not be killed with regular hair dryers, as the hair just mats and protects the lice and eggs from dying. Also, the normal hair dryer was not hot enough to kill the lice without causing injury to the scalp. A new device was invented that uses hot air that moves quickly enough at the exact angle of use to dehydrate lice and eggs when used for the appropriate amount of time. The AirAllé® device was born.

In 2006, the Pediatrics journal released data supporting the studies of the AirAllé  device validating its effectiveness in killing head lice and their eggs. It was than that the product began to be placed on the market for public use. Today, many Lice Clinics of America are serving their customers using this ingenious invention at over a 99% rate of effectiveness. During the 30-minute treatment, a lice professional carefully moves the applicator tip underneath the hair and against the scalp. The heated air at a fast flow is a highly effective way to dehydrate the lice and eggs and leave the head lice free.

Contact your local Lice Clinic of America for any additional information on how the AirAllé can help cure the headache of head lice you may be dealing with.  

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Texas School Policies on Lice
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“No Nit” Policy Outdated, Hurting Student Education

Texas is among several states who have updated their views on “no nit” policies in public school districts. For decades this policy has put children in embarrassing positions in front of their peers, removed them from the classroom for sometimes weeks at a time, and can be quite tricky to diagnose as nits, lice eggs, are often incredibly difficult to recognize.

Recently the media brought this to light as a fifth grade Florida student was kicked out of school on November 9, 2017 for a case of head lice. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Duvall County Florida dismissed Maddie Hunter and then continued to refuse her to re-enter the classroom for over three weeks. Every morning her mother would drop her off at school, have her scalp rechecked for nits, and she would be turned away as one or two nits were discovered.

“I really need help with reading,” Maddie told Fox 30 News. “I’ve been struggling in reading and I can’t do that because of missing so much school.” Her situation not only took her out of the classroom for three weeks but she missed out on drama and choir rehearsals as well.

Maddie’s head had been treated multiple times by several over the counter shampoos, and no live lice were present. “They just said it’s a school board policy,” Maddie’s mother recounted to Fox 30 News. “Their hands are tied, they can’t do anything.”

Which bids the question? Is this indeed the best way to handle a case of head lice? If you ask the Texas Department of State Health Services it is not. Their website states, “According to Texas law your child will be sent home from school if live lice are found in their hair. However, they won’t be sent home, if only nits are found. The law also states that your child is allowed to return to school after one medicated shampoo or lotion treatment has been given. When your child returns to school, a head check is not required by law and there is no requirement to report head lice cases to officials.”

However, individual Texas school districts still have the ultimate power to decide. State officials make it clear,  “Each school district can make their rules tougher if they choose. And many do. Talk to the school nurse or someone else in charge, to find out what your child’s school rules are.”

As Texas districts exam the facts it would be helpful to note that both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses advocate that “no-nit” policies should be reevaluated and changed. They agree head lice is a social issue not a health threat. “No nit” policies place an unequal amount of emphasis on head lice management than on real health concerns which should be higher priority. Research shows that the cost of sending nurses through entire school systems to do individual head lice checks is not an effective tool in fighting off infection. Students who miss too much school due to nits are also missing out on valuable learning time when the nits in their hair, which may already be hatched and are really empty shells, pose little or no risk to other students.

Head lice checks are offered through Lice Clinics of America. Diagnosis is often the most difficult part of catching the problem early on. Experts at our clinics can help you understand the warning signs and symptoms of head lice.

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Dandruff in the hair. Flaky scalp. Seborrhea. Macro shot

Dandruff vs. Head Lice

When white flakes or specks are found on a head of hair it can be difficult to decipher what you are dealing with. Head lice may be the initial fear that runs through your mind. Rightfully so, as head lice is a highly contagious parasite that is passed through head to head contact onto roughly 6-12 million children per year in the United States. Before you jump to the head lice conclusion, let us examine the differences between a head lice infestation and a common case of dandruff.

 

What to Look For:

Dandruff is an actual piece of dead, flaky skin. White in color, dandruff falls off in clumps and can linger on shoulders, necks or the back of its sufferer. It is clearly visible to the human eye, usually to the trepidation of those that carry it.

Head lice are insects that feed off of human blood. They are nocturnal creatures so lice are much more active at night. Because they avoid direct light they can be extremely difficult to spot. When searching through hair strands for evidence of lice look specifically for any brown insects smaller than a sesame seed. If you do happen to find a louse or two it is clear you have a problem. Be aware, just because you don’t see a louse doesn’t mean you don’t have lice. Nits, or lice eggs, are the most common visible symptom of lice. Yellow in color, eggs are laid at the very base of the scalp. They are stuck to hair strands with a tacky substance that makes them much more difficult to remove than a flake of dandruff. Using a fine tooth comb to sift through hair is one recommended approach. The CDC also suggests the use of a small magnifying glass to help you inspect the scalp for red irritation or live lice.

