Trouble sleeping ladies?

There is nothing worse than not being able to sleep. Okay maybe there is one thing that is worse...having to be productive the next day. 





One my most "favorite" part of not sleeping are the well-meaning comments (I say well-meaning comments sarcastically:   

• You look tired.  
• Are you sleeping?  
• You look horrible.

I wrote previously on stress, depression and caffeine.  Today I am going to talk about one reason women may have trouble sleeping. After-all we want those comments to be "YOU LOOK WONDERFUL" right?

Ladies (and the men who love them) I hope this helps you get a good nights sleep:

Hormones:  Yes guys...it's the wonderful hormones but if you think you have it bad...try living with them.....okay I guess you do "live" with them.

A woman's hormones change all the time. Menstruating, pregnant or menopause and yes these hormones mess with the brain chemicals that help you sleep not to mention the pain and/or discomfort that comes along with these situations.

Let's look at menstruating first:  CRAMPS!  These are the most uncomfortable and often most painful things a woman can experience next to child birth.  (It's a good thing that children are a joy...at least until the teenage years because what women go through is not joyful).  I was involved in a car accident and my Doctor told me to stay ahead of the pain...take the pain medication on a regular basis. The same thing goes for cramps; stay ahead of the pain.  Ibuprofen or aspirin before you go to sleep can sometimes ease the pain enough to get a good nights' sleep.  If this does not work....SEE YOU DOCTOR because there are ways to ease your cramps.

Pregnancy:  Remember when you first got married and you adjusted to sleeping with someone and sharing a bed.  Try sharing a bed with another person inside you.  Not to mention the pregnancy hormones that go along with it.  If pregnancy is keeping you awake at night talk to your Doctor.

normalbreathing.com

Menopause or pre-menopause:  Talk about hormones!  Hot Flashes!  Anxiety!  Night Sweats!  If you have experienced this you understand.  If you haven't yet it is one roller coaster ride that you just want to get off.  First I'm going to tell you to talk to your Doctor as there are some medications out there that will ease these symptoms.  If you are one of those who prefer the non-medication approach here are some tips:

• Eat healthy
• Alcohol is NOT your friend
• Spicy food is not your friend
• Exercise
• Wear loose clothing when sleeping 
• Keep the temperature down when you sleep (mid to low 60's)
• Small fan facing your head

Remember sleep is a great way to stay healthy!  If you are having trouble sleeping look into why and talk to your Doctor about correcting it.  Lack of sleep can have some severe consequences for both you and others you may cross paths with.  The dangers of lack of sleep are not only the "bad mood" you are in but it affects your driving which affects others.

If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear from you!

Sweet Dreams!

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Why can't you sleep?

Why does a person, who is tired all day, go to bed and can't sleep?




According to WebMD there are six reasons why a person can't sleep at night and we will address three today:  

Stress:  Okay, so who isn't stressed?  According to WebMD and a study that was conducted in 2009 by the American Psychological Association three in four American Adults are stressed.  Stress comes in many different forms; good and bad.  Worry will keep you awake.  I often tell people that the emotional work is much harder on a person than the physical.  The mind will keep working after the body has had enough.  This is what happens when we are stressed and try to sleep; our minds are thinking about the situation(s) and trying to resolve it. 

 "No one sleeps well with worries," says Joyce Walsleban, RN, PhD, associate professor of medicine at NYU's School of Medicine. "They are too alerting. They will either keep you up or wake you up later on."

"Stress hormones shoulder some of the blame. When you're stressed out, your adrenal glands release hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which keep you amped up and struggling to snooze." (WebMD)

Depression:  According to WebMD Insomnia and depression go together; determining which one causes the other may be difficult.  Research suggests that people with insomnia have ten times the risk of developing depression vs. those who sleep well. 

"And people who are depressed commonly struggle with insomnia, showing symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling rested. The brain chemical serotonin, which affects mood, emotion, sleep, and appetite, according to Walsleban, is one likely reason the two conditions travel in tandem.

Ironically, Avidan warns, a common class of medication used to treat depression -- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- sometimes causes sleep disorders, such as periodic limb movement disorder, which causes your legs to jerk while you sleep, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, in which people act out their dreams, punching, kicking, or jumping from bed while still asleep. Talk with your doctor about all possible medication side effects."

Caffeine:  Who knew caffeine could stay in your system for up to 14 hours?  According to WebMD it can take eight to 14 hours for your body to rid of one-half of the caffeine you consume throughout the day.  Keep track of what you eat and drink throughout the day as you would be surprised how much of what we eat and drink have caffeine.  

