Cold and flu season can be especially tough on parents, with sleepless nights, restless children, and the constant challenge of managing symptoms like congestion and cough. A humidifier, paired with soothing steam, can be a game-changer in making those difficult nights more manageable.

This week, I welcome Stacey Ishman, a pediatric otolaryngologist, to discuss the benefits of humidification and Vicks products like VapoSteam and humidifiers for improving sleep, especially during cold and allergy seasons.

She joins me to discuss:

• The benefits of using a humidifier during illness
• How soothing ingredients like camphor and menthol help create a calming bedtime routine for your family
• That your child can breathe easier and sleep better with Vicks

 

To connect with Vicks on Instagram @vicks_usa and check out their products VapoSteam Core, VapoSteam Lavender, and Cool Relief Humidifier.

00:00:00 Introduction & Importance of Sleep During Colds

00:01:10 The Science Behind Vicks Vapor Steam

00:02:29 Meet Dr. Stacy Ashman: Pediatric Sleep Expert

00:06:40 Why Coughs Get Worse at Night

00:08:11 Is Vapor Steam Safe for All Kids?

00:14:03 How to Incorporate Vapor Steam into a Bedtime Routine

00:18:55 The Role of Humidification in Cold & Allergy Season

00:21:32 Final Thoughts & Takeaways

 

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk TV.

 

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.

00;00;00;00 – 00;00;23;13
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Humidification itself can actually have a calming effect and reduces inflammation. Then you add something like the menthol, which also can help open up the airway passages make it easier to breathe. And then you use something like camphor, which is going to reduce your likelihood of cough because it actually reduces, the cough receptors by actually sort of overstimulating it, and it kind of turns them off.

00;00;23;15 – 00;00;29;19
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And so it really gives you the opportunity to sleep better. We’ve all had a cold and realized we don’t sleep as well as the nights when we don’t have a cold.

00;00;29;21 – 00;01;00;22
Dr. Mona
Welcome back to the Stock Talk Podcast. Today I’m honored to welcome Doctor Stacy Ishman to the podcast. Doctor Ishman is a renowned pediatric otolaryngologist. That is a mouthful, but an EMT at Dayton Children’s Hospital and a leading expert in the field of pediatric airway and sleep disorders. She’s also served as the past president of the International Surgical Sleep Society, showcasing her dedication to advancing treatments and outcomes in pediatric sleep health, which I think all of us need as parents for our kids.

00;01;00;24 – 00;01;12;17
Dr. Mona
This episode is in partnership with Vicks, and we’re talking about how vaping steam can ease, cough and improve sleep for kids and families. Thank you so much for joining me on today’s show, Doctor Ishman.

00;01;12;24 – 00;01;14;01
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Well, thanks for having me.

00;01;14;03 – 00;01;31;07
Dr. Mona
I’m excited about this. I get a lot of questions about, not only like humidifiers, but, you know, this concept of vapor steam. I know we’re talking about this in conjunction with Vicks, but before we get into some questions, I have for you, tell us a little bit more about yourself and how you got into this field and why it’s so important to you.

00;01;31;10 – 00;01;43;29
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah, so, like many of us, I realized when I was in medical school that I just loved taking care of kids. And so that’s how I ended up becoming a pediatric otolaryngologist. Would you said really? Well, so great job.

00;01;44;05 – 00;01;47;11
Dr. Mona
Oh, yeah. So I have to I have to I’m a medical professional.

00;01;47;13 – 00;01;48;26
Dr. Stacey Ishman
There’s a lot of people who still don’t do it.

00;01;48;26 – 00;01;53;28
Dr. Mona
Well, I still can’t spell ophthalmology, so I guess that is one thing that I have to learn.

00;01;54;01 – 00;02;10;24
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah, that’s the worst. So I’m glad I picked the second hardest. But, you know, I realized I loved taking care of adults and children, which is what ends do. And then we also get to do the medical and the surgical side. So we really get the opportunity to figure out how to maximize medical treatment, which is what’s really fun about what I get to do.

