Children who get a good night's sleep 'have better memories'

Children who get a good night’s sleep have a boosted memory according to new research. The findings could explain why children who do not sleep well do not do as well in school. Children were more effectively able to convert ‘implicit’ knowledge into ‘explicit,’ which often happens in learning, than adults according to researchers from the University of Tuebingen, Germany.

Explicit knowledge is information stored in the mind while implicit knowledge is being able to go about doing something without necessarily knowing how. Implicit may be converted into explicit, and vice versa, but the effects of sleep on memory have not been studied extensively, especially in children.

One in five couples spend more than a YEAR trying to conceive - and experts say delaying motherhood and obesity are to blame

Nearly 20 per cent of couples spend more than a year trying for a baby, worrying new figures show. And the effect of not being able to conceive is so bad for some couples that it forces them apart - or places their relationship under great pressure.  Experts have blamed women delaying motherhood and the obesity epidemic as the two most likely reasons for rising infertility.

There are now more mothers over 30 than at anytime since records began - and further research has shown being overweight can interfere with ovulation in woman and sperm quality in men.  Sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia - shown to affect both male and female fertility - are also on the rise.

The survey of more than 2,000 people, for ITV's This Morning, found that 18 per cent of couples spent over a year trying to get pregnant.  The figure is higher than that quoted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which states that 14 per cent suffer fertility problems.

Experts say that couples should not have any cause for alarm until a year has passed without being successful.  When it came to IVF, 17 per cent of couples said they would try it once, with 35 per cent of men saying they would want their partner to try it three times. Eight per cent of those questioned had undergone IVF and later became pregnant naturally.

Babies can hear syllables in the womb, says research

Scientists say babies decipher speech as early as three months before birth. The evidence comes from detailed brain scans of 12 infants born prematurely.  At just 28 weeks' gestation, the babies appeared to discriminate between different syllables like "ga" and "ba" as well as male and female voices.

Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the French team said it was unlikely the babies' experience outside the womb would have affected their findings.

The Secrets of Eating Right and Living Longer

Yes, it's possible to eat certain foods and boost your longevity. Often labeled "super foods," these foods have the ability to not only strengthen the immune system, but to also fight disease, and lower body fat and cholesterol. All of these health benefits can help you live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Some super foods contain substances called antioxidants and phytochemicals, which work together to fight disease and promote a long life. A majority of these foods work best when they're combined with a well-balanced diet.

Children with controlling 'helicopter parents' are more likely to be depressed

Children with controlling parents are more likely to be depressed or anxious, a study suggests.

Researchers warn that the overbearing parenting style, known as 'helicopter parenting' - where parents hover over their children and become too involved in their lives - affects a child's ability to get on with others.  While some parental involvement helps children develop, too much can make them more likely to be depressed and less satisfied with their lives, they say.  The findings also suggested that children of over controlling parents feel less competent and less able to manage life and its stressors while some parents wrongly consider 'helicopter parenting' to be supportive, rather than detrimental.

Unborn babies get taste for fruit and vegetables from their mothers

The parental crusade to get children to eat fruit and vegetables should begin before birth, researchers said last night.

Pregnant women with a varied diet are less likely to give birth to fussy eaters, they said, and babies are more accepting of foods mothers eat regularly while expectant and breast-feeding.

In one study, children whose mothers often drank carrot juice ate twice as much carrot-flavoured cereal when being weaned.

How to Go Back to School After Having a Baby

Whether your child is planned or a pleasant surprise, adjusting your life to accommodate his birth can be a complicated juggling act. If you were planning to attend school or were already enrolled when you discovered your pregnancy, getting back on track will require a bit of creative scheduling, but it certainly is not impossible. Having a baby and dreams of an education are not mutually exclusive, you’ll just have to work a bit harder than some of your classmates to juggle all of your responsibilities.

How to Help Your Child Stand Up to a Bully Without Getting Beaten Up

Once upon a time, bullying was regarded as a natural part of childhood and frequently attributed to “kids being kids.” These days, however, bullying is making headlines. Awareness of bullying and the inherent dangers it can pose has risen dramatically, but that doesn’t stamp the problem out altogether. With modern technology making it easier than ever for bullies to access their victims around the clock, it’s important for a parent to understand and recognize signs of bullying. Bullying can range from physically attacking someone to verbally assaulting them and from gossiping about people to cyber bullying them. Cyber bullying includes harassing or intimidating behavior via emails, text messages or social media sites. Because you can’t protect your child from everything she’ll encounter when you’re not there with her, it’s best to teach your child appropriate ways of avoiding such encounters or, if necessary, standing up to a bully without physical retaliation.

Coronavirus: Signs the new Sars-like virus can spread between people

Health officials in the UK believe they have the strongest evidence yet that a new respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars virus can spread from person to person. Cases of the infection may come from contact with animals. However, if the virus can spread between people it poses a much more serious threat. One man in the UK is thought to have caught the infection from his father. However, officials say the threat to the whole population remains very low.

There have been 11 confirmed cases of the infection around the world. It causes pneumonia and sometimes kidney failure - five patients have died. This is the third case identified in the UK. The first was a patient flown in from Qatar for treatment. The second was linked to travel to the Middle East and Pakistan.

The virus is then thought to have spread from the second patient to his son. There have been suggestions of person to person transmission in earlier cases in the Middle East, but this was not confirmed.

Walking 'is better than the gym': Long periods of gentle exercise are more beneficial than a high-intensity workout

If you have just been to the gym, don't sit down, not for too long anyway.

Scientists have found that long periods of walking could actually be better for you than high intensity exercise.

Low intensity exercise improves insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels at a better rate than an hour long high octane workout, according to a study published in journal PLOS ONE.These levels are indicators of diabetes and obesity.