Wait, Nightlights Are Bad Now?

TOP OF MIND

Those monsters under the bed will love this story
Many parents place nightlights inside their child's room to keep the monsters at bay, but some experts are now saying they might actually disrupt sleep.

Previously, studies mostly found that "high intensity of bright light" before bedtime could negatively impact sleep. They looked at light from TVs, laptops, phones, etc.

But a recent study found that even dim light can cause melatonin suppression. Low melatonin levels before bed can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep. Kids are even more sensitive to this because their eyes haven't developed to stop the flow of light as well as adults.

The important bits
According to the study, which only looked at 36 children, melatonin levels were suppressed by between 70% and 90% after even low levels of light exposure in the evening. For over half of children, melatonin levels remained suppressed nearly an hour after the light was turned off.

However, some doctors argue we're focused on the wrong light. Andrew Bernstein, M.D, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told Good Housekeeping that he's not concerned about low-level lighting in the bedroom.

"The bigger concerns are children's use of electronic devices 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime," he added.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Bernstein. Pediatric nurse Jennifer Walker doesn't recommend night lights because "babies have recently transitioned from the womb," where they had total darkness and soothing background noise.

What's it all mean?
Geez. We don't know. We think it means you shouldn't just automatically put a nightlight in your child's room. The best way to sleep is in complete darkness, which is why it's important for your child not to be afraid of the dark. Here are some tips for navigating the fear of the dark. Number one on the list? Don't ask them if they're afraid of the dark! Sounds like the parenting version of Fight Club.

DID YOU HEAR

🤦‍♀️ Parents share bizarre habits they created and can't seem to shake
When you're the parent of a toddler (or God forbid two at the same time) you'll agree to almost anything to make it through the day. If your kid wants banana soup for dinner, you'll make banana soup to avoid a tantrum. But what about when those acts of clemency become habits? Someone on Reddit asked "What's a habit you started with your toddler that you now regret?" and the responses are wild. One parent wrote, "Gave him a strawberry smoothie in the shower. Every shower requires a strawberry milkshake." Another admitted, "We have a Bruno Mars playlist he uses for wind down triggers at night. Not just the music but the music videos." Read them all here.

🍽️ Teach your kids to eat almost nothing?
Pediatrician Carlos González is going viral for his thoughts on mealtime. He says the goal isn't to teach kids to eat everything, but to teach them to eat very little of certain things. His reasoning? Temptations. He says kids are constantly being marketed to on TV and online, and most of the time, they're being inundated with unhealthy, ultra-processed foods. He has a lot of interesting theories.

🧬 Don't fall for the "autism detox" treatment
There's been a worrying trend circulating online regarding so-called "autism detox treatments," which claim to reverse autism diagnoses by removing toxins and heavy metals from the bloodstream. The products, often made with zeolite, are sold as tinctures, sprays, and more, primarily marketed for kids. But the FDA warns there's no evidence to back up these claims, and even more worrisome, these sprays can cause some truly scary health risks. 

🤱 Breastfeeding hack that husbands will LOVE
There's a new breastfeeding "hack" going viral on TikTok. According to lots of moms on social media, they noticed a dramatic increase in their supply of breast milk if they pumped directly after sex. Is there any evidence to back this up? You might be surprised.

🏆 Middle children are better than their siblings
Find out why here.

DOSE OF GOOD

@_dippedngold

just something to cheer you up during our collective time of mourning 💔 tbh I’m 99% sure they were interrupting his tiktok time 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #fypシ... See more

HOW TO STAY HOT

Being a parent is nice and all, but you know what's even better? Being a hot parent. Easier said than done. Lucky for us, the fine folks at The Cut surveyed 100 people to see what products and treatments they're using to look fresh at any age.

You can see the breakdown by age here.

Some of our favorite products from the list?

Topicals Faded Serum to help with dark spots and discoloration ($38)

Tatcha the Dewy Skin Cream made their list, but we feel it's a little pricey at over $70. If you're looking for an alternative, the Saturday Skin Face Moisturizer is half the price!

Finally, protect your skin from the sun with one of our favorite sunscreens from EltaMD. Perfect for all skin types! ($39)

BITES WITH KIYAH

When my son was five, he walked into the kitchen while I was making dinner and - without knowing that we were going to have his favorite meal - he asked me, "How much dinner do I have to eat in order to get dessert?" That's when I knew I had been doing something wrong.

So I made a change to how I served dessert, and the results shocked me. Read all about it here.

And if you're looking for a dessert idea, I offer up this Minty Chocolate Malt Cake:

Courtesy of Yossy Arefi, author of Snacking Cakes (a cookbook that I highly recommend!)

HERE’S A QUESTION

New research shows that 26% of teens are using ChatGPT to complete schoolwork.

Last week, we asked if you'd enroll your kid in an AI school, and just over 60% of you said "No," while "Yes" earned around 20% of the vote.

RECALLS

Horizon Organic Milk spoilage
The FDA just issued a recall of nearly 20,000 cases of Horizon Organic Milk because the shelf-stable milk might actually not be shelf-stable after all.

Apparently, there's concern that the product could spoil earlier than its shelf life indicates, which would obviously be a no-no for your tum-tum.

Get all the info here.