00;02;10;24 – 00;02;19;08
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And then I had a mentor who told me I should really think about sleep medicine because there weren’t a lot of people doing pediatric sleep. And so it’s been a great way to kind of pull all those interests together.

00;02;19;09 – 00;02;36;02
Dr. Mona
I love that. And, you know, for me, as a general pediatrician, I think it’s so important that parents know that there are pediatric sleep specialists out there. You know, I think a lot of the times parents sometimes think that, oh, it’s lack of boundaries or, you know, it’s something that I’m doing wrong when sometimes it’s an actual medical condition.

00;02;36;02 – 00;02;50;23
Dr. Mona
Like you said, sometimes it’s not just a lack of boundary setting. It could be things like, obviously we know ADHD, but things like, you know, sleep apnea and other sleep airway disorders. So really, thank you for the work that you do. And how important how important it is to my families. As a general pediatrician.

00;02;50;28 – 00;03;02;17
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. And I think you hit the nail on the head that the most common one that we take care of is boundaries. Right? So, yeah, I think all of us are really important in terms of helping parents and kids figure out the way to take care of their sleep.

00;03;02;19 – 00;03;21;14
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And I’m excited about this conversation because we’re talking about vaping steam, which, a lot of parents, you know, may not know the the safety of this or what it actually does. Can you start by explaining what vaping steam is and the science behind it, and why it works well with paired with a humidifier?

00;03;21;20 – 00;03;55;28
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. So vapor steam is this is sort of the the medical side of the humidifier for Vicks. Yeah. It actually uses camphor, which we probably have heard of, but probably not in the context necessarily of this setting. And what it does is it actually, works to sort of make the nerve endings less likely to cause cough or cause some other issues, and then it has menthol in it, which actually stimulates the cold receptors in your nose, and that allows you to have more airflow and reduces congestion.

00;03;56;01 – 00;04;06;19
Dr. Mona
I think that’s wonderful. And I guess that is obviously the science of what we’re trying to do when we’re trying to help alleviate that cough. You know, that sort of discomfort, that airway discomfort that people can have, especially when they’re trying to sleep?

00;04;06;20 – 00;04;14;06
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Absolutely. And, you know, it gets worse when you have a cold or some other thing going on or if you have an allergy symptom. And so it can be useful in a lot of different ways.

00;04;14;06 – 00;04;22;02
Dr. Mona
So how might using a product like Vapor Steam contribute to creating a more restful sleep environment for children, and maybe even adults alike?

00;04;22;05 – 00;04;49;05
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. You know, in combination obviously, with humidification perhaps how vapor sleep works, do you modification itself can actually have a calming effect and reduces inflammation. Then you add something like the menthol, which also can help open up the airway passages, make it easier to breathe. And then you use something like camphor, which is going to reduce your likelihood of cough because it actually reduces the cough receptors by actually sort of overstimulating them.

00;04;49;05 – 00;05;06;15
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And it kind of turns them off. And so it really gives you the opportunity to sleep better. We’ve all had a cold and realize we don’t sleep as well as the nights when we don’t have a cold. And holes are one thing, but you know, you have allergies. That may be something that happens in the season or maybe had something that happens year round, especially if you have things in your house that cause you to have those kinds of symptoms.

00;05;06;20 – 00;05;25;17
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And I mean, I’m a I’m a Vicks family from childhood. You know, we used to use the I still use the, the vapor, the vapor rub. And then obviously now with the humidifiers in the vapor steam definitely have nostalgic memories of my mom, you know, putting on the vapor rub and, you know, being being. I still get such positive memories.

00;05;25;17 – 00;05;44;14
Dr. Mona
And now my children do, too. And so, yes, I love that you’re bringing up the ingredients that are involved it and actually how it can help with that. You know, that cough trigger that is more likely when they’re, you know, when they’re laying down, maybe for families who are not familiar. I’ve spoken about this to on my platform, but why does it seem like coughs get worse at night when someone is laying down?

