When I exercise, which isn’t often enough, I do usually exercise in the morning, before I get my day started. I do get comfortable as early as possible and some nights a good book is just the escape I need. We have even changed up our TV viewing habits at night. Since most shows we watch are DVRd anyway, we have started watching the more intense shows early in the evening and ending with something light that makes us laugh so we are more relaxed at bed time. I’ve done horrible at signing off my iPad and hour before bed time. I have gotten better at signing off 30 minutes before bedtime though, so that is progress. I sleep in a dark room…but I cannot sleep without the TV on. I have slept with the TV on since I was in elementary school and if my brain doesn’t have something familiar on TV to focus on, I can’t get to sleep or stay asleep. Believe me, I have tried!

So, how did you do with the shut eye strategies? Are you sleeping any better? If you haven’t tried them, go back to my previous post and check it out. We all need a good night’s sleep. If you have tried these strategies and still have trouble sleeping, it may be time to have a talk with your doctor about your lifestyle, routine and sleep symptoms to see if a prescription sleep aid like SILENOR®, which helps you stay asleep throughout the night and wake in the morning might be just the help you need. Don’t worry, SILENOR® can be used regularly and it’s not associated with a risk of abuse or physical dependence.

Your health depends on getting good sleep, to learn more about how to achieve a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep visit Wanttosleepmore.com

The post Are You Sleeping? appeared first on The Mom Maven.

You may remember that last month I wrote a post about the United States of Insomnia. Almost 2/3 of all Americans suffer from insomnia symptoms! That is a crazy amount of people. I know I didn’t sleep well last night, did you? My lack of sleep was caused by neck and shoulder pain-I really wish we knew what was going on and could fix the problems I am having there because last night ibuprofen didn’t touch the pain. Anyways, since almost 4 million of us deal with at least occasional insomnia symptoms, I thought  we should talk about some healthy shut-eye strategies to help us go to sleep and stay asleep.

Shut Eye Strategies for a Good Night’s Sleep

Before we even start listing these 4 tips I want you to know some of these are going to be difficult and to do them you will need to make some changes in your routine. I will too. Obviously, what we are doing now isn’t working so if we want a good night’s sleep it will take some changes to make that happen.

Get Active Early

Exercising earlier in the day strengthens you cicadian rhythm. This in turn brings on sleepiness at night.

Get Comfortable

Put on your comfy pajamas, curl up with a good book. All of these activities can signal your body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep.

Sign Off

An hour before bedtime shut off or put away all of your electronic devices. The LED lights in our phones and tablets activate our brain, keeping it from going to sleep and staying asleep.

Go Dark

Block out the light so that your brain knows that it is time to rest. Our cicadian rhythm is largely based on our brain’s reactions to light and dark. We need to retrain our brain to know when to rest, just like the rest of our body needs rest.

I know that for most of us signing off will be the hardest. I have a friend that doesn’t get home from work until after 10pm and we usually text right up until I crawl into bed. I guess I will have to talk to him and tell him that I need to make a change…he won’t be happy but if it helps me sleep it will be worth the effort. I also sleep with the television on. I am going to try sleeping with it off for a few nights but last time we had to sleep without TV, while we were on a missions trip, we only slept a little each night and that was due to sheer exhaustion from all of the physical labor we were doing.

I hope these tips help you…and me. We all need a good night’s sleep!

The post Shut-Eye Strategies for a Good Night’s Sleep appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Did you sleep well last night? I did and I am sure that is because I spent yesterday at a theme park with my 13yo nephew. We walked over 5 miles while enjoying the fresh Florida heat…and rain. Some nights I just don’t sleep well and you probably don’t either. Statistics show that 62% of Americans say they regularly suffer from symptoms of insomnia, that is almost 2/3 of us! While most of us suffer, only 20% of us believe we actually have insomnia and only 12% of us have been diagnosed with insomnia by our healthcare professional. Those numbers confuse me. I guess we are good at making excuses and bad at talking to our doctors.

Nearly 4 million Americans suffer from insomnia symptoms! That tells me there are a lot of sleepy people muddling through their days, not being as productive or happy as they could be had they gotten a good night’s sleep. Did you know that a sleep in important to our immune system, memory and other vital body functions? Your health could be suffering due to lack of sleep. That’s why products like a bed warmer can be incredibly beneficial.

For me, my brain doesn’t shut off when I lay down to go to sleep. I have found some things that help me sleep by giving my brain something to focus on while I sleep. If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis, it may be time to talk to your doctor. There are effective treatment options available that are non-habit-forming and have minimal side effects. I know talking to your doctor about sleep may seem awkward but, your overall health is at stake here, as is your quality of life.

Living in an almost constantly tried or drowsy state can double your risk for accidents at work. We all know that drowsy driving is dangerous-you are risking your life and the lives of everyone else out on the roads. Is it time to take the next step and talk with your healthcare professional about your sleep concerns? It might be the best thing for you to do.

What is your sleep struggle? Getting to sleep, staying asleep, or getting back to sleep after awakening to early? Let’s continue this discussion in the comments below.

The post The United States of Insomnia appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Now that you have figured out what time your child should be going to sleep, work backwards from there to allow 30-60 minutes for the bedtime routine. The bedtime routine is important because it gives the child the cues he needs to settle himself down and prepare for sleep. A sample bedtime routine includes 1 or both parent participating in…
• bath time
• brush teeth
• go potty
• story time
• prayers
• lights out (parent leaves the room)
• [tweak the above so that it fits your family and is age appropriate]

The next part is where it gets difficult for most parents. Except in cases of infants who wake for nighttime feedings, illness and night terrors, the child is in bed for the night. They shouldn’t get up for a drink, another hug, “I can’t sleep” etc. This is where most parents fail the bedtime routine-and if they would just stick with it a week or two their life would be so much more blissful. If the child comes out of their room (this is not a time for conversation keep it simple)…

• 1st time-give them a hug an “I love you.” and walk them back to bed
• 2nd time-give them a hug and walk them back to bed (no talking)
• 3rd time-walk them back to bed (no hug, no talking)
• Depending on their age when you begin this routine, they may really push you the first few nights. I know of parents who have sat in the doorway of their child’s room (without talking with the child) so that the child will stay in bed, even if they cry and whimper for a while, they can and will eventually self-pacify and learn that the sooner they relax and go to sleep the better it is.

Consistency is the key to all parenting. In bedtime you need to be consistent in the bedtime and the bedtime routine. Kids of all ages need bedtimes that allow them to get the sleep their body needs. Purchase cool kids beds for your children so that they’ll love their bedroom.

What does your child’s bedtime routine consist of? Leave me a comment and let me know.

The post Tips for Bedtime Bliss appeared first on The Mom Maven.