style="font-size:15px;"> When you are growing so tall so fast, it might feel as if ithurts, which is where the term growing pains comes from. Especially if you play sports, a common spot for growing pains is on the upper shinbone just below the kneecap. To find this spot, sit in a chair and put three straight fingers below your kneecap. A growing pain is typically right where the third finger rests. This spot hurts because the tendon attaching the kneecap to the shinbone actually tugs on the bone, causing tenderness and sometimes even a visible bump. Doctors call this bump Osgood Schlatter.
You also might feel growing pains in your calves, or the
backs of your lower legs. Here the muscles may feel pulled
or cramped or may have a burning sensation. The pain can
be felt anywhere along the lower leg, and sometimes even
behind the knee.
For any growing pains, rubbing the area can help. So can
ice or heat (get an adult’s help when using heat). If you
still hurt, talk to your doctor about whether to use pain
medicine. After all, you don’t want to miss out on sports
and activities you enjoy just because you’re growing!
If your pain involves more
than just aches and cramps,
such as joint swelling, a
rash, a fever, or weakness,
it’s time to see the doctor.
Snooze Time
Going to bed early may seem like no fun, but getting
your ZZZs boosts your health and helps you grow.
Sleep isn’t just something you do so that you’re not tired in the morning. It also
makes your whole body feel good.
Sleep for height. Did you know that you get taller when you head to bed? It’s
true! While you’re sleeping, your brain releases extra growth hormone, which tells your bones to lengthen. (For more information about hormones, Tap Here.) Your genes and the foods you eat play a big part, too. But if you want to give your body the best shot at growing well, sleep more!
Sleep for health. Sleep is important for keeping you healthy. It gives your body
a break, allowing it to recover from the day. When you’re sick and just want to
crawl into bed and rest, sleep also helps you heal.
Sleep for relaxation. Without enough sleep, your body feels stressed, and it
releases stress hormones. These hormones aren’t good to have around all the
time, and they can even slow down your growth. So get some sleep and give
your body a break.
Sleep for happiness. If you’ve ever gone to bed too late and then had to
get up early, you know how cranky you can be. Without enough sleep, it’s
easy to feel moody, overreact, or lose your cool over little things. Head to
bed, and get happy!
How Many ZZZs Do I Need?
It may seem like a lot, but most growing bodies want at least 10 hours of sleep
each night. That doesn’t mean this will happen each and every night, but the
closer you can get to this amount, the better.
But let’s face it, after-school activities, sports, family dinners, and homework
take up a lot of time. If you are waking up for school between 6:00 and 7:00 A.M.,
in order to get 10 hours of sleep you will need to go to bed between 8:00 and
9:00 P.M. This can be tough! It’s always best to get a good night’s sleep every
night, so when you can, get to bed early. But if your sleep routine falls short,
then you do need to make up the missed hours—usually on the weekends. This
is called “catch-up sleep”: You can sleep in late, go to bed super early, or even
take naps. Though catch-up sleep isn’t as good as getting a consistent good
night’s sleep every night, it will help you feel more energized during the week.
If you’re having problems drifting off to dreamland, don’t be too hard on your-
self. Some girls have trouble falling asleep at night, and then when they realize
how late it is, they worry about not being asleep. This only makes things worse,
because it can kick-start those stress hormones and wake you up even more!
Instead of stressing out, distract yourself by taking some deep breaths, reading
for a few minutes, or counting backward by threes from 100 to zero.
Maybe you have tried to get all the sleep you need by going to bed early, but
you wake up at the crack of dawn and aren’t tired anymore. That’s OK! Your
body is doing what it needs. Still aim for that early bedtime in case there are
mornings when you are able to sleep a little bit later.
Tune Out
It’s not great to watch TV, use a computer, or play video games right before bed,
because these kinds of activities can turn your brain “on” and make you feel
more awake. Some girls hear this advice and say, “No way! I zone out when I
stare at a screen. It relaxes me.” You may think it feels that way, but screen time
actually causes your brain to be active instead of calm. So cut back on your
screen time on weeknights as much as possible—do homework that requires a
computer first, and save the paper-based
