Good “hygiene” is anything that helps you to have a healthy life. The idea behind sleep hygiene is the same as dental hygiene. Dental hygiene helps you stay healthy by keeping your teeth and gums clean and strong. Sleep hygiene helps you stay healthy by keeping your mind and body rested and strong. Following these tips will help you sleep better and feel your best.

Dental hygiene can even be a part of your sleep hygiene. It is easier for you to fall asleep at night if you have bedtime “rituals.” These are things that you do every night just before going to bed. Brushing and flossing your teeth is a good example of this kind of ritual. Both your dentist and your doctor will approve if you do this every night.
Here are some tips for how you can improve your sleep hygiene:

1. Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
   If you are not sleepy at bedtime, then do something else. Read a book, listen to soft music or browse through a magazine. Find something relaxing, but not stimulating, to take your mind off of worries about sleep. This will relax your body and distract your mind.
2. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the bed.
   Find something else to do that will make you feel relaxed. If you can, do this in another room. Your bedroom should be where you go to sleep. It is not a place to go when you are bored. Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.
3. Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.
   This can include such things as a warm bath, light snack or a few minutes of reading.
4. Get up at the same time every morning.
   Do this even on weekends and holidays.
5. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.
   Get enough sleep so that you feel well-rested nearly every day.
6. Avoid taking naps if you can.
   If you must take a nap, try to keep it short (less than one hour). Never take a nap after 3 p.m.
7. Keep a regular schedule.
   Regular times for meals, medications, chores, and other activities help keep the inner body clock running smoothly.
8. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.
9. Do not have any caffeine after lunch.
10. Do not have a beer, a glass of wine, or any other alcohol within six hours of your bedtime.
11. Do not have a cigarette or any other source of nicotine before bedtime.
12. Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal near bedtime either.
13. Avoid any tough exercise within six hours of your bedtime.
    You should exercise on a regular basis, but do it earlier in the day. (Talk to your doctor before you begin an exercise program.)
14. Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously.
    Most doctors do not prescribe sleeping pills for periods of more than three weeks. Do not drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills.
15. Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.
    If you are unable to do this, then find a time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system. Your bed is a place to rest, not a place to worry.
16. Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.
    An easy way to remember this: it should remind you of a cave.

 
 

​Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) is a kind of group therapy intended for substance abusers and criminal offenders. It is a step-based approach to target and change common thinking errors that lead to relapse and reoffending. MRT is delivered in a group setting and includes workbooks and homework. It's designed to enhance self-image, promote growth of a positive, productive identity, and facilitate the development of higher stages of moral reasoning. All of these goals will help participants display more appropriate behavior in their homes, community, and relationships. Research has shown that people who graduate from an MRT program have significantly lower levels of  re-arrest, relapse, and re-incarceration.
 
What does "Reconation" mean?
Prior to the common usage of the term "ego" in psychology in the 1930s, the term reconation was used to describe the conscious process of decision making and behavior. The term "moral Reconation" was chosen for MRT because the underlying goal of the program is to change conscious decision-making to higher levels of moral reasoning. This program typically requires participants to attend 12-16, 1.5 hour sessions to complete the program.
 
What does MRT do?
1. Confront underlying beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
2.  Assess current relationships and decide if they are healthy and supportive
3. Reinforce positive behaviors and habits
4. Identify and develop a positive personal identity and enhance current self-concept
5. Decrease pleasure seeking and self destructive behaviors and develop a higher level of frustration tolerance
6. Develop higher stages of moral reasoning (decision making)
 
Acacia Wellness Center begins its first round of MRT tonight, August 15, at 5:00 PM. To get on the schedule or the waiting list, please give us a call at (208) 498-1760.
 

Caring for a child with ADHD  has its frustrations.
Here are some techniques that will help.
 

1. Consistency: It’s very important to  be consistent with children who have ADHD. Expectations, rules, and discipline should remain the same so the child knows what to expect.  Following through with rules and discipline when a child is acting out is more likely to prevent similar behavior in the future. Consistently rewarding good behavior when a child meets expectations will increase the likelihood of repeated positive actions.
2. Keep Calm: Parents and guardians who  use a calm voice and  an unexcited  attitude generally have more success implementing discipline and addressing problem behavior. Raising your voice or acting violently simply models to ADHD children that their  bad behavior is normal. 
   
3. Plan for  Problems: Parents , especially those of children with ADHD, need to plan ahead for inevitable problems.  In the best of situations  a child may have an outburst.  In these chaotic moments, it would benefit the guardians of children with ADHD to have a calm, unemotional plan ready, one that doesn’t send a negative message to ADHD children.
   
4. Avoid  Using Negatives: Negative words and  phrases only reinforce  negative behavior. These terms include “stop”, “don’t,” and “no”  Instead, use phrases like "please," and "thank you" and always give an explanation for why the child should stop their negative behavior. For example, rather than saying, “Don’t touch that,”, try  saying “Please leave that on the table. It means a lot to me. Thank you.” 
5.  Separate the  Behavior from the Child: ADHD is a behavioral disorder. This means that the brain is causing symptoms that are almost entirely out of the child’s control. While negative behavior must be consistently addressed, keep in mind that  the behavior is being disciplined not the child.
6.  Stick to a  Routine: Children with ADHD perform better when they are living with a set routine, one with the same bed time, homework time, meal time, and activity time each and every day. This routine should be  kept by every member of the family for best results. 
7.   Be a Role-Model in Difficult Situations: Difficult tasks and situations often cause frustration in children with ADHD.  This frustration can prompt children to act inappropriately as a way  of venting. Parents or guardians who demonstrate to how to handle difficult tasks or situations calmly and logically in front of their children with ADHD are teaching valuable problem-solving skills by modeling the appropriate response to the challenge.
   
8. Quiet Space: Many  children with ADHD  benefit from having a special room for tasks such as homework and other activities requiring focus and attention.. This quiet space is ideal for reducing distractions and should be free of diverting pictures or colors.
   
9. Limit the Number of Playmates: Children with ADHD have a difficult time socializing in very large groups. This is because of the way their hyperactive and impulsive symptoms affect them. Limiting the child's playmates to 1 or 2 people at a time creates a more optimal environment for them to learn how to make new friends and forge relationships
   
10. Do Not Pity Your Child with ADHD: The number one rule is never pity your child because of his or her ADHD. . Coddling or feeling sorry for the child increases the feeling of difference from other children., which is not supportive to the child.
    
11. Allow your Kid to be a Kid: Children with ADHD need to have time to release some energy! Allowing kids to play outside can help improve focus and concentration. Make sure kids with ADHD have time to play, run, be outside, and take a break from their school work and chores.

 
If you would like to learn more about ADHD symptoms and parenting techniques, please call Acacia Wellness Center to set up an appointment. 208-498-1760