There is an overwhelming debate about how much your genetics affect your height.

On one hand, many experts claim that about 80% of your height is determined by your genetics [1].

Other experts claim that genes account for only 10% of the differences in adult heights [2].

But the real question is:

How much can YOUR child actually grow?

Although I can’t give you an exact answer, I’ll say this:

Your child can become much taller than you or your spouse.

To convince you that this is possible, let’s look at 3 real-life case studies that prove how important non-genetic factors can be for your child’s height.

Case Study #1

People Who Outgrew Their Parents

We both know who Michael Jordan is for his legendary accomplishments on the court.

But you might not know about something incredible he accomplished outside basketball.

(And no, it’s NOT baseball…)

It’s outgrowing his parents by several inches.

Specifically, Michael Jordan became 6’6″ tall as an adult, while his father was only 5’9″, and his mother was around 5’5″ tall.

In other words, Michael grew to become 9 inches (23 cm) taller than his dad!

Now, he’s not the only basketball player who was able to accomplish this feat.

Let’s look at Jeremy Lin (6’3″), who also grew 9 inches (23 cm) taller than both of his parents (5’6″):

And here’s Gordon Hayward (6’8″), who became 10 inches (25.4 cm) taller than his parents (5’10”):

Now, here’s what you might be thinking:

Well, maybe their tall genes came from their grandparents, and skipped their parents and other siblings!

You may be right about that too.

That’s why I’m about to show you case studies that are even more convincing.

Case Study #2

A Country That Became Shorter Than Their Genetically Related Siblings

You probably know that North Koreans don’t get to pig out at Boston Pizza every day.

But how much does malnutrition affect their height?

Quite a lot.

As you can see below, North Koreans are up to 8 cm (3.1 inches) shorter than South Koreans on average.

But do the 2 Koreans have different genes? Not really.

In fact, North and South Korea were together as one nation for 1000s of years, and separated less than 100 years ago (after World War II).

So as Professor Daniel Schwekendiek puts it:

It’s NOT genetics, but food shortages that likely caused North Koreans to become shorter than South Koreans over the years [3].

Case Study #3

Countries That Became Taller WITHOUT Changing Their Genes

(Before we go further, keep in mind that all graphs in this section are based on male data, since most historical data on heights are gathered from soldiers, criminals, and servants) [4]

With that out of the way, let’s get right into our next example:

How the Japanese Grew 3 Inches Taller (by Improving Their Nutrition)

Up until World War II, the Japanese ate mostly rice.

But after the war, the Japanese added more animal proteins and fats in to their diet.

The result?

They grew over 3 inches over the past few decades [5, 6].

Here’s a graph showing the average height of 17-year-old Japanese males:

So, does this mean that feeding your child more proteins and fats can make him grow 3 inches taller?

Potentially. But more can be possible.

And I have more case studies to back up this possibility:

How European Countries Grew 5 Inches Taller Throughout The Years

Let’s look at height statistics of 4 countries in particular:

Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, and France

As you can see on the graph below, the average male of all 4 countries grew at least 12.6 cm (5 inches) in the past few decades:

Now, did these countries magically alter their genes during these years?

I doubt it.

But there is one thing that these countries DID change: their income

How The Dutch Became 7.5 Inches Taller (as Their Income Grew)

Of the 4 European countries, let’s zoom in on Netherlands.

Specifically, let’s look at the height vs income graph of Dutch males in the past few decades:

As you can see, their median male height increased by around 19 cm (7.5 inches) as their income improved over the years.

But what did raising income have to do with growing taller?

According to Dr. Randal Olson, improving their income likely gave them access to an abundance of healthier foods, which would’ve helped them improve their nutrition [7].

And when you look at how:

Malnutrition caused North Koreans to become 3.1 inches shorter than their southern siblings, and

Eating more protein and fats helped the Japanese become more than 3 inches taller on average,

It makes sense why Dr. Olson and other experts emphasize the importance of nutrition and health when it comes to growing taller [2, 7, 8].

What These Case Studies Mean For Your Child

As you witnessed, the average height of several countries increased noticeably over the years, while their genes stayed the same.

So what’s the bottom line?

While genetics have their place, your child can increase his adult height substantially by optimizing non-genetic factors (such as nutrition).

Now, keep in mind that these countries didn’t deliberately try to grow taller.

But by simply improving their nutrition, health, and overall quality of life, their height increased substantially.

So imagine how much taller your child can become if he optimizes not only his nutrition, but EVERY part of his lifestyle to reach his maximum height…

And luckily for you, I’m going to show you how to do just that.

Step #1

Measure Your Child’s Height With Maximum Accuracy

Measuring your child’s height isn’t rocket science, but it’s important that you measure her accurately every time.

