PULSE.

Byline: Mariko Thompson

SEX ED FOR PARENTS: Perhaps you're one of those parents who's hoping not to mention S-E-X until your child is safely into the teen years and has heard it all already. If that's the case, then even the title of this book on healthy sexuality, ``From Diapers to Dating'' (Newmarket Press; $14.95), will give you an anxiety attack. But as author Debra W. Haffner writes, ``People often hear only the 'sex' part of 'sexuality.' Sexuality encompasses more than facts about anatomy and reproduction. It is teaching them who they are as boys and girls and laying the foundation for who they will grow up to be as men and women,'' she writes.

In this revised edition, Haffner covers each stage of development from infancy to age 12 and updates the book by addressing such issues as Internet use and what to do if your 8-year-old daughter wants to dress like Britney Spears.

WALK OFF THE WEIGHT: You can buy a basic pedometer for less than you would spend on ``The Step Diet'' (Workman; $22.95). But then you'd miss out on all the interesting fat facts. For instance, did you know that some obesity experts predict everyone will be overweight by 2050? Or that the 2 pounds you seem to gain each year is the result of overeating by a mere 100 calories a day - less than a can of soda or a candy bar?

For the last few years, fitness and nutrition experts have been pushing walking as a painless way of increasing physical activity. So this isn't so much a diet as an exercise plan combined with sensible eating. The formula is simple: Just attach the pedometer to your waistband and let the counting begin.

GOOD SLEEP: What's keeping you awake at night? For women, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause all can impact sleep. That means at any stage of life, sleep disorders are common in women. The consequences of sleep deprivation can be dire, including lost productivity, injuries and even death.

Dr. Meir Kryger, director of the sleep disorders center at the University of Manitoba's St. Boniface General Hospital, covers common sleep problems in ``A Guide to Women's Sleep Disorders'' (McGraw-Hill, $14.95).

Sometimes poor sleep results from stress. Other times, a specific disorder such as restless leg syndrome may be the cause. There's nothing more refreshing than a good night's sleep. Kryger helps readers learn how to achieve that blissful state of rest.

MIDLIFE MAKEOVER: Women can either view midlife as a point of decline or renewal. Anne Kearney-Cooke, director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute, votes for renewal. Kearney-Cooke challenges women to remake their attitudes toward their bodies and aging in ``Change Your Mind, Change Your Body'' (Atria Books; $14) with Florence Isaacs. Beset by images in the media of celebrities who have the cash and the time to achieve perfectly taut bodies, women over 40 report dissatisfaction with their bodies and unrealistic weight goals.

Kearney-Cooke discusses realistic body images, developing a healthy relationship with food and using exercise for personal growth instead of weight loss. By honoring the natural stages of womanhood, baby boomers can redefine what beauty means in midlife.

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Photo:

(1) no caption (Book: ``From Diapers to Dating'')

(2 -- 3) no caption (Book: ``The Step Diet'')

(4) no caption (Book: ``A Guide to Women's Sleep Disorders'')

(5) no caption (Book: ``Change Your Mind, Change Your Body'')