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Discussions for Today's Man

Conditions That Affect Your Child Sleep

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Sleep disorders can lead to insufficient child sleep. Children who are under the age of 18 years normally need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night. If your child sleep is less than 8 hours could mean that he/she is suffering from sleep disorder or sleep deprivation.

There are several types of sleep disorders, which are widespread in children and major part of it may be ascribed to their fear of the dark, those children suffer from the sleep disorder.

To help you children have a good sleep at night, you should know a little about these things. Several types of sleep disorders that impair your child sleep include:

Sleep walking or talking: This is one of the most common disorders in children that are related to sleep. “Somnambulism” is the medical name for sleep walking. This is not harmful but it needs special care. Parents are responsible to provide a healthy and safe environment to their children i.e. talking while sleeping and sleeping by opening their eyes may seem odd but there is nothing unusual and also usually this won’t cause any harm to your child.

You can read more about sleep walking here.

Heartburn: It is also known as gastroesophageal reflux and is common in both adults and children. It would be hazardous for children, especially who are sleeping. In this type of sleep disorder, the stomach acids might regurgitate into their throat at the time of sleeping. Sometimes it may also indicate an underlying problem of stomach that might need surgery.

Bruxism: This is crushing and gnashing of teeth during the sleep. This is very irritating and disturbing child sleep disorder.

Head rolling or banging: Many children are head rollers or bangers, this situation occur particularly when they are lacking of sleep. Normally this habit is harmless and they would grow out of this habit before they gain maturity.

Enuresis and bed wetting: These are also most common child sleep disorders. But it is very embarrassing as well as humiliating for children and also trouble for their parents especially when children grow older. This is a medical problem and it can be treated with doctor’s prescription.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): This is the worst and deadly sleep disorder. This is abbreviated as SIDS. Due to this, many children die and usually known as crib death. The exact cause of SIDS is still unknown.

Nocturnal asthma or nocturnal seizures: Asthma and seizures are terrifying problems. Nocturnal asthma and nocturnal seizures are trouble for both children as well as parents as they may lead to many other health problems. It is essential to take proper medical care for children.

Periodic limb movement or Restless leg syndrome: Both these child sleep disorders are very distressing for children as well as parents. This condition causes an urge to move the leg frequently that can lead to insomnia, night terrors and sleep walking.

How to FIX a Sagging Mattress – 5 Simple Ways

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If you have been suffering a sagging mattress, back pain and sore muscles are no longer a surprise. Aging isn’t your problem in this case, but the mattress that is supposed to support you is the issue we need to fix.

how to fix a sagging mattress
A bad mattress is not only bad for your sleep but also your body

It’s not always possible to just purchase a new mattress, especially when you have invested a large amount of cash in hope for comfort and relaxation. Fret not! This article will discuss on the several simple,inexpensive tips to fix a sagging mattress, and cause of mattress sagging as well as its effects.

Simple solutions for a sagging mattress

Let’s establish that there’s no way to get rid of the sag completely, but with these easy tips, you might have some more time with acceptable comfort.

1. Buy a mattress topper

If your mattress is already old (average mattress lifespan is 10 years), then the best and easiest way to improve your sleep without buying a new mattress is to use a mattress topper.

fix sagging mattress
Using mattress topper can fix your sagging mattress

Mattress topper is an additional layer of cushioning used for improving the comfort of the mattress. The most common types of toppers are memory foam, latex, wool and feather. Thick toppers might fill up the sag gaps and smoothen the uneven surface.

Consider a memory foam topper if a new mattress isn’t affordable for you just yet. It will make up for any minor lumpiness or sinking beneath. Feels as luxurious and costs a fraction of a whole purchase, quick and easy to find – it’s undoubtedly the second best option for you.

To pick the best mattress topper easily, you should take a look at https://www.thebestmattresstopper.com The website have many useful information about mattress toppers and top-rated topper reviews in the market.

However, if your mattress is not too old, please follow the tips below:

2. Rotate and flip it on a regular basis

You only need to flip the mattress to have the underside up (if it’s flippable) or rotate it 180 degrees and switch the position of the head and the feet areas. Once per half a year will be enough. Even if the sagging progress hasn’t occurred, this will maintain the shape of the mattress and even turn a too-firm mattress somewhat softer.