Because if you don’t, you can’t go back in time to measure her again (obviously).

So here are 5 important rules to follow when measuring your child’s height:

➊

Measure around the same time of day

Since our heights fluctuate from morning to night, it’s important to measure your child around the same time of the day.

I recommend measuring in the morning, since your child’s height will differ each evening (depending on what activities she engages in throughout the day).

Now, you DON’T need to measure at the exact same time each day.

Just measure her height as soon as she gets up.

Simple as that.

➋

Make sure your child gets enough sleep the day before

Sleep is important for growing taller, since that’s when majority of height growth happens.

(More on this later)

For now, just know that by sleeping sufficiently every night, her spine length will stay consistent every time you measure her.

➌

Measure using the same tool

This may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised by how many people overlook this rule.

If you measure your child’s height with different rulers, you WON’T get consistent measurements, since every ruler is slightly different.

So pick a measuring ruler that you will use for the next few years.

I recommend using a simple tape ruler.

The rulers you stick to walls isn’t too reliable, since you may move homes in the years to come.

And if you’re absolutely nuts about precision, you can get yourself a stadiometer (but I don’t think it’s worth the price).

➍

Keep your measurements consistent

After you pick your ruler, it’s time to measure your child’s height.

Here are 7 steps to measure her height as accurately as possible:

1. Grab a light and hard book

2. Get your child to stand against the wall, with the back of her heels and head touching the wall

3. Place the book on top of her head, and keep the book parallel to the floor as much as possible

4. Get her to lower her chin, and adjust her head position until she is at her tallest height

5. Mark her height with a pencil

6. Grab your ruler (that you picked from the previous step), stick it to the bottom of the wall, and extend it up to the mark.

7. Right down her height, date, and time in a notebook (or Excel spreadsheet)

Remember: You can only measure her correctly the first time, so make sure you nail it!

➎

Measure in consistent time intervals

In other words: if you’re going to measure her every month, measure her every month.

If you’re going to measure every 3 months, measure every 3 months.

This will spread out her measurements evenly, which will help you spot unusual changes in her growth much more clearly.

So how often should you measure?

I recommend measuring once every month OR once every 3 months.

Every day or every week is too often, because your child will have barely grown.

And if you wait longer than 3 months between measurements, you won’t have enough data to know if your child is growing at the right pace.

But whatever frequency you choose, make sure to keep it consistent.

Step #2

Use The Growth Chart to Track and Predict Your Child’s Height

Unfortunately, there is no way to know EXACTLY how tall your child should be at every age.

But this shouldn’t stop you from knowing if your child is growing at the right pace.

Thankfully, there are many tools and resources that can tell you if your child is growing properly.

And by far, the best tool for tracking your child’s growth is the growth chart.

Growth Charts for Boys and Girls

If your child is 0 to 2 years old, here are the growth charts you want to use:

Boys Growth Chart (Ages 0 to 2 Years)

Girls Growth Chart (Ages 0 to 2 Years)

And if your child is 2 years or older, you’ll want to use these:

Boys Growth Chart (Ages 2 Years or Older)

Girls Growth Chart (Ages 2 Years or Older)

3 Simple Steps to Using the Growth Chart

Once you’ve:

Measured your child’s height, and

Picked the right chart for your child’s gender and age,

You’re ready to track your child’s growth.

For this example, we’re going to use the Growth Chart to track Tom, who is 6 years old, and is 3′ 7″ tall.

Here is Dr. Iannelli’s step-by-step process to using the chart accurately:

➊

At the bottom of the chart, find your child’s age, and draw a vertical line to the top of the graph.

➋

Find your child’s height on the left, and draw a horizontal line until you reach the vertical line.

(Tom’s height in inches is: 3 feet x 12 + 7 inches = 43 inches)

➌

Find the curve that’s closest to this intersection, and follow the curve until you get to 2 numbers.

For Tom, you’ll find that he gets to the numbers: 10 and 66

So, what are these 2 numbers exactly?

1. The first number is Tom’s Growth Percentile (which equals 10), and

2. The second number is Tom’s Predicted Adult Height (which equals 66 Inches or 5′ 6″).

What is Your Child’s Growth Percentile?

So you’re probably wondering: what is a growth percentile, and why is it important?

Your child’s growth percentile = the percentage of children who are shorter than your child (who are the same age)

Since Tom’s Growth Percentile is 10, it means that Tom is taller than 10% of children who are also 6 years old.

Now, the point of this procedure ISN’T to see how tall your child is compared to other children.

Rather, your child’s growth percentile will help you know if she’s growing properly or not.

