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Teenagers who prefer to stay up late at night and wake up late in the morning—referred to as “night owls”—may experience more problematic allergy and asthma symptoms than those who get up early, a 2020 study suggests. Key Takeaways Teenagers who prefer to stay up late and wake up late could have higher risk of more severe allergy and asthma symptoms.This finding is similar to what’s seen in adults, but experts aren’t sure yet as to why....

At-risk behavior is anything that puts youth at risk for future negative consequences, like poor health, injury or death. And while risky behavior as a teen isn’t a new concept (most adults can likely recall at least a few poor choices they made as a teen), the type of risks teens are taking are shifting. One of the reasons risky behavior is so common during adolescence is because the teen brain isn’t yet fully developed....

One of the difficulties in recognizing alcoholism as a disease is it just plain doesn’t seem like one. It doesn’t look, sound, smell and it certainly doesn’t act like a disease. To make matters worse, generally, it denies it exists and resists treatment. Alcoholism has been recognized for many years by professional medical organizations as a primary, chronic, progressive, and sometimes fatal disease. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers a detailed and complete definition of alcoholism, but probably the most simple way to describe it is a mental obsession that causes a physical compulsion to drink....

What Is Residual Schizophrenia? However, they continue to experience a reduced form of one or two of these symptoms, such as strange perceptions or distorted thinking, along with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including social withdrawal, blunt affect, or difficulty paying attention. Residual schizophrenia is one of the five subtypes of schizophrenia. People with residual schizophrenia aren’t currently experiencing the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized behavior....

Newborns are precious and adorable. Nearly everyone wants to take a peek—or even have a cuddle. Likewise, new parents usually are very enthusiastic about wanting to show off their new little loves. However, you also want to keep your baby safe from germs and accidents. You may wonder whether it’s safe to let people touch your newborn. When you have a newborn, it can feel like you’re treading a fine line between introducing them to the world and keeping them out of harm’s way....

When most people think of support groups, groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) might be the first thing that comes to mind. But there are many other groups that exist to help people dealing with a variety of issues—including raising troubled teens. A parenting support group can provide comfort and advice from others in the same situation. These groups are available in most communities as well as online. How Support Groups Help Initially, it may be difficult to understand the point of participating in a support group....

Whether you’re looking to add upper body conditioning, core exercises, or physical therapy into your routine, using resistance bands is a great way to level up your workouts and help improve your strength, stability, and mobility. There are multiple types of resistance bands: loop bands, tube bands, power/assist bands, and resistance straps. When used in sequence with bodyweight movements, resistance bands are designed to mimic the use of machines, free weights, and bulky gym equipment....

Multitasking during a tough workout can make it more fun and engaging. Music can give you the motivation you need to tackle that next rep, and podcasts can keep you occupied as you log miles on the treadmill. Most of the time, your entertainment is found on your smartphone, but if you prefer to spend time away from distractions like texts and calls, an MP3 player is a great option....

Do you get creeped out or stressed when you find loose hair that has fallen on your shirt or chair? If so, you might have what is known as trichophobia, which is an excessive and persistent fear of hair. This can include fear of hair on the head, but it often involves touching or seeing loose hairs that have fallen on to clothing, the body, furniture, or another surface. A brush covered in loose hairs, for example, might trigger feelings of fear and anxiety....

Using cloth diapers means you’ll have some extra laundry to deal with, but for many families, the extra washing is worth it. Cloth diapers contribute significantly less trash to the landfill than their disposable counterparts. The soft cotton and fleece diapers may also seem more comfortable (and cuter) than disposables. However, much like disposable diapers, cloth diapers may still cause diaper rash. But the cuteness may soon subside once the laundry bag is full and there are smelly, soggy diapers to deal with....

While you might love playing with your kid⁠—whether you’re all about LEGO constructions or creating characters with the dress-up box⁠—it’s also good for your child to know how to entertain themselves. All parents need a break from time to time, and it’s a beneficial and necessary part of your child’s healthy development. Here’s how to help your kid learn this skill (as it doesn’t come naturally to everyone) and why it’s important....

It is located in the temporal lobe on the left side of the brain and it plays a part in speech comprehension. Language development or usage can be seriously impaired by damage to Wernicke’s area of the brain. Wernicke’s area is the region of the brain that is important for language development. When this area of the brain is damaged, a disorder known as Wernicke’s aphasia can result, with the person being able to speak in phrases that sound fluent yet lack meaning....

If you and your kids need more activities to do when spending time together, consider geocaching. A worldwide game that involves everything from clues to camping, geocaching is a great way to spend some time outside, using your tech skills and tools like GPS, Google search, the Geocaching app, and more to find treasures hidden in the most unlikely places. Geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt. It’s like a grown-up version of the beloved childhood pastime, except it’s no joke....

Mandated reporting refers to the legal obligation to report abuse. Mandated reporters are individuals or agencies that are legally required to make these reports. In the United States, mandated reporting laws vary significantly. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) allows you to look up mandated reporting laws for your state. Who Is a Mandated Reporter? Since laws vary by state, there are some jurisdictional differences about who is required to make these reports....

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder. This condition skews a person’s perception of reality. It distorts how a person thinks and behaves. In its active phase, a person with schizophrenia will experience symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech and thinking. However, a person with this condition won’t experience these symptoms all the time. Schizophrenia occurs in three phases. They are the prodromal phase, the active phase, and the recovery phase....

Psychologists refer to the habit of talking to yourself out loud as external self-talk. If you talk to yourself sometimes, then you are not alone. Far from being just an occasional tendency, it is actually quite common. Some evidence suggests that talking to yourself can actually have a number of psychological benefits. Research suggests that this type of self-talk is connected to a range of different mental functions including problem-solving, reasoning, planning, motivation, and attention....

After a long and overwhelming process, you have finally found a nanny or daycare center that you feel comfortable with and fits your family’s needs! How do you know that they really are doing a good job though? Learn how to evaluate your decision and assess the quality of a child care center or provider. Daycare Centers Several studies found that quality child care programs have certain characteristics in common. Quality indicators measure the conditions that generally foster a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for children....

APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association and is used in both academic and professional writing. Before you create a reference page for your papers, essays, articles, or reports, it is important to learn how to format your references in proper APA style. This style dictates certain rules and guidelines for different types of references, including books. Not all book citations are the same in APA style....

You had spicy tacos for dinner (yum!) and now your baby is fussy and crying. You are breastfeeding and you immediately wonder if your Mexican feast might have had something to do with this. This is a common scenario that many breastfeeding parents find themselves in. Their baby is fussy, colicky, has an upset tummy, or is just not acting like themselves, and the parent suspects that something they are eating is affecting their baby....

Heartburn is a common discomfort during pregnancy. Between 30% and 80% of women have symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux while they’re expecting. It can start anytime during pregnancy, but it’s more common in the second and third trimester as the baby grows. Here’s what you need to know about the symptoms, causes, and complications of heartburn in pregnancy, along with tips for dealing with it. About Heartburn It may burn, but it doesn’t have anything to do with your heart....