3. Find a new foundation

The larger the size of your mattress is, the more of legs required in order to support the weight pressing down on them, thus, foundations are most likely to be blamed for sagging. If the gap between each pair of slats is wider than 3 inches, it can also cause partial sagging.

Foundations also go downhill over time, so excessively aged foundations will possibly lead to sagging. Utilize the mattress warranties and check on the guideline before making your purchase.

4. Use plywood

fix-sagging-mattress-with-plywoodThis low-cost method is specifically for sleepers with slatted bases. Measure the size of foundation and mattress first and cut a thin sheet of plywood according to the result you have had. Put it on the foundation and adjust it to cover up all slats. If positioned right, it will fix the sagging caused by slats with gaps.

Plywood won’t completely fix the sagging — nothing will, we have agreed on it. On the other hand, plywood reduces the airflow at the bottom of your bed and heats the surface remarkably, sleeper will feel hot and mold or mildew will amass. But it’s a decent temporary solution.

5. Make sure the box springs are right

The support of a mattress comes from the springs, so you might want to search for the warped springs and replace them. They are available in various sizes and types, so choose the ones that best fit your mattress.

Why does a mattress sag?

Nothing lasts forever. We all should expect the down of each equipment when they have been with us for a long time and mattresses aren’t an exception. The bouncy feel and the support in a mattress come from the box springs of which coil tension decreases with time, along with the materials for comfort sinking deeper into the hard layers underneath. Unfortunately, once the tension is gone, the springs are warped and this cycle is not reversible.

You might notice the signals in a mattress just like ones that appear when a car needs its oil or tires changed. The surface of the mattress will sink where the weight usually impacts, namely head or hips, or you can even feel the lumpy areas with your own hands. If it’s is no longer smooth and even with these ‘rises and falls’, you’re bound to deal with discomfort during sleep and it will become simply unbearable at some point.

The consequences a sagging mattress might bring

Minor sagging isn’t a severe problem, but major sagging can initiate some negative effects:

  • It will worsen the pain in your joints and muscles.
  • Risks of annoying noises as springs deteriorate and squeak.
  • Hot when sleeping upon, since it blocks the flow of air through coil layers.

There unfortunately are also more serious problems you should be aware of. Many sleepers who tolerated a sagging mattress for too long end up with insomnia as well as apnea symptoms – temporary loss of breath during sleep – due to the position of your head and neck. A bad mattress is also the main reason for subluxations – the misalignment of the spine. If you don’t want to spend time and money on fixing your sagging mattress, therapies and even surgeries will cost so much more.

In conclusion

After hours at work and school, the last thing you would like to have is a lumpy, depressed surface to rest upon. You deserve the comfort you have earned, and we hope to be helpful enough. Nonetheless, if you want to maintain something in good conditions, you should take care of it since the beginning: keep your mattress clean, rotate it to regain the good form, avoid direct sunlight and frequent washing.

How To Build Backyard Horseshoe Pits

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First rule of building backyard horseshoe pits — they are backyard horseshoe pits, chill out.

They don’t have to be perfect, they don’t have to be exactly straight, and they definitely don’t have to be regulation anything.It’s your backyard, they are your pits, and the only thing that really matters is having good people to enjoy them with. The following pictures and instructions represent my latest and greatest pits, and while their predecessors definitely didn’t compare construction wise, they surely were no less fun.In fact, my last pits — those well under regulation length, on a downward slope, and with each of the four throwing areas requiring a different pitching technique because of nearby fencing or landscaping —will be my favorite until these current ones prove otherwise.The point is that throwing shoes is fun for all ages and as long as you are throwing, you’ve already built great pits.

I.The Foundation

There is no more important step than this one.If you really wanted to, you could just perform this first step, bury the buckets and pins in the ground and start throwing.Eventually pits would form from the worn away landing areas and you’d be in business.End of the day, the rest of your pit construction doesn’t matter if your pin can’t do it’s job — to stay where it is.It’s annoying and ruins the flow of a game to continually fix a shoddy pin(s).Some pins magically go nowhere without a proper foundation, but I’ve never seen both pins stay put without being properly anchored.