How to Use The Growth Percentile to Gauge Your Child’s Rate of Growth

Here are 2 steps you can use your child’s growth percentile to ensure she’s growing at the right pace:

1. Go through all of your child’s existing measurements, and label them with a growth percentile (using the Growth Chart).

2. If her growth percentile stays relatively consistent, it’s an indication that she’s growing at a healthy pace.

For example, if your child’s growth percentile is 70% when she’s 7 years old, 75% when she’s 8, and 80% when she’s 9, it shows that your child is growing normally.

When Is It Normal For Your Child’s Growth to Fall Off Her Growth Percentile?

It’s important to remember that these growth charts are simply estimations.

Therefore, it’s normal for your child’s growth percentile to fluctuate (to a certain point).

Specifically, your child’s growth percentile will tend to fluctuate the most during 2 different growth spurts:

1. During 1st year of infancy [9], and

2. During puberty (10 ~ 14 for girls, and 12 ~ 16 for boys) [10]

During her growth spurts, your child’s growth percentile will tend to fluctuate more than usual, since everyone goes through growth spurts at different times.

Having said that, if you notice that your child’s growth percentile falls off drastically at any point, make sure to seek help from a pediatrician.

The Ultimate Goal For Your Child

The goal for your child is to increase her growth percentile by the time she becomes an adult.

Now, you shouldn’t expect your child to go from 5% to 95% by adulthood, since genetics does play a role here.

But as we discussed in Chapter 1, non-genetic factors can also plays a HUGE role in how tall your child becomes.

Therefore, by doing the right things, it’s possible for your child to increase her growth percentile by the time she becomes an adult.

And in the following chapters, I’ll show you how to optimize your child’s lifestyle for maximum growth.

There are 5 questions to answer when it comes to increasing your child’s HGH

➊ How does HGH make you taller?

➋ Is HGH safe?

➌ How do you know if your child has too little HGH?

➍ How do you know if your child has too much HGH?

➎ How can your child optimize her HGH levels for maximum height growth?

Now before I go further, I want to make one thing clear:

HGH, growth hormone, and human growth hormone all mean the same thing!

So with that out of the way, let’s tackle each question, one by one.

➊

How Does HGH Make You Taller?

HGH is produced in a small region inside your brain called the pituitary gland.

And when HGH enters your blood and reaches your bones, it signals your bones to grow in length [13, 14].

So the more HGH your child produces from her pituitary, the longer her bones will grow [13, 15].

And in the next few chapters, I’m going to show you how your child can boost her HGH levels to maximize her growth.

But first, let’s address a common concern that people have about HGH:

➋

Is Human Growth Hormone Safe?

Many people think that HGH is a dangerous substance.

But this can’t be further from the truth.

Why?

Because HGH is a hormone your body secretes naturally from birth.

So why do people think HGH is so dangerous?

Because they confuse natural HGH with synthetic HGH.

Here is the main difference between the two types:

As you can guess, natural HGH is safe since your body produces it naturally, but synthetic HGH can be risky if not used correctly [11].

And in the next few chapters, I’ll show you how your child can boost her natural HGH for maximum growth.

But if your child severely lacks HGH in her body, synthetic HGH may be necessary to help your child grow normally [16].

Which brings us to the next point:

➌

How Do You Know If Your Child Has Too Little HGH?

One of the most obvious signs of HGH deficiency is growing abnormally slow.

(And Chapter 2 was all about know if your child is growing properly or not)

Along with that, here are some of some signs of HGH deficiencies [12]:

Being shorter than children their age

Growing less than 2 inches per year

Face appears younger than children their age

Delayed puberty (sometimes may not even go through puberty)

Increased fat (around face and stomach)

Now, if it’s hard to spot any of these symptoms, she probably isn’t suffering from an HGH deficiency.

And if that’s the case, all you have to focus on is increasing her HGH levels naturally (which we’ll get into starting next chapter).

But if any of these symptoms are noticeable, consult a pediatrician, and he will likely recommend your child to:

Receive a Growth Hormone Stimulation Test

Resort to an HGH treatment.

In Chapter 9, I’m going to tackle Growth Hormone Deficiencies much more in-depth.

➍

How Do You Know If Your Child Has Too Much HGH?

On the flipside, there is a chance that your child might have too much HGH in her body.

(This condition is called Acromegaly)

Here’s a 22-year-old patient who has abnormally high HGH levels, standing on the left side of her identical twin!

Besides being extremely tall, here are other symptoms of acromegaly [17]:

Enlarged bones in the face, hands, and feet

Excessive growth spurts

Weight gain

A hoarse, deep voice

Thickened skin

If your child has this condition, you should aim to REDUCE her HGH levels at all costs.

