MECHANICSBURG — As March unfolds, it brings with it not only the promise of spring but also the reality of Daylight Saving Time this Sunday and “losing” an hour of sleep.
Additionally, this month hosts many cultural and religious holidays, and National Poison Prevention Week occurs near the end of the month. With all these awareness events and seasonal changes, Safe Kids Pennsylvania is providing some safety tips that may be especially relevant this time of year.
Prioritize rest and sleepJust as our bodies adjust to the time change and losing an hour of sleep, children must adjust, too. Make sure the kids in your life are getting enough sleep by gradually helping children adjust to the time change. The parent-oriented website of the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests caregivers “start nudging naps and bedtime in the direction the clocks will be changing a few minutes each day. Ideally, start this process about a week before the time change.” And remember to always follow the ABCs of safe infant sleep: Alone on their Backs in a Crib (or other flat surface). For older kids, “[e]ncourage [them] to start winding down a bit earlier each night, too, especially for the spring time change,” as teens can be particularly impacted by lost sleep.
Check your alarmsWhen you go to change the clocks in your house that don’t do it automatically, check and, if needed, replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. If your smoke alarm is 10 years old (or older), you should replace it entirely, and you should do the same for a CO alarm 5 years or older. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms, so it’s important to check that yours work.
Clean out your medicationsCloser to the end of March will be the first official day of spring and National Poison Prevention Week. This makes it the perfect time to start your ‘spring cleaning’ by finding a local medicine take-back program and disposing of unused, expired medications. Find a drug take-back program location on the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs website. If you can’t do that, or you want to wait for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in April, you can still save the Poison Help number into your phone and post it visibly in your home for caregivers: (800) 222-1222. Specialists at poison control centers provide free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day. They help with poison emergencies and can also answer questions about medicine safety.
These simple safety tips contribute to your general safety and can save the lives of people you love. Ensuring you sleep enough means that you’re not engaging in risky behavior like drowsy driving. Having working smoke detectors in your home gives you extra time to get out in case of a fire. And cleaning out expired medications means that they can’t fall into the wrong hands, like curious children. Safe Kids PA hopes that you will take some time this March to keep yourself, and your loved ones, safe and healthy.