Symptoms:

Dandruff is usually no more than itchiness, dry skin, and flakes. A severe case can sometimes be the result of a worse condition such as eczema or psoriasis. If you are experiencing large painful patches of dry skin that have a cracked, blotchy rash consult a dermatologist or healthcare professional. Normal dandruff is the result of overactive skin reproduction. As a normal person loses skin cells they are reproduced every four weeks. Dandruff sufferers can have skin cells that are regenerating four times that fast. This creates mounds of dead, dry skin that fall off much more often than normal leaving traces all over hair strands and clothing. Dandruff can also be caused by excessive use of hair products. Thoroughly clean and rinse hair to ensure that you are not dealing with product residue.

Head Lice will typically start causing symptoms three to four weeks after the initial contact. Lice eggs need ten to fourteen days to hatch and start living on the scalp. Traces of fecal matter and saliva from adult lice can cause skin reactions such as swelling and itching. Red bumps on the skin can also be an indication of bite marks. Eggs that are attached to hair strands about ¼ of an inch from the base of the head specify that lice eggs have already hatched. They will be white in color and easily peeled off. As more lice hatch they will obviously be easier to spot on the scalp as their numbers grow. Activity will increase at night, making it more difficult to sleep. Itchiness and irritation can be enough to interrupt sleep.

Treatment:

Dandruff is easily treated with over the counter medicated shampoos. Nearly half of adults will experience dandruff at some point in their life. It is a common problem that you can usually get a handle on after a few weeks of consistent treatment. Conditioning the scalp to provide moisture is also recommended. Protect your head from the elements with proper coats and headgear.

Head Lice is most easily eliminated using the newest Airelle heat technology. One short visit to the Lice Clinics of America will have you on your way to being lice free. We also sell over the counter products that can be effective and used in your home. Depending on your budget and time needs, our trained personnel will walk you through the best options for your specific situation.

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Sleeping child with his toy bear.
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Stop Losing Sleep Over Head Lice.

Five Easy Ways to Get Back to a Better Bedtime.

Parents who have experienced a lice outbreak in their homes know, lice definitely have an impact on your child’s sleep. Lice are considered nocturnal creatures. They live off of human blood. During the evening hours they become active, crawling around the scalp of their victim searching for places to burrow, lay eggs and eat. Their saliva, fecal matter, and biting creates irritation and itching on the scalp. Imagine the sensation of insects crawling on your head, piercing your scalp and making a home on your head. Not the most sleep provoking scenario, to say the least. After your family is treated and lice free, here are some simple suggestions to getting back into a healthy bedtime pattern.

 

  1. Pick an appropriate bedtime and stick to it. The National Sleep Foundation puts out guidelines for sleep required by age. Infants 0-2 years of age need the most sleep with a full 12 hours every night and at least a 2-hour nap during the day.  Children 3-6 years also need a full 12 hours of sleep at night, without the daytime nap.  When children reach ages 7-12 it is recommended they get 10-11 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers between the ages of 13-18 are still growing and developing, which means they still need at least 8 hours of sleep every night.  Choose a bedtime that will help children get the recommended allotment of sleep for their age. Start your daily bedtime routine with plenty of time before they should be asleep. This helps to avoid feelings of scurrying around creating anxiety to meet the bedtime deadline. Avoid late nights that interrupt the pattern and try to keep the schedule as consistent as possible.
  2. Bathe every night to create a routine. A warm, relaxing bath goes a long way in helping children unwind and start to feel ready for sleep. Bubbles with scented soap or bath oils are a good idea to create a serene environment. Some scents promote feelings of relaxation and sleepiness. These include jasmine, vanilla, lavender and anything else that brings you comfort or makes you feel at home. Continue to prepare for bedtime by keeping an established routine. Brush your child’s teeth, comb their hair or perform any other bedtime preparation in the same order every night.
  3. Let your child have a comforting object for night time use. Every child has a beloved stuffed animal or a favorite blanket that warms their heart and provides them solace. Allow them to snuggle up at bedtime with their object of choice as a reward for keeping up their routine.
  4. Play soft music, sing a soothing song, or read a book together. Even older children enjoy reading with their parents. With so many wonderful books to choose from, make it a habit to read together every night. Once in awhile tell children a story from your childhood or make up fun stories together. Unwinding with a quiet lullaby, a sweet story or some peaceful music can help to put their minds at ease and get them in the mood to sleep soundly.
  5. Spend one on one time, even if for a few moments. Taking a few minutes each night to talk to your child is a powerful tool. Offer an uplifting compliment, pay attention to something that may be worrying them, or tell them something encouraging you noticed they accomplished that day. Children crave positive attention. As parents, it’s your job to give it to them. These moments of loving attention will help children of all ages to feel wanted, needed and loved. They will rest easier knowing they are cared for and have a responsible adult watching over them.
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