"A latte with two shots of espresso contains about 150 milligrams of caffeine. If you have that at 5 p.m., by the time you wake up at 7 in the morning, the level of caffeine in the body is still about 75 milligrams. One Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine, Avidan explains.
If you can't sleep, say no to joe until sleep problems are under control, Avidan advises. If insomnia isn't a major problem, but you mysteriously can't sleep some nights, cut off your coffee or tea intake after breakfast. "Once you go beyond 10 a.m., it can be a problem," Avidan says about ingesting caffeine. Yet, most people become sleepy around 3 p.m. and use caffeine for a midday pick-me-up. That's a mistake, he says.
And don't forget that coffee and tea aren't the only things loaded with caffeine. "Chocolate is notorious for causing sleep problems and people don't recognize it," Avidan says. "People also have the notion that soda must have a dark color to be caffeinated. That's a myth."

We know that sleep keeps us healthy.  We know that without sleep we are a danger to ourselves and others.  If you are having trouble sleeping and find yourself tired go see your Doctor!  You may not think it's a problem but it is.  Not sleeping doesn't only just affect you and your family, it affects everyone who may cross your path.  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there may be as many as 100,000 crashes from driver fatigue each year, with an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 people injured, causing $12.5 billion economic losses. These figures may be the tip of the iceberg, since currently it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness. (Car Accidents)

I have discovered a simple "fix" for my "tired during the day and can't sleep at night":  Vitamin B12 shots. I've tried the supplements and because of the breakdown that happens with digesting them they never worked.  Vitamin B12 shots have given me energy during the day and a good night sleep.

If you are in Southern Colorado and would like to try a Vitamin B12 shot you can get your first one for only $10.00 at Premier Back Rehabilitation Center.  Talk to them about your sleeping disorder.

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How to make back to school run smoother

Remember when you thought, "I can't wait until the kids go back to school?"

Did you think it would take so much energy from you for the family to get back into a "normal" routine?



WOW!  The first month of school is tough.  Bedtimes, alarm clocks, homework, lunches, buses, etc.  It can be difficult in the beginning.  The first day seems to go off pretty easy...the kids don't want to go back to school but they are excited about the first day.  After that it's like Christmas morning....Couldn't wait to open the presents only to find.....clothes.

If it was "just school" it may be easier for parents to adjust....but it's not.  It's after school activities such as sports, choir, etc.  How did you do it last year?  It seemed so simple.

Here are some steps to hopefully make it easier for you:

1. Get a calendar!  I know it's difficult but if you take an hour and write everything down on the calendar your life will be easier on those days.  This is also a great activity to do with your children at night.  Bring the calendar out and ask them if anything needs to be added.  After you have added the new activities look to the next week and start planning for those activities.  Make lists for your child(ren) of the tasks they need to do to make the next week run smoothly.  Example:  If there is an activity that you can't get away from work to transport your child than on the list would be for your child to ask their friends if they could "bum a ride."
2. Down Time:  Until the "excitement" of going back to school stops you need down time in the evening...not only for them but for you.  A half hour before (the earliest) bedtime needs to be quiet time.  Avoid anything that would stimulate their minds....this could be loud music, Monday night football, etc.  This is a great time to start bath time....sorry teenagers:  shower time.  You need this as much as they need this!!!
3. Set the alarm clock a half hour earlier than the time the child(ren) need to wake up.  This will give you some much needed peace and quiet before the day begins.  Grab a cup of coffee and go sit outside and relax.
4. Speak in calm tones.  I know this is difficult when one of your children keeps hitting the snooze button and is going to be late but how you start your day will be how your day goes.  Simply whisper in their ear, "time to get up or time to lose your........... you choose."  Every child has something that is not worth losing for five more minutes of sleep.  Very important to follow through if they don't get up!!
5. Allow them 30 minutes of "unwinding" after school.  I grew up in a single parent home so my mother was always working when I got home from school.  I walked in the door and knew I had 1 1/2 hours till she got home.  Homework was much easier to do after I didn't do anything for awhile.  If your child(ren) are in sports and they don't get home until dinner time....still give them time to unwind.  Homework is easier to tackle and complete if they don't have the day's events running through their head.

For your children to be healthy YOU MUST BE HEALTHY!!!  Children learn what they live.  Take care of yourself, remain calm, be organized (but still allow for some spontaneity) and the first weeks back to school will be great.

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Little things people do that harm your health...not sleeping

Why is it that we, as humans, KNOW we need to get sleep to be healthy...yet we don't. 




Ever watch a cat or dog stay up for hours when they are tired?  No.  They sleep when they need to sleep.  This is a great video if you need to learn how to sleep.