00;05;44;17 – 00;06;02;12
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Well, some of it actually is that the airway gets a little bit smaller, including your nose. And when you lay down all of the like water in your body, redistribute it. So if I stand up, more of it’s in my legs. Yeah, I lay down more of it’s distributed throughout my whole body. And that means more of it’s in my head and in my nose, and so it causes more congestion.

00;06;02;14 – 00;06;20;24
Dr. Stacey Ishman
I do think I loved your comment about that, the smell being one of the recognizable parts of your life, because it is the third most recognizable scent in the world, which I thought was the most interesting thing I learned from Vicks. They told me that I they did the assessment and I was like, this is really fascinating because I also have that experience where we used the rub.

00;06;20;26 – 00;06;25;05
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And I have some literally my bedside table and my kids are like, oh yeah, I need that. I need that stuff.

00;06;25;08 – 00;06;40;29
Dr. Mona
And it’s such it’s like literally it’s become a point where our family like when my son is five, so he knows very well when he’s sick now, like it’s actually something we’ve been teaching him as he grew up. And he gets excited, you know, to be able to put all this stuff on and it like you said, it makes him feel very soothing.

00;06;40;29 – 00;06;56;16
Dr. Mona
And it’s not just yes, it could be the routine and the comfort, but like you said, it’s also the ingredients as well. And are there any specific situations where someone should consult a doctor before using the Apple Steam, and including any age groups? As.

00;06;56;16 – 00;07;14;26
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Well. Yeah, really good point. So vapor steam is approved for kids two and older. And shouldn’t be used in younger kids. So those are the kids which you can consult with your physician. There’s also kids who may have respiratory issues, whether that’s asthma or some other chronic lung conditions. We should probably talk to them first. Yeah. Make sure that this is really something they’ll be useful for them.

00;07;14;29 – 00;07;18;24
Dr. Mona
And I think that just has to do with the ingredients like the menthol and the camphor.

00;07;18;26 – 00;07;19;19
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah, exactly.

00;07;19;19 – 00;07;37;09
Dr. Mona
Yeah, exactly. And I think, I love that you clarify that because I love this product so much. And I think it’s so great. And I think it’s important whenever we talk about these amazing things that we love for our families and our patients, to always go over that, the safety stuff, because I have some families who are using it, you know, with certain medical conditions or the age as well.

00;07;37;09 – 00;07;48;03
Dr. Mona
So clarifying that it’s two and up and consulting with your pediatrician if their child has any lung involvement, their allergies, talk to them. Just to make sure we’re, we’re recommending the right products, like you said.

00;07;48;08 – 00;07;48;29
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah, absolutely.

00;07;49;03 – 00;07;58;27
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And you talked about menthol. But what impact do scents like menthol and lavender have on relaxation and respiratory comfort during sleep?

00;07;58;29 – 00;08;16;19
Dr. Stacey Ishman
So there’s some essential oils studies that actually look at lavender is definitely have a calming effect. I think that’s surprising right. There’s a million products out there that use lavender to help you go to sleep. There are some other things too, though. They’re in like the vapor pads. They include things like eucalyptus oil, which has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory.

00;08;16;21 – 00;08;29;01
Dr. Stacey Ishman
There’s also some cedarwood, which is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory. And so there are some other things in there that can give you some more sort of soothing relief. Especially if you’re irritated or you have some inflammation this time of year.

00;08;29;04 – 00;08;47;13
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And I like that. The products obviously have everything on the labels on what is included, but it is a combination of very, you know, different, different things that we’ve seen historically. I mean, Vicks has been around for generations, you know, I mean, knowing that it’s not just something I use, it’s something that my mom use. And even grandparents have used.

