A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Every evening around the world, parents put their children to bed, hoping they’ll go to sleep easily. For most parents that’s exactly what happens. But for some kids, sleep does not come easily and evenings are a battle. Children with ADHD are much more likely than other kids to struggle getting to sleep, and staying [...]
The hormone melatonin is being handed out too readily to children who are struggling to sleep, despite the fact little is known about the long-term risks of taking it, experts have warned. Melatonin, a hormone the body produces naturally in reaction to darkness that helps prepare us for sleep, has been authorised for use among [...]
Teenagers’ late-night mobile phone use is harming their sleep and potentially their mental health, say researchers who advised that “physical boundaries” be set over use of such devices in the bedroom. A longitudinal study of 1,101 Australian high school students aged between 13 and 16 found poor-quality sleep associated with late-night texting or calling was [...]
Good sleep is essential for our mental well-being. Just one night of disturbed sleep can leave us feeling cranky, flat, worried, or sad the next day. So it’s no surprise sleeping problems, like difficulty falling asleep, not getting enough sleep, or regularly disrupted sleep patterns, are associated with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression, which [...]
Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed depression as the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. Not lung cancer, obesity or heart disease (on their own, individual fronts), but depression -- a common and serious mood disorder that, today, will reach one in seven Australians alone at some point in their [...]
Much like a clock on the wall, our cells have their own 24-hour timeline. When they're in sync, our body clock may act as a protective barrier against mental and physical illnesses. But throw in some jet lag, a night shift or a bout of insomnia, and suddenly the clock's hands are spinning out of [...]
If you’ve ever been befuddled by a dream, take heart: You’re following a 4,000-year tradition of confusion. Over that time, humanity — in the form of religion, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience — has actually come to somewhat understand what exactly the mind is doing in its slumbering states. To that end, here are five of the [...]
One in six teenage boys who drinks excessive amounts of soft drink is also more likely to be watching too much television and not getting enough sleep, a survey of Australian high school students reveals. Teenagers who drink at least a litre of soft drink each week, considered "heavy consumers', are also more likely to skimp [...]
Despite fears of technology eating into our nap, we may be slumbering for longer than ever before and we may have misunderstood what sleep is for. They say that an elephant never forgets. It is also often stated that one of the functions of sleep is to consolidate memories. If both of those things were [...]
iStock Images More and more, researchers are understanding the affect of the sun on our physical, emotional and mental health. It's the best and most natural form of vitamin D and, if we get too little of it, we are at risk of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But, a new study reveals that [...]