So if you notice any of the symptoms I listed above, make sure to speak to a pediatrician for acromegaly treatment options.

In Chapter 10, I’ll cover Acromegaly in much more detail.

➎

How Can You Optimize Your Child’s HGH Levels for Maximum Growth?

Assuming that your child’s HGH is in the normal range, it’s time to get to the meat of the sandwich:

How can your child increase her natural HGH levels for maximum height growth?

There are a few important factors that you need to optimize to increase HGH naturally.

By optimizing 2 major aspects of her life:

Nutrition and sleep.

And that is what the next two chapters are going to be all about.

(Trust me, it’s going to be more than “drink milk” or “get lots of sleep” 🙂)

5 Height Maximizing Nutrients for Your Child

There’s a flood of information online about which nutrients are the most important for lengthening your bones.

But luckily for you, I’ve done the hard work by putting together information from 100s of scientific articles, and compiling the MOST important nutrients your child needs to maximize his height.

And from my findings, there are 5 main nutrients your child needs to consume if he wants to maximize his bone length.

Here’s an overview of the 5 nutrients and their roles:

➊ Amino Acids – Increases HGH, which signals your bones to grow longer

➋ Protein – Contains Amino Acids, and builds Collagen (1 of 2 main building blocks of your bones)

➌ Vitamin C – Also builds Collagen

➍ Calcium – The other building block of your bones (alongside Collagen)

➎ Vitamin D3 – Helps your bones absorb Calcium

In this section, I’ll briefly explain why each nutrient is important for growth, and lists of foods that contain the MOST of each nutrient.

And at the end of the chapter: I’ll give you a COMPLETE chart with all of these foods.

Keep reading.

Height Maximizing Nutrient #1: Amino Acids

This is the most important nutrient your child needs to grow taller.

Why?

Because Amino Acids increase your HGH levels.

To recap: HGH is what signals your bones to grow in length [18].

That’s why it is critical that your child maintains high levels of HGH.

Now, there are 5 Amino Acids that increase your HGH [19, 20, 21]:

L-Ornithine, L-Arginine, L-Lysine, L-Glutamine, and L-Glycine

Don’t worry, you DON’T need to memorize these Amino Acids.

Because I’ve already found foods that are high in one or a combination of these Amino Acids.

Here are the best sources of the 5 Amino Acids (for maximum HGH):

Top 10 Sources of Amino Acids:

Grassfed Meats (Beef or Chicken)

Eggs

Flava Beans

Golgi Berries

Pineapple

Watermelon

Coconut Oil

Nuts

Raw Chocolate

Yogurt

To learn more about the best sources of Amino Acids, check out this article on Medicalopedia:

10 Foods That Increase Human Growth Hormone

Height Maximizing Nutrient #2: Protein

Before I explain why Protein is important, let’s quickly look at what your bones are made up of.

Your bones need 2 materials to grow longer: Collagen and Calcium [22]

And since collagen is a Protein itself, your child needs to consume enough Proteins to build healthy bones.

But here is the best part:

Foods that are rich in Proteins usually contain Amino Acids that increase your HGH!

So by consuming Protein-rich foods, your child can simultaneously increase his HGH, while feeding his bones with the nutrients that they need.

(In other words, you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone)

So without further ado, here are the best sources of Protein (for your child’s bones):

Top 10 Sources of Proteins:

Tuna

Chicken Breast

Fish

Steak

Tofu

Pumpkin Seeds

Cottage Cheese

Yogurt

Almonds

Quinoa

To learn more about the best sources of Proteins, check out this article written by Monica Lam-Feist from AlgaeCal:

Everything You Need to Know About Protein and Bone Health

Height Maximizing Nutrient #3: Vitamin C

Besides Protein, your bones also need Vitamin C to manufacture collagen in your bones.

Simply put: Protein is the building block of the collagen, while Vitamin C is the material that holds the collagen together.

And without enough Vitamin C, the collagens in your child’s bones will become weaker, which will disrupt proper bone growth.

So without further ado, here are the best sources of Vitamin C:

Top 10 Sources of Vitamin C:

Strawberries

Pineapple

Kiwi

Mango

Papaya

Red Pepper

Kale

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Brussel Sprouts

To learn more about the best sources of Vitamin C, check out this slideshow made by Christine Mattheis:

12 Foods With More Vitamin C Than Oranges

Height Maximizing Nutrient #4: Calcium

This is probably not a surprise to you.

In fact, I remember being nagged by my mom EVERY DAY to drink milk.

But it turns out she was onto something:

Calcium (along with collagen) is the foundational building block of your bones.

