SENIOR NEWS

By

Matilda Charles

Ways to Train Your Brain

ere are several “brain support” online programs out there, but many cost more than we’d like to pay.

Lumosity (lumosity.com) comes in seven languages and has games that promote memory, attention, exibility, problem-solving and more. A er you sign up, you’ll get three free games per day, and the Brain Performance Index monitors your progress. ere is a subscription plan, of course, if you want access to more areas of the site, and you can pay by the month or the year. Test the free version rst to see if you like it.

BrainHQ (brainhq.com) is another cognitive training program that you can access online. eir exercises explore brain speed, memory, attention and more. And you can design your own program. eir goals are to help you think faster, focus better and remember more. You can try it out by subscribing to their email newsletters, which have free daily exercises to sample.

As for me, I’ve found books that don’t cost much and are good at putting my brain through its paces on a daily basis. e New York Times series of puzzle books begins with the Monday editions, which are the easiest of the week. ( e crossword puzzles get increasingly di cult as the week progresses.) I found the whole series of spiral-bound puzzle books (50 to a book) on Amazon.

en there are the online jigsaw puzzles at eJigsawPuzzles.com. e puzzles (a new one every day) can be set in any number of ways, including the number of pieces in a puzzle. I’ve found that the 100-pieces level is plenty challenging when viewed on a computer monitor.

And then there is online chess, for those of us who used to play back in the day but would be embarrassed to lose to a small child now without serious brushing up of our skills. Try this for free at www.chess.com and play against their computer.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN MAKE THE MOST OF LOCAL MARKETS

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Eastman Institute for Oral Health, Division of General Dentistry Annual Division of General Dentistry Continuing Dental Education Conference on Porcelain Veneers

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Kids And Sleep

School-aged children are busier than ever before, and some may be sacrificing sleep to accommodate their lifestyles. The National Sleep Foundation says school-aged children need between nine and 11 hours of sleep each night to function at a healthy level. Sleep deprivation can be linked to a host of health ailments, including issues affecting the development of the brain. Growing evidence suggests that lack of sleep can cause disturbances in metabolic rates that could affect the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. A recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that, for each additional hour of sleep a child gets, the risk of that child becoming overweight or obese decreases by 9 percent. Children who slept the least, according to the research, had a 92 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese compared to children with longer sleep duration. The NSF adds that poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems and cognitive problems that impact kids’ ability to learn in school. To promote good sleep habits in children, parents and other caregivers can establish consistent sleep/ wake routines; ensure children avoid excess caffeine, particularly late in the day; create a cool, dark sleep environment; keep televisions and other media devices out of bedrooms; and help children work through stressors that may impact sleep.

To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.