Tips to Get Your Baby Sleeping Through the Night

A Tired Baby Makes a Sleepy Baby

When are you the most tired and sleep soundly? After you have had a full day. When you are active and busy, you fall asleep quickly and sleep better. The same can be said for your baby. When they are active, they get tired and sleep. Don't expect your baby to have a nap a couple of hours before bed and expect them to sleep all through the night. Give them activity and get them tired.

• Take them for a walk after dinner
• Play games with them
• Allow them to play with their favorite toys

Flexibility is Important

Reading books about raising children can be very beneficial but don't assume that what they say is the absolute end all truth. You need to be flexible. Not all children are the same. Just as not all adults have the same sleep patterns, children vary a lot. Learn your child's sleep patterns and see how much you can influence and how much is just them. Don't be too rigid. Find their biological clock and work with it. It can be trying.

• Monitor when your child is most active
• Experiment with ways to accommodate their natural sleep patterns
• Try different ways to get your child to sleep in order to see how much of it you can change through routines and other tips discussed here

Let Baby Fall Asleep on His Own

There are so many ways for a baby to go to sleep. Holding them or rocking them is not always the best for a full night's sleep. You might want to try letting them go to sleep on their own. Lay them in their crib and let them drift off naturally without you there. That allows them to break that tight grip on your night and gives them a chance to become more independent.

• Give them a reason to sleep on their own with soft lights, sounds, or smells
• Don't let them know you are near
• Don't let them cry themselves sick
• Sooth them and let them know it is alright
• Never make bedtime something to dread

Bedtime Routine

Children love routines. They have to have them. Give them a bedtime routine. They will be more receptive to sleep and staying asleep.

• Begin bedtime activities around the same time every night.
• Nightly baths
• Read a story before bed
• Establish a calm and soothing routine that will create memories in the years to come.

Allow a Little Crying

When you lay your child down, don't fret because they are fretting. A little crying won't hurt. They are in a growing phase of not having to have you around every single minute of the day. In learning their independence, they might cry a little before they fall asleep. Let them. But don't let them scream like banshees. That doesn't do them any good either.

• Listen for your child
• Soft crying can be fine
• Intense crying is not good
• Screaming should be avoided
• Don't give your child a reason to cry
• Make bedtime a relaxing time that they look forward to.

Solid Foods Can Help

What your child eats can affect their sleep patterns. You'll notice a big change once your baby is read to get on more solid foods. Just a little cereal in their milk can make them sleep better at night. I began introducing cereal in the evening feeding and they slept much better. Don't you get sleepy after a heavy meal? It doesn't take much to make a baby sleep. Just a little solid food helps a lot.

• Introduce cereal in the milk
• Add baby food at the evening meals before the other meals of the day
• Give baby a snack an hour or two before bed

Peaceful Sounds and Smells

I found success with my children by playing peaceful sounds. The sound of the ocean or of birds can be soothing. Even the soft music of classical music can work. A baby is always soothed with pleasant sounds. Remember that they slept for many months with the sound of mama's heartbeat. Sounds help them even after they are born.

A pleasant smell can help your child sleep. Ask anyone who is familiar with aromatherapy. Scents impact you. They help you relax and to sleep. Don't be too overpowering with the smells. You want it subtle to be effective.

• Play nature sounds
• Keep music and sounds soft and low
• Never use sounds that are upbeat
• Fragrances should be light and subtle
• Floral sounds are good to start with

Children have to learn to sleep on their own throughout the night. Help them by being flexible and willing to experiment with many different things. Using all of the tips above at once won't work. Using just one might not work. Try using a variety of these tips and see which ones work the best for you and your baby.

5 Simple Tips to Stop Snoring

If you're the bed partner of a snorer, on average you're likely to get just 3-5 hours of sleep a night! Many people see snoring as something funny, but for some couples it can be a very serious problem, for example when the air you inhale vibrates the structures in your 'upper airway' it can emit as much noise as a pneumatic drill!

This is certainly no laughing matter, there are some facts that are far more serious such as the fact that snorers are 5 times more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes or even a stroke.

So with these worrying facts in mind here are 5 simple lifestyle changes that can potentially prevent your snoring problems or at least reduce them, cutting out the snoring can potentially stop the development of serious medical issues afterwords.

Lose Weight

This is a highly recommended tip, not just for your sleeping pattern, but for your overall health. Shifting just a couple of pounds could be the difference between a quiet night's sleep or an elbow from your partner in the middle of the night. If you're overweight the fatty tissue inside your airway can hinder the flow of air causing the snoring sound

Use extra pillows

This is a simple enough tip to implement but has been found to help in some cases, simply by propping yourself up with more pillows or thicker pillows can aid airflow and the amount of breath you intake when you sleep.

Stop Smoking

This is another widely discussed issue, there are a number of reasons why you should cut out smoking, snoring being just one of them. The dangers of smoking are well documented but the cigarette smoke also irritates the lining of your nasal cavity which may cause swelling and other issues. It's worth mentioning that cutting out smoking can also aid weight loss and your wallet will definitely be grateful.

Cut out Alcohol and Sleeping Pills

By this of course we certainly don't advise cutting out your prescribed medication but it's a good idea to avoid sleeping pills as well as a alcohol before bed. Sedatives such as sleeping pills and alcohol relax the muscles in your throat which makes you much more likely to snore, it's a good idea to avoid sedatives in general as it can disrupt the amount of real rest you get while you sleep.

External Aids

These tips are easy to implement and have been found to work, but unfortunately they don't work all the time. The only clinically proven method to fully prevent snoring is through investing in an anti snoring mouthpiece, with the exception being surgery that can be expensive, painful and uncomfortable, however surgery is one of the only clinically proven methods too.
By Richard P Best

5 Tips to Get an Good Night's Sleep Naturally

Lack of sleep can have a negative effect on many aspects of your health. It can even cause you to have problems with your memory and feel depressed.

Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are simply not safe. They do not cause you to fall asleep naturally. They are sedative drugs that can affect your daytime performance and generally interfere with your life. Here are 5 tips that will help you get a good night's sleep naturally.

Reduce or Eliminate Caffeinated Beverages

A small amount of caffeine early in the day may be alright. But caffeine is a mild drug, a stimulant. Drinking coffee or sodas in the afternoon and evening can interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

Caffeine is also a mild diuretic. Drinking caffeinated beverages close to bedtime can cause you to wake up with a full bladder. Many people have difficulty getting back to sleep after getting up to use the bathroom. Ideally, you should avoid drinking anything in the hours preceding bedtime especially if nighttime urination makes it difficult for you to bet back to sleep.

Turn down the Lights and Turn off the TV

There is a natural process in the body called the circadian rhythm. It controls when you become sleepy and when you wake up. Assuming nothing artificial interferes with the process, your body should start producing more melatonin around 9pm. The melatonin makes you sleepy. By 11pm, you are ready to fall asleep.

Receptors in the eyes are involved in the process that triggers melatonin production. Artificial lights and light from the TV interferes with the process. About 2 hours before bedtime, you should turn down the lights in your home and turn off the TV.

You can use a small reading lamp and read until you feel ready to fall asleep. You might also do other relaxing things, such as stretching, taking a warm bath or drinking a cup of herbal tea.

Try Using a Sound Machine

Sudden noises in the night wake some people up. Sound machines or white noise machines help by blocking out background sounds like traffic, slamming doors and other irregular noises.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Alcohol might make you drowsy but like caffeine it is a diuretic. Drinking an alcoholic beverage too close to bedtime may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night with a full bladder.

Take a Good Dietary Supplement

Certain nutrients support the natural circadian rhythm and are also needed for your body to produce melatonin. There are plenty of natural sleep aids out there. As you might guess, some are better than others. Here are some of the ingredients you want to look for.

· Hops, valerian root, passion flower extract and chamomile-herbs that relax the body

· Phosphatidyl choline-a precursor to neurotransmitters involved in sleep regulation

· Folic acid-particularly important for restless leg syndrome

Remember that combinations of herbs and nutrients may not be safe. The ingredients in a well-designed multi-ingredient supplement are carefully measured. It is safer to choose one of those to help you sleep naturally than it is to combine different ingredients on your own.
By Larry L. Taylor

Simple Practical Changes You can do to get Enough SLEEP

Whether it's from a sleep disorder, stress over that big work project, those pesky pollen allergies, or the joy of becoming a new mom (with a baby who never stops screaming!), the dangers that arise from not getting enough sleep are serious. Sleep deprivation can create major problems for your health - both mentally and physically.

If you think sleep is the one area where you can cut back and free up more time to get things done during the day, think again. Sleep is the time when your body recovers from the day you've just gone through and prepares for the day ahead.

However, it may take some time before you even realize you have a sleep deprivation problem! Sure, you may feel fatigued or drowsy, but you rationalize it by telling yourself that you're just busy and that it's no big deal. Have another cup of coffee and move on, right?

Unfortunately, that can't last forever. At some point, your physical and mental health are going to suffer. If you don't get enough sleep - and not just a quick doze here and there, but restorative sleep that helps your body re-charge its batteries - you'll wind up with a legitimate medical problem that requires a trip to the doctor.

Oh sure, you know how dangerous it can be to do things like drive a car when you're drowsy. But missing out on sleep can lead to other dangers that aren't so obvious, like:

Weight gain.

When you get restorative sleep, your hormone levels have a chance to regulate themselves. But when you don't get enough sleep, your hormones can get out of whack. As a result, you may wind up hungrier than ever before - and packing on the pounds like never before.

Emotional changes 

It  like depression, irritability, and impatience.

You may suddenly have drastic mood swings or an inability to deal with other people, and it's all related to the sleep you're not getting.

 Breakdowns in your immune system.

Notice that you're getting a lot more colds than usual or that you seem to catch every bug that comes through the office? It could be due to your lack of sleep! After all, when you don't get enough sleep, your immune system doesn't get a change to re-charge its batteries either!

Bottom line - sleep isn't a luxury. Instead, it needs to be treated with the same respect as your other healthcare issues. If you keep ignoring your sleep problems, the results may be devastating for you and the people around you.

6 ways for Getting Sweet Sleep

Importance of Sleep:

Being sleep deprived isn't much fun. I spent years in and out of a state of chronic sleep deprivation, so I know the feeling all too well.

What most folks fail to consider is that chronic sleep deprivation is a source of toxicity. It causes the release of stress hormones.

That means that a chronic lack of sleep is a risk factor for all chronic illness, because we're chronically toxic and chronically not cycling through the optimal levels of cellular repair and restoration that are supposed to take place each night while we're sleeping.

There are serious consequences of not meeting our sleep requirements.

Internal Effects:

- increases the risk for all chronic illness - cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, digestive issues, thyroid imbalance, and so on.

- mental, emotional and cognitive effects - more easily stressed, brain fog, short-term memory decline, learning disorders, lack of clarity and focus.

External Effects:

- looking more tired and less healthy (I feel like I look a decade older if I'm sleep deprived. As if being exhausted isn't insult enough!)

- weight gain and/or challenges with dropping excess pounds - this is due to the long-term release of stress hormones, like cortisol, as well as the lack of the fat burning hormone, growth hormone, which is supposed to be released during deep sleep cycles.

These less-than-desirable effects are cumulative. The more nights you're deprