Lack of sleep dings memory and more

The recent playoff games (NBA and Stanley Cup finals), as well as the World Series and NFL games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights later in the year, can keep you glued to your TV (if you’re on Central or Eastern Standard time) until well after midnight. But the alarm clock never goes off any later the next morning, and you may have to head to work or get the kids to school with a mind-numbing five hours or less of shut-eye.

Call that unnecessary roughness; it inevitably leads to a big penalty for you. Getting that little sleep causes fuzzy thinking, interferes with memory (it can lead to formation of false memories), inflicts cell damage, especially to the liver, lung and small intestines, and dings your sex life. And if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar, found that every 30 minutes of weekday sleep debt increases your risk of obesity by 17 percent and your risk of insulin resistance by 39 percent.

We know you aren’t going to miss that hair-raising playoff game (we don’t!), so what’s the solution? DVR the end of the game to watch over breakfast; plan for a 30-minute walk and then a power nap at your lunch hour the next day; make an effort to eat well (lots of veggies and whole grains, lean protein and water); and get 30 minutes of added exercise later in the day to help regulate your metabolism. Then you’ll be playoff sharp for the championships.

When insisting on healthy eating backfires

The lyrics to Weird Al Yankovic’s parody of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” sum up how parents inadvertently trigger bad food habits in their kids: “Don’t want to argue, I don’t want to debate/Don’t want to hear about what kind of food you hate/You won’t get no dessert till you clean off your plate/So eat it!”

According to Ohio State University researchers, how you serve up food has as much impact on your children’s health as what you dish up. If you push (and push) healthy foods, you actually will increase a child’s risk for obesity. That’s because when you’re too restrictive and bossy, youngsters never learn self-regulation, what “I’m full” feels like or to respect the feeling. Ironically, obese moms are the most restrictive when it comes to their kids’ menus.

To encourage even the pickiest toddler to adopt healthy eating habits, strike a balance between rules and relaxation.

The rules: Sit together for family mealtimes at a table; no TV or digital devices allowed. Make basically the same meal for adults and kids, including one food you know your child will eat. Don’t make dessert a super-special ending.

The relaxation: Let your toddler decide how much and what foods to eat. You should introduce new flavors to a toddler, but you can’t force a child to like them. That will come with time. And the best way to encourage healthy eating is to eat healthfully yourself. “Do as I say, not as I do” backfires, big time.

Poison ivy’s 15 minutes of infamy

Uma Thurman portrayed the villainess Poison Ivy in 1997’s “Batman and Robin,” and her effort earned her a nomination for that year’s Razzie, or Golden Raspberry, for worst supporting actress. Seems Uma’s Poison Ivy wasn’t rash enough – and moviegoers weren’t itching to see her.

The same can’t be said for real poison ivy; that villainous denizen of the forest floor frequently causes a severe, itchy rash. That’s because around 85 percent of you are allergic to the toxin in the plant’s oil, called urushiol. But if you come in contact with it – and 10 million to 50 million of you do every year – the Tennessee Poison Center at Vanderbilt University says you can effectively wash away 100 percent of the plant’s oils, found in the leaves, vines and roots, in the first 15 minutes after exposure. But if you let it linger, it’s guaranteed to penetrate your skin and cause those painful, itchy blisters.

The smart move is to learn how to identify the plants. Check out images of poison ivy, oak and sumac online (www.poison-ivy.org). If you come in contact with the plants, use soap and lukewarm water or a specially formulated soap (you can carry the solution in your backpack) to wash away the urushiol, and do it pronto. Remember, oil can cling to your dog’s coat, so wash Pooch off, too.

If you can’t stop the reaction before it starts, there are somewhat effective over-the-counter creams. If the rash or swelling persists or it becomes infected, call your doctor for prompt treatment.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Lack of sleep dings memory and more."