00;08;47;20 – 00;09;04;26
Dr. Mona
I think it’s so great. And obviously their advancements with, you know, the research behind all of this and getting people like you on board to understand how it can impact the sleep and relaxation, I think hopefully can give a lot of parents some peace of mind on how it’s not just frou frou, you know, it’s not just like, oh, it’s just something that people put on.

00;09;04;26 – 00;09;16;17
Dr. Mona
There’s actually reasons that this can help because I am a die hard. Like I said, I really believe in it. My husband is like, it doesn’t do anything. I’m like, he doesn’t use it and then he’s sick for longer. I’m like, I’m telling you, take do this.

00;09;16;23 – 00;09;31;18
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Actually, really, there’s some science there. Yeah, yeah. But it to make it’s in a different format right. Because. Right. As much as I like the VapoRub, it’s goopy, it’s oily. And it can be great and it can be soothing, but it’s nice to have another option if you want to do something different.

00;09;31;21 – 00;09;38;13
Dr. Mona
So for anyone listening who is not familiar, can you describe how the vapor steam is used with the humidifier?

00;09;38;13 – 00;09;59;05
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Absolutely. So if you have a traditional vaporizer, which is probably the one most of us know, you can just put it in the water. And you have to measure it. That’s the other important thing because you want to use the right amount. So do look at the directions. But if you are using a more modern, or more up to date, some of the really cool new ones that Vicks makes, then they actually have a medicine cup.

00;09;59;05 – 00;10;05;25
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And so you can put it again and measure that amount. But put it in the medicine cup and then it’ll be dispersed through that method.

00;10;05;28 – 00;10;24;00
Dr. Mona
Awesome. Yeah. And I’m sure obviously there’s instructions on, there are instructions on the packaging as well. So I always say this with any product you purchase, everybody, whether it’s an over-the-counter medicine, all of these read the instructions. I think we sometimes think that we can figure it out, but the instructions are there for a reason. Packaging is there for a reason.

00;10;24;02 – 00;10;43;18
Dr. Mona
I love that. Thank you so much for answering that. Yeah. Very cool. I love it. I love this line of products and I just love that there’s options, like you said, that it’s not just the ointment. It’s obviously with the humidifier. And is there particularly something when when this is paired with the humidification in general that causes a better administration in the body?

00;10;43;18 – 00;10;48;11
Dr. Mona
Or like, is there a sort of benefit, like, you know, using it in conjunction with humidification?

00;10;48;11 – 00;11;02;22
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. So if you think about humidification in general, it’s sort of like when we all jump in the shower, when we have a cold, because we try to in order sinuses, it thins your secretions, so it allows you to clear it. And if you’re able to blow your all kids are doing it. Well. Yeah, you can blow your nose.

00;11;02;22 – 00;11;17;00
Dr. Stacey Ishman
I continue to have problems. I have five teenage boys, some of them still not great at it, but if you can, it’s a nice way to clear everything up. You can blow your nose, and then it’s actually easier for any kind of medication to be able to get to the lining tissue. Which is a real advantage.

00;11;17;06 – 00;11;34;26
Dr. Mona
Yeah. And that’s and I love that because that is, you know, some people are like humidification doesn’t really do much or it does. And I love that you’re using an example of like a steam shower. I kind of describe this as a steam shower that’s running throughout the night, you know, or whenever you need it. If you need it for that, you know, that cold and cough, it can really help in that standpoint.

00;11;34;28 – 00;11;41;25
Dr. Mona
For families looking for gentle, noninvasive ways to ease these cost symptoms, what makes babies steam a practical choice?

00;11;41;28 – 00;12;05;07
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. So the fact that it actually uses natural ingredients to do this is really nice. You’re not. Yeah. Eating something that’s made from some chemicals somewhere. And then, you know, the fact that it, it actually is going to be filling the entire room. It doesn’t require you to like, put an inhaler on a child’s face or put a nebulizer on, but it still gives them the relief and the ability to do, to breathe better, to cough less.

00;12;05;07 – 00;12;24;18
Dr. Stacey Ishman
I think the decrease in coughing is huge, and most of us know that trying to get your kids sick cough medicines can be difficult sometimes. And so yeah, this gives you an alternative, if you want to be able to use something that doesn’t actually require you to make them swallow something or make them choose something. And I don’t know about you, but my kids weren’t particularly good at it.

00;12;24;18 – 00;12;32;08
Dr. Stacey Ishman
One of them was great at spitting his medicine out, regardless of the type, so this was easy to do in the room without it feeling like I was treating him with something.

00;12;32;13 – 00;12;52;17
Dr. Mona
Yeah, I agree with that. And in terms of like some kids are better than others, how how can we incorporate verbal steam into a bedtime routine to enhance that comfort and sleep quality? And maybe we can talk about this together, but suggestions for children who may be more like, I don’t want that on in my room, or I don’t want that knowing that it could provide benefit.

00;12;52;17 – 00;12;55;07
Dr. Mona
How can you, you know, approach those situations?

00;12;55;10 – 00;13;10;15
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. So I think some of it depends on the way you introduce it. Yeah. There’s things like the lavender smell, which one of my kids loves. He literally has this little spritz that he sprays around his 19. He’s in college. I don’t know what his roommates think about it, but yeah, he finds it really coming. And so I’m.

00;13;10;15 – 00;13;29;12
Dr. Mona
Sure they find it coming to lavender. But like you said, lavender has been shown. We’ve actually used lavender, in some functional abdominal pain sometimes, like with some children, but it’s actually very the lavender scent is just very relaxing to the brain and also just can calm anxiety as well. And so I think it’s really a very cool thing that I see from just clinical practice.

00;13;29;19 – 00;13;45;24
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. And I think you can if you use the smell so it becomes part of a calming nighttime routine. I also think that actually the 3 in 1, the bedtime humidifier is pretty cool because it actually has the nightlight function and you can change the colors so you can give them the opportunity to sort of incorporate, like what color do you want tonight?

00;13;46;01 – 00;14;03;13
Dr. Stacey Ishman
That can be sort of a fun, fun game. And also becomes a good sensory cue for relaxation and bedtime. So they know when you turn it on, it’s time to simmer down or calm down, whatever your routine is. And routines are really, really important, especially when they’re young in terms of giving them cues. So some people will do countdowns.

00;14;03;16 – 00;14;15;23
Dr. Stacey Ishman
We have 10 minutes or 5 minutes, but this is a really easy one where the the nightlights gone on the vaporizer started. You smell the time, you know, you smell the smell. And I think it’s really a nice way to augment a bedtime routine.

00;14;15;23 – 00;14;33;10
Dr. Mona
Yeah, I have a five year old, like I said. And then he went through a phase maybe around, like, you know, the three year old, time frame when they’re very strong willed and they do what they do, right? And when he he was getting sick, it wasn’t an issue when he was a toddler getting sick, like 14 months and 15 months because he just did what we did.

00;14;33;10 – 00;14;47;27
Dr. Mona
He wouldn’t fight it. But then he got more awareness that, no, no, I can say no. And he’s like, no, mommy, I don’t want it on. And then he would figure out a way to go try to turn it off, or I’m like, no, sweetie. So a lot of the conversations that came around, it is just building up the positive nature of feeling better, right?

00;14;47;27 – 00;15;06;00
Dr. Mona
So like, not even just with the humidifier, people steam, but like, hey sweetie, it’s important for us to rest because we need to feel better. You know, this is why we’re doing this. And especially after the age of three, they can really start to understand that not always are they going to follow that perfectly. But it became this sort of, like you said, incorporated into the routine.

00;15;06;02 – 00;15;24;19
Dr. Mona
I get it that it’s something different for you that maybe you don’t like, you know, you don’t want it on, but I know it’s going to help you feel better. And then once you’re feeling better, we can turn it off if you don’t want it. Once that cold goes away and then giving them some, you know, some choice of, you know, being able to just turn the knob, you know, turn the switch on and say, hey, good job.

00;15;24;19 – 00;15;47;03
Dr. Mona
You you did that. You know, obviously as an adult, you’re going to be the one handling the cleaning and all of that. But it’s so great to kind of incorporate them into that routine and empower them that this is going to help you. And once we started doing that, more and more, it became this sort of, well, yeah, if I want to feel better, if I want to go to school, if I want to see my friends and play in the park, I’m going to do this because I want to feel better.

00;15;47;03 – 00;16;05;25
Dr. Mona
And also just being very honest, that being sick isn’t doesn’t feel good, right? Like, hey, I know you’re not feeling good, but I know mommy knows that this stuff can make us feel better. And I want you to feel better so that you feel more like yourself. So having those very positive conversations versus like, oh, come on, you have to like, you’re being a brat.

00;16;05;25 – 00;16;20;08
Dr. Mona
Like all that stuff. I think you can really not only allow them to actually want to do it, but also just empower them with their health in general to say, these are some really cool solutions and some things that can help you while you recover from these, you know, these coughs and colds.

00;16;20;10 – 00;16;41;02
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Well, and there’s other positives associations, right? Like, so if they love reading a book, hey, you turn it on, we can read a book or, you know, you can you can create those associations for them and then honestly reward charts work too. Like if you’re it sounds great to have a conversation, it works well at five. It doesn’t always work as well at three, but sometimes things like reward charts and other things may be really useful.

00;16;41;02 – 00;16;48;13
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And I love the positive association idea. If they want, if they like, if you sing a song, then that starts when it goes on or if they like. If you read a book that starts when it goes on.

00;16;48;15 – 00;17;09;23
Dr. Mona
Oh, I love that. And I know we’re going to be doing a separate conversation about humidifiers and allergy season, so I won’t be getting too much into that. But again, for all of our listeners, if you are loving this conversation and want to know how humidifier is to tie in to allergies, please make sure to subscribe. Make sure that you download our episodes and stay tuned with all of our conversations because Doctor Stacy will be back.

00;17;09;25 – 00;17;25;22
Dr. Mona
What advice do you have for parents trying to navigate the seasonal challenges, like dry air or cold, to ensure better sleep for their children? Whether it includes things like the, like the vapor, steam or whatever else you would add it with your experience, not only as a mom, but also as a professional.

00;17;25;26 – 00;17;45;07
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah. So first of all, I think almost everybody in my office right now is having this problem. And it’s not even just colds. It’s also nosebleeds because when you get dry, that stuff gets way worse. I was joking yesterday that I run a nosebleed clinic, which yeah, this would help alleviate. But yeah, humidification really does help in that sense.

00;17;45;07 – 00;18;00;11
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And so some people will try just like a saline spray, which sounds like it should be good, but it just doesn’t stick around. It’s good for a couple minutes and then things kind of dry out again. And so using a humidifier can be really useful when your house is dry. And it’s especially dry when we’re in the heat.

00;18;00;11 – 00;18;16;02
Dr. Stacey Ishman
But it’s also sometimes dry when we’re in the air conditioning, unless you live in a pretty humid place. And so those are both times where we really think about it. You can, like I mentioned, put the vapor system in the humidifier. It can run for 8 to 10 hours. You know, hopefully your kids are sleeping somewhere in that range.

00;18;16;04 – 00;18;25;25
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And then, you know, honestly, it does continue to make that soothing sleep environment so that all the positive associations you talked about, I think, get reinforced, whether it is cold season or not.

00;18;25;27 – 00;18;41;19
Dr. Mona
I love that. And I think it’s it’s so nice to know that it’s multi-purpose, and that it can really provide a lot of different benefits in so many different ways. And I love that you brought up the nosebleeds because our son was a nose bleeder, and it was definitely correlated when he had colds or when the air was drier.