This step is as simple as cutting two 5 gallon plastic buckets in half and filling them with concrete.Mix the concrete right in the buckets and set the pins as close to dead-center upright as you can.Check on your buckets often as the concrete hardens to make sure the pins are still standing up, then as the concrete hardens, pitch your pins approximately 3 inches from center.Remember that rule about backyard horseshoes?Get out a tape measure, eyeball the 3 inch pitch from an eyeballed dead center of bucket and move on.There will come a point when you know the pins aren’t going anywhere, but until then you should keep an eye on things.

II.The Frame

In the background of the previous picture you can see the start of the frames being cut out of 4×4 pressure treated lumber.For these pits shown, two 8 foot lengths and one 6 footer were used.All lengths were cut in half to create two 4′ x 3′ frames, with the longer pieces making up the sides and the shorter piece making up the back of the pit.Screw your lumber together at the corners as shown on the left. Make sure whatever wood screws you choose are long enough to embed through one piece and well into the next one and use four screws per corner for good measure.Screw the longer pieces into the outside edges of the shorter pieces and your frames are done.

III.Placement

Shoot for as flat of an area as possible and also pick a spot in your yard that is generally out of the way of any sort of traffic flow.You don’t want people having to walk around your pits when they are over your house, nor do you want an errant shoe to go ringing off someone’s leg during such a gathering.Horseshoes do kick off of the wood frames during play, so keep this in mind when picking a location for your pits.

Tie a string from pin to pin, and if you want, make the string 40 feet in length for regulation distance.If you don’t have the room for that length, just use the string as a reference for getting your pins and frames as straight as possible.The pins are supposed to lean in, so the pin pitches you created earlier should be pointing directly at each other.Basically, when you are throwing, you are doing so at a pin leaning towards you, not away.Before you dig, eye up everything as if you’re measuring up a golf put.Stand behind each pit, squat down, even squint, but definitely don’t over-think or go for perfection.Back–yard–horseshoes.

Once you get things close, dig two holes and bury the buckets leaving only the pins exposed.

IV. Assist Inertia

Someone once said, an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. In this case, the outside force is a heavy, U-shaped metal object being thrown from 40 feet away, so you are definitely going to need some help keeping your frames in place. Pilot drill holes into your frames and either drive large, metal spikes through these holes or preferably 2 foot pieces rebar. Go with at least a foot in length for whatever you choose to use as spikes, but the closer to 2 feet the better. Use a hammer, sledge hammer or back of an axe to drive these spikes through the pilot holes and into the ground, standing on your frame the whole time to make sure it doesn’t shift too much. Your frames will chip, splinter, and even shift a little bit over time, but these spikes will ensure they don’t go anywhere. With pins steady and frames secure, the pressure is now rightfully put on the players.

V. Add Sand

Now comes the easy part. Add sand and you’re all done. Regular play sand works best, but you can go with whatever you are most comfortable with. Place the sand right over the grass or remove the top layer of sod for extra depth. Either way is fine. Got kids? Get them involved with putting down the sand. Got kids? Good luck keeping them from thinking these are their sand boxes when you aren’t throwing shoes. Got kids? Get little, plastic horseshoes for them and play half-court. Remember, this is fun for all ages.

VI. Misc.

You can make covers to help protect your pits from the weather and especially from wild animals using them as litter boxes. Pressure treated is always best, but not necessary. You can get fancy and buy plexiglass sheets or just paint regular plywood to prevent the weather from taking a toll on your covers.

Determine the rules. There are all sorts of variations of play: taking turns throwing one shoe at a time vs. throwing both of your shoes before the other player throws, all points count vs. the cancellation system, counting leaners vs. not, etc… You can learn more about the ins and outs of backyard horseshoes here, but the most important thing is to determine which way you prefer to play and sticking to those rules. Don’t let some “pro” come over your house and tell you that the rules should be otherwise. It’s backyard horseshoes, and it’s your backyard.

Lastly — have fun.

Happy throwing!