And fortunately for your child, there are MANY sources of Calcium.

Here they are:

Top 10 Sources of Calcium:

Seeds

Cheese

Yogurt

Salmon

Beans

Almonds

Leafy Greens

Cereal

Tofu

Milk (Soy, Almond, or Cow’s)

To learn more foods that are high in Calcium, check out this article on Healthline:

Top 15 Calcium-Rich Foods (Many Are Non-Dairy)

Height Maximizing Nutrient #5: Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is another important nutrient for your bones, since it allows your to absorb Calcium.

In other words, your bones CANNOT use Calcium without enough Vitamin D3 in your body.

But just like Amino Acids and Protein, many foods that contain lots of Calcium are also rich in Vitamin D3.

So here are the best sources of Vitamin D3:

Top 10 Sources of Vitamin D3:

Milk (Soy or Cow’s)

Cereal

Orange Juice

Mushrooms

Eggs

Salmon

Tuna

Oysters

Shrimps

Sunlight (yes, this isn’t really food, but it’s the BEST source of Vitamin D3 on earth)

To learn more about foods that are rich in Vitamin D3 (and Calcium), check out this article on Healthline:

Top Foods for Calcium and Vitamin D3

The BEST Height Maximizing Foods (Complete Chart)

Here is a complete chart of foods that are rich in each of the 5 nutrients.

(You’ll notice that many of these foods overlap)

Amino Acids	Protein	Vitamin C	Calcium	Vitamin D3
Grassfed Meats	Tuna	Strawberries	Seeds	Milk
Eggs	Chicken Breast	Pineapple	Cheese	Cereal
Flava Beans	Fish	Kiwi	Yogurt	Orange Juice
Golgi Berries	Steak	Mango	Salmon	Mushrooms
Pineapple	Tofu	Papaya	Beans	Eggs
Watermelon	Pumpkin Seeds	Red Pepper	Almonds	Salmon
Coconut Oil	Cottage Cheese	Kale	Leafy Greens	Tuna
Nuts	Yogurt	Broccoli	Cereal	Oysters
Raw Chocolate	Almonds	Cauliflower	Tofu	Shrimps
Yogurt	Quinoa	Brussel Sprouts	Milk	☀️ Sunlight ☀️

Amino Acids
Grassfed Meats
Eggs
Flava Beans
Golgi Berries
Pineapple
Watermelon
Coconut Oil
Nuts
Raw Chocolate
Yogurt

Protein
Tuna
Chicken Breast
Fish
Steak
Tofu
Pumpkin Seeds
Cottage Cheese
Yogurt
Almonds
Quinoa

Vitamin C
Strawberries
Pineapple
Kiwi
Mango
Papaya
Red Pepper
Kale
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussel Sprouts

Calcium
Seeds
Cheese
Yogurt
Salmon
Beans
Almonds
Leafy Greens
Cereal
Tofu
Milk

Vitamin D3
Milk
Cereal
Orange Juice
Mushrooms
Eggs
Salmon
Tuna
Oysters
Shrimps
☀️ Sunlight ☀️

Now, your child DOESN’T need to eat EVERYTHING on this list.

Just ask your child which foods he likes best, and make sure he eats them regularly.

Remember: Consistency is key.

How Much of Each Nutrient Does Your Child Need Each Day?

At this point, you’re probably wondering:

How much of each nutrient does my child need to consume every day?

Since everyone’s body is different, I can’t give you an exact amount to aim for.

And the good news is that you DON’T even need to nail your nutrition intake to the tee.

But if you want to go the extra mile, I’ve gathered some useful resources for you.

Optimal Daily Intake of Amino Acids and Protein

Since many Protein-rich foods contain Amino Acids that increase HGH, feeding your child with enough Protein every day will optimize his HGH levels [23].

Here is a calculator you can use to track how much Protein (and fats, carbs, and calories) your child needs every day.

Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin C and Calcium

Here is how much Calcium and Vitamin C your child needs to consume each day [24, 25]:

Age	Vitamin C	Calcium
0~6 Months	40 mg	200 mg
7~12 Months	50 mg	260 mg
1~3 Years	15 mg	700 mg
4~8 Years	25 mg	1,000 mg
9~13 Years	45 mg	1,300 mg
14~18 Years	65 mg for girls 75 mg for boys	1,300 mg
>19 Years	75 mg for girls 90 mg for boys	1,000 mg

Age	Vitamin C
0~6 Months	40 mg
7~12 Months	50 mg
1~3 Years	15 mg
4~8 Years	25 mg
9~13 Years	45 mg
14~18 Years	65 mg for girls 75 mg for boys
>19 Years	75 mg for girls 90 mg for boys

Age	Calcium
0~6 Months	200 mg
7~12 Months	260 mg
1~3 Years	700 mg
4~8 Years	1,000 mg
9~13 Years	1,300 mg
14~18 Years	1,300 mg
>19 Years	1,000 mg

Remember: there’s no need to follow this chart right on the dot.