According to WebMD there are 10 things YOU should HATE about "lack of sleep."

1. Accidents.  We all know what can happen when you are driving and fall asleep...people die.  Maybe what you didn't know was "sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and others."
2. Lack of sleep "dumbs you down."  (WebMD's words not mine):  Sleep helps you think so lack of sleep; "First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in“consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day."
3. Causes serious health issues: "Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:
   Heart disease
   Heart attack
   Heart failure
   Irregular heartbeat
   High blood pressure
   Stroke
   Diabetes
   According to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia -- a sleep disorder characterized by trouble falling and staying asleep -- also have another health condition."
4. No sleep, no sex drive:  "Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame."
5. Depression:  "Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa."
6. Ages your skin:  "When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic."
7. Where did I put my.......?  Forgetfulness:  "In 2009, American and French researchers determined that brain events called“sharp wave ripples” are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep."
8. Weight Gain:  "According to a 2004 study, people who sleep less than six hours a day were almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours.  Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. 'Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin signals satiety to the brain and suppresses appetite,' says Siebern. Shortened sleep time is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin.”
9. May increase death:  "In the “Whitehall II Study,” British researchers looked at how sleep patterns affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes. In particular, lack of sleep doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease."
10. Impairs Judgement:  "Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment when it comes to assessing what lack of sleep is doing to them. In our increasingly fast-paced world, functioning on less sleep has become a kind of badge of honor. But sleep specialists say if you think you’re doing fine on less sleep, you’re probably wrong. And if you work in a profession where it’s important to be able to judge your level of functioning, this can be a big problem."

This is just an overview on what the affects of "lack of sleep" can cause.  To read in more detail visit WebMD.

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Things that harm your health....staying inside

Skin Cancer is the biggest fear that most have when you are told to get outside....but did you know that avoiding the sun has higher health risks than getting moderate sun exposure while using precautions such as sunscreen?  A good way to view sunlight is the same as we view most everything...in moderation. 

According and copied (they say it so well) from Natural Heath Restored:

 

 

 

So, what are the benefits of sunlight? Check out this long list!

• One of the major benefits of sunlight is that it helps fruits, vegetables, and grains to grow and be healthy. It also helps animals and us humans to grow and develop as well.
• A definite plus of sunshine is that it gives you a healthy looking complexion. It will make your skin smooth with an irresistible healthy glow.
• If you get regular exposure to sunlight, it will help protect your skin in the long run. That is because your body will build up a natural resistance to the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
• If you allow your skin to get moderately tanned, it will be more resistant to infections and sunburns than if your skin is not tanned.
• The ultraviolet rays in sunshine act as a natural antiseptic. These rays can kill viruses, bacteria, molds, yeasts, fungi, and mites in air, water, and on different surfaces including your skin.
• Getting some sun tends to help clear up different skin diseases such as acne, boils, athletes foot, diaper rash, psoriasis, and eczema.
• Another of the main benefits of sunlight is that it stimulates your appetite and improves your digestion, elimination, and metabolism.
• Getting your daily dose of sunshine will enhance your immune system. It increases the number of white blood cells in your blood. It also helps them to be better fighters in their mission to destroy germs.
• Sunshine encourages healthy circulation. It also stimulates the production of more red blood cells which increases the amount of oxygen in your blood.
• Sunlight is one of the most effective healing agents that exists.
• Feeling down? One of the major benefits of sunlight is that it will soothe your nerves and boost your mood leaving you with a renewed sense of well-being. Sunlight increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in your brain which will definitely leave you feeling much better.
• Getting enough sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night. If you are exposed to natural light during the day, it will increase your melatonin output at night. Melatonin is a natural hormone made by our bodies. It enhances sleep and slows down the aging process.
• The healing properties of the sun are excellent for people who are suffering from various diseases and ailments.
• Sunlight helps to balance out your hormones. It may even help to relieve certain symptoms of PMS.
• Sunlight improves the function of your liver and helps it to break down toxins and wastes that could lead to cancer and other diseases.
• If you've got swollen, arthritic joints, sunlight may help lower your pain levels.
• Sunlight is an effective treatment for jaundice.
• According to some studies on the benefits of sunlight, exposure to the sun may decrease your risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
• Sunlight helps your body convert a form of cholesterol that is present in your skin into vitamin D. This results in lower blood cholesterol levels. Click here to read more about the benefits of vitamin D.
• Other benefits of sunlight include the life-giving energy it gives to your organs and the way it helps to strengthen and vitalize your body.

Grab your sunscreen and go outside!!!  There are so many health benefits to getting natural sunlight and with the right protection you can enjoy the best of both worlds. 

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