Health Highlights: Kids and sleep + Wrestling injuries
To nap or not to nap? It's a question parents are facing with their kids. Plus, how to treat and avoid injuries for wrestlers this season.
The college wrestling season is in full swing while younger athletes are starting offseason training.
An orthopedics expert with OSF HealthCare says common injuries on the mat are treatable.
Concussions, cauliflower ear, dislocated shoulders and sprained ankles are all possible.
On the knee, look out for prepatellar bursitis, says Glenett Barrett, an orthopedics APRN at OSF.
“There’s a bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that covers the patella [the kneecap] to give it a cushion for the other tissues to slide over. It gets very angry when [hits to the mat] happen over and over. It becomes inflamed. Extra fluid will build up. It gets pretty painful," Barrett says.
Rest, ice and anti-inflammatory meds can help with those knee injuries. For prevention, Barrett says quality gear and training go a long way.
Also, skin infections are a risk on dirty mats. So shower often and watch for sores and rashes.
For many years, a day at school for a kindergartener would usually involve an afternoon nap.
Today, some schools have phased that out, leaving parents to wonder what's right.
OSF HealthCare pediatrician Luis Garcia, MD, says parents should look at daytime sleep and nighttime sleep and up the total sleep time.
Naps should be 30 minutes to two hours long.
“It’s not recommended to nap after 3:00 or 4:00 PM to avoid causing disruptions at bedtime. We want to allow at least four hours between last nap and bedtime to avoid the kids being too tired at bedtime," Dr. Garcia says.
By four to six-years-old, the need for naps usually decreases. When that time comes, Dr. Garcia says to have your kids quit cold turkey. Early on, moving bedtime up by 20 to 30 minutes can help.
Make sure your child's school or day care is aware of their sleep habits.