As long as your child eats foods that are rich in these nutrients, he’ll be good.

Optimal Daily Intake of Vitamin D3

Your child needs to get at least 400 IU of Vitamin D3 per day [26].

However, children with certain conditions may need more (more on this in later).

Eating lots of Vitamin D3 foods, and enjoying 10 to 30 minute sunbathes are the best ways to get enough Vitamin D3 each day [26, 27].

Just make sure to avoid direct sunlight in the summer (between 10am to 4pm) [28].

Bonus Nutrition Tip: Minimize Sugar

Eating too much sugar can skyrocket his insulin beyond what’s healthy, which can decrease his HGH levels [29].

In other words, if your child consumes too much sugar, he won’t grow as much.

Now, there’s one problem:

Children LOVE sugar.

In fact, when I was a kid, I LOVED snacking on candies and chocolate all day.

(I’m sure you did too)

So how in the world can you convince your child to eat less sugar?

Check out this guide written by Karen Cicero from Parents.com:

How to Tame Your Kid’s Sweet Tooth in 30 Days

And later in this guide, we’ll go over several ways to encourage your child to take all the right actions.

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #1: Sleep Before 10pm

How much sleep your child gets every night will directly impact how long her bones grow.

But there is another thing about sleep that you must keep in mind:

It’s just as important to go to sleep at the right time.

So when is the best time to go to sleep?

Aim to get your child in bed before 10pm.

Now, why is this so important?

Because your growth hormone levels peak between 10pm and 2am [32, 33].

Now, let’s face the REAL challenge.

If your child is in her teenage years (or close to it), it’s going to be a battle to get her to sleep before 10am.

So how can you convince your child to sleep that early?

Simple: Show her this graph!

If your child knows that sleeping during these hours will make or break her height, she’ll be much more motivated to sleep earlier.

And throughout this chapter, I’ll show you scientifically-proven strategies that will help her sleep earlier and more deeply.

Keep reading.

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #2: Wake Up Without An Alarm

The best way to get lots of deep sleep is to get enough sleep to begin with.

So how many hours of sleep does your child need every night?

It depends.

Many experts say that you need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

But in reality, we all need different amounts of sleep, depending on:

Our age

Our lifestyle

Amount of sleep we’ve gotten in the days before, and

Amount of physical activity throughout the day

Thus, sticking to conventional tips like “sleep 8 hours a day” is a recipe for poor sleep.

So how do you know how much sleep your child needs for maximum height growth?

By letting her wake up naturally (without an alarm clock).

When she wakes up without any alarm, it shows that her body is fully rested and doesn’t need any more sleep.

So if you want to ensure that your child gets enough sleep every night, make sure she wakes up when she wants to.

(And if you don’t want her to be late for school, make sure to follow Tip #1 as well)

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #3: Optimize Your Child’s Sleeping Posture

Sleeping in a comfortable position is not only important for getting deep sleep…

…it will also help your child maintain a taller posture (more on this later).

So what is the best sleeping position for proper growth?

There are 2 rules for sleeping in the optimal position:

➊ Lying on your back, with your arms straight by your sides [34]

➋ Sleeping without a pillow [35]

This will ensure that your child’s spine will be in its neutral position, and her head, neck, and spine will all be properly aligned, which is critical for growing properly.

So how can you get your child to sleep on her back, WITHOUT a pillow?

Here is a step-by-step method your child can follow to optimize her sleeping position:

Steps to Optimizing Sleep Position for Proper Growth:

1. If your child is a side or stomach-sleeper, encourage your child to start sleeping on her back.

2. Once she feels comfortable sleeping on her back, get her a thinner pillow.

3. Allow her to sleep on this new pillow until she’s fully comfortable.

4. After getting used to her thinner pillow, reduce her pillow size further.

5. Repeat steps #3 and #4 as many times as necessary, until your child can sleep without a pillow.

Now, there is one important point I need to mention.

For your child to sleep without a pillow, she must become a back-sleeper first.

Because if your child is a side-sleeper, a pillow will keep her spine in a neutral position [36].

Bottom line?

By following the above 5 steps in order, your child can optimize her sleeping position safely, and maximize her growth.

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #4: Sleep on a Medium-Firm Mattress

Another strategy to maintain an optimal posture (for deeper sleep) is to sleep on a medium-firm surface.

Studies have shown that medium-firm mattresses keep your spine in proper alignment, and also reduce lower-back pain [37, 38].

And this makes sense.

If your child’s mattress is too soft, her body will sink too deeply into the mattress, bringing her spine out of alignment.

On the other hand, super-hard mattresses can be uncomfortable for your child.

So how can you find out which mattress-firmness is best for your child?

Here is a step-by-step process of finding a mattress with the right firmness:

Steps to Finding a Height Maximizing Mattress:

1. Bring your child to a mattress store of your choice.

2. Get her to lie down on mattresses with different firmness levels, so she can get an idea of what makes her feel comfortable.

3. Ask her to pick the mattress that feels firm, but also makes her feel comfortable.

4. Install the mattress in her bed frame, and get her to sleep on it for a few days.

5. If she feels comfortable, she should stick with it. If not, repeat steps 1 to 4.

Remember: aim for comfort first, firmness second.

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #5: Optimize Her Sleep Environment

So far, we talked about when and how long your child needs to sleep.

But there is one more aspect of sleep that you cannot ignore:

Sleeping in an optimal environment.

If you want your child to get enough deep sleep, she must sleep in a room that promotes full relaxation, and get rid of all distractions at night.

Here are steps you can take to optimize her bedroom [39, 40, 41, 42]:

Steps to Creating a Height Maximizing Sleep Environment:

1. Find the optimal room temperature for your child. Aim for 60 to 70 °F (16 to 21 °C), but remember: comfort over everything!

2. Keep her room door closed to minimize noise that enters her room

3. Keep her room pitch black (no night lights)

4. Get your child to sleep with her socks on (warm feet improves sleep quality)

5. Encourage your child to keep her phone on airplane mode before sleeping (this will prevent wifi signals from intruding her room)

6. Remove all electrical plugs in her room (easiest way to do this is to plug all her wires into a single extension cord, and unplugging the extension chord at night)

Depending on how rebellious your child is, the last 2 tips may be a challenge to pull off.

But make sure to follow through with the first 3 tips as much as possible.

Height Maximizing Sleep Tip #6: Prepare for Bed like a True Height Maximizer

Besides optimizing her sleep environment, it’s also important that she does the right things BEFORE sleeping.

Specifically, she’ll want to do the right things during the day, and within 3 to 4 hours before bed.

And in this section, I’ll show you steps she can take during the day, and before bed.

Here they are [40, 43, 44]:

Daily Rituals for Maximum Night Height Gains:

Avoid caffeine (your child shouldn’t consume caffeine if she’s younger than 18)

Get enough sunlight (sunlight helps you produce melatonin at night, which makes you sleepy)

Part take in physical activities (this will make her tired, making it much easier to go to sleep before 10pm)

Pre-Bed Rituals for Maximum Night Height Gains:

Avoid eating any heavy meals near bedtime

Avoid any hardcore exercises (she should do them earlier during the day)

Avoid drinking too much water late at night

Minimize light exposure before bed

Eliminate stressful activities before bed

How Fixing Your Child’s Posture Make Him Taller (Instantly)

Here is a picture that shows how much your child’s posture can affect his height:

As you can see, the twin on the left appears much taller, EVEN if the length of all their limbs are exactly the same.

And by fixing his posture, your child can gain an inch instantly (depending on how bad his current posture is).

The best part?

Fixing your child’s posture won’t only help him appear taller, but will actually increase his spine length over time [45].

In part 2, I’ll explain how this is even possible.

But for now, know that your child can gain a freebie inch by fixing his posture alone.

How Fixing Posture Can Make Your Child Stronger

Take a look at these 2 jenga towers:

As you can see, their height is more or less the same.

But if my child was a jenga tower, I’d want him to look like the left tower.

Why?

Because the left tower is stronger and more stable.

Even though each tower contains the same number of blocks (and are similar in height), the left tower is much more stable, because its blocks are properly aligned.

And these two towers are analogous to your child’s posture.

If your child maintains a poor posture, his bones will become misaligned (like the right tower), which can cause him to develop problems in his bones and joints.

But if he can maintain a proper posture, his bones will grow in the proper direction, which will condition his body to become strong and stable as the left tower.

Bottom line?

Not only can fixing posture make your child taller instantly, but it will be the difference between having a strong and a weak body.

And in this chapter, I’ll show you how your child can optimize his posture to become taller AND stronger.

Proper Spine Alignment

Before we get into the postural techniques, let’s quickly look at what a healthy spine looks like:

As you can see, the spine is slightly curved (but not too much).

So when your child is standing, sitting, or even lying down, this is how you want his spine to look.