00;18;41;25 – 00;19;06;19
Dr. Mona
We live in Florida. You’re right. I mean, summertime, we really don’t need to add a lot of humidification. This is just honest because it’s just so humid outside. So when my windows are fogged up, I’m like, I don’t really, you know, there’s like, moisture dripping down. But in the winter it is a stark change, you know, like all of a sudden we’re like feeling dry, our noises, our nose is a little more sniffly because of that dryness and compensation and then nosebleeds central.

00;19;06;19 – 00;19;16;23
Dr. Mona
And so it really does help. Does the vapor seem in general have a positive or negative impact on nosebleeds, or it really is just more that humidification has a more positive effect?

00;19;16;26 – 00;19;25;00
Dr. Stacey Ishman
I don’t know that we’ve looked at whether or not vapor stream impacts nosebleeds, so I don’t think we can make any any like guesses one way or the other, but humidification absolutely helps.

00;19;25;00 – 00;19;35;10
Dr. Mona
Awesome. Yeah, I think that’s so great to know because sometimes parents will will it cause more issues. And I think from what I’ve seen is that it’s more of a positive. But again, that’s something that, may be a case by case basis for our families.

00;19;35;18 – 00;19;54;08
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Yeah, yeah. And honestly, if you like the smell and you’re more likely to leave the humidifier on, I think that actually may be just as much of the positive as that sort of non-medical part of it, but just the fact that it’s calming and soothing and, and actually, you know, creates a nice environment. But the menthol itself does impact those cold receptors.

00;19;54;08 – 00;19;57;26
Dr. Stacey Ishman
And so it may be that it actually helps you like use it longer.

00;19;57;28 – 00;20;15;22
Dr. Mona
Thank you so much for that information. And just another reminder for our listeners that the lavender is a new scent that is being released in mid-January. So something you should definitely be checking out. Like we said, because it does have some amazing properties, that can help with the sleep and dry air and all the things that we were mentioning today.

00;20;15;24 – 00;20;22;22
Dr. Mona
Thank you so much, Doctor Stacey, for joining me today. What would be your final uplifting message for everyone tuning in?

00;20;22;26 – 00;20;40;25
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Well, sleep doesn’t have to be a battle even during cold season or allergy season. And so if you think about simple tools like humidification and the vapor steam in the bedtime routine, you’re really helping them breathe better. Give them some deeper sleep. Hopefully it’s more peaceful sleep. And quite honestly, hopefully it’s a more peaceful bedtime routine for you too.

00;20;40;28 – 00;20;55;23
Dr. Mona
I love it. I win for a win for a kid is a win for a parent, so I completely agree with that. Thank you again. This is such an awesome conversation. There, like I said, there’s so much information out there about when to use humidifier. Do I need one? And also the products that are going in.

00;20;55;23 – 00;21;03;09
Dr. Mona
Right. Like for example, we’re talking about the vapor steam and the menthol, as well as the lavender. So I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today.

00;21;03;11 – 00;21;04;07
Dr. Stacey Ishman
Thank you.

00;21;04;09 – 00;21;20;26
Dr. Mona
And thank you so much for Vicks for partnering on this episode. I love being able to partner with brands that really are trying to stay up to date on all of the amazing advancements and, you know, looking at the science as well. And to check out the line of Vicks products, including Vapor steam, make sure to go to Amazon.

00;21;20;26 – 00;21;40;05
Dr. Mona
And those links are on our show notes, as well as our caption on YouTube, so that you can purchase and take a look at all of their options. And if you found this episode helpful, like I’ve already mentioned, it’s really important to hit that subscribe button. If you’re listening on YouTube. Hit that thumbs up sign. And if you’re listening on podcast, leave a review.

00;21;40;05 – 00;21;52;14
Dr. Mona
Share this conversation. Because that is how the podcast continues to grow, and I cannot wait to have Doctor Stacy on again in the future to talk about humidifiers and allergies. Thanks again, Doctor Stacy.