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Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV... making news this week ... how early bedtimes may help kids ... the benefits of a positive outlook during breast cancer ... and a growing health risk on both sides of the Atlantic. Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV.
Going to bed at a decent hour may help young kids develop important academic skills, according to a recent study. Roughly 8,000 four-year-olds took tests measuring their reading, math, and language ability, and their parents told the researchers when the kids went to bed. The children who went to bed earlier or had rules regarding their bedtime tended to have better scores for many language, math, and reading skills. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that preschoolers get 11 to 13 hours of sleep each night.
Next up: Researchers who tracked 227 patients with breast cancer found that those who took part in a year-long program for their emotional health had a lower risk of cancer recurrence. The program taught relaxation and stress-reducing methods, as well as ways to improve health behaviors. In a new study, researchers took another look at 62 participants whose cancer returned. Those who had taken part in the program had a 59-percent lower risk of death. They were also more likely to have improvements in their distress after the cancer returned.
And finally, researchers in the United Kingdom recently called attention to rising death rates from melanoma among men in the past 30 years. This serious type of skin cancer has also become more common in recent decades in the United States. The disease is more common in people who have fair skin or who have had a blistering sunburn early in life. According to the American Cancer Society, you may help protect yourself from skin cancer by reducing your exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That includes using plenty of sunscreen and limiting your time in the sun, especially in the middle of the day.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.