So without further ado, let’s get into our first postural technique:

Postural Technique #1: Optimize Your Child’s Sitting Posture

This is the most important postural technique to implement.

Because let’s face it: no matter how active your child is, he’s going to spend a good chunk of the day sitting.

So it’s important that your child sits in a proper position.

Here is a step-by-step process of optimizing your child’s sitting posture [46]:

6 Steps to Maintaining a Correct Sitting Posture:

1. Find a comfortable chair for your child (ideally it should have an adjustable height with arm rests)

2. Get him to rest his buttocks and shoulders on the back of the chair

3. To keep his head in proper alignment, his chin should point downwards (this will pop his chest out and put his spine in its neutral position)

4. To relax his shoulders further, get him to rest his elbows on the arm rests (the angle at his elbows should be at 90° to 120°)

5. Adjust the chair height so that both of his feet are flat on the ground (the angle at his knees should be 90° to 120°)

6. If your child is sitting in front of a computer, make sure the top of the monitor is 18 to 24″ away from his eyes.

Postural Technique #2: Minimize Sitting Time

So after explaining how to sit properly, you’re telling me to avoid sitting?!

Yes I am.

No matter how much your child fixes his sitting posture, it doesn’t mean that he can sit all day without any problems.

Not only does sitting for too long bring your posture out of proper alignment, but sitting has been proven to cause serious health problems [47].

So how can you help your child sit less during the day?

I personally rely on 2 strategies to get up more frequently:

➊

Combat Sitting by Using a Pomodoro Timer

Your child probably won’t remember on to get up regularly on his own.

But by installing a timer that goes off regularly, your child can easily remember to get up and walk around.

I use a free app called Awareness, but there are a TON of other Pomodoro timers you can pick from.

➋

Combat Sitting by Lying on the Tummy

If a timer doesn’t get your child up often enough, there is an easier solution:

Get your child to lie down on his stomach.

This will take a lot of load off of his spine, and also stretch out his back, which can help to neutralize his spinal alignment [48].

With that, here is another way to get your child to sit less:

➌

Combat Sitting by Using a Standing Desk

This is one of the best ways to sit less throughout the day.

Not only can standing desks help your child keep a better posture, but it can bring about many health benefits as well [49].

But remember, if you want your child to start using a standing desk, gradual change is key.

When first using a standing desk, he should start by using it for 30 to 60 minutes per day, and work his way up as he gets more comfortable [50].

Speaking of standing, here is my next postural technique:

Postural Technique #3: Optimize Your Child’s Standing Posture

When it comes to your child’s standing posture, there’s one more thing to consider (besides spine curvature):

He has to align his head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles

In other words, this is how you want your child’s posture to look:

Now, this posture isn’t hard to mimic.

But the REAL challenge is maintaining it.

So how can your child remember to maintain this posture regularly?

Here’s a simple 3-step process to optimize your child’s standing posture

3 Steps to Maintaining a Correct Standing Posture:

1. Get your child to stand against the wall

2. The back of his feet, buttocks, shoulder blades, and head should all be touching the wall.

3. To align his head properly, get your child to tuck in his chin while looking straight (this will pop his chest out and put his spine in its neutral position)

If your child slouches often, this should help straighten out his posture.

And in the next chapter, I’ll show you the BEST exercises your child can do to easily maintain his new posture.

Postural Technique #4: Use a Posture Corrector

This is my favorite postural technique by far.

A posture corrector makes all the techniques we just went through, 10x easier.

By wearing a posture corrector throughout the day, your child won’t need to constantly remind himself to keep a straight posture, because the strap will remind him to do so.

Once you wear this thing, it forces you to maintain a good posture, because slouching puts pressure on your shoulders, which reminds you to stand or sit tall every time you do slouch.

Now, I’ve tried many different ones, but the posture corrector made by Selbite feels the most comfortable for me.

But you can search posture corrector on Amazon, and find very cheap ones for under $20.

Postural Technique #5: Help Your Child Feel Happy and Confident

Maintaining a good posture goes beyond becoming taller or stronger.

In fact, having your chest out can boost your confidence, and make you feel better (instantly) [51].

But here is anothing thing about confidence you’ve probably never heard about:

Feeling confident can improve your posture as well!

In one of Tony Robbins’s seminars, Tony helped a man go from depressed to confident in a matter of seconds.

The result?

The man’s chest popped out, which instantly fixed his posture.

You can check the video out here:

And if your child feels more happy and confident on a regular basis, his chest will pop out too, which will make it much easier for him to maintain his optimal posture.

Stay tuned, because in the Bonus Chapter, we’ll talk about some strategies to make your child more happy and confident.

Go to Part 2 →

Go to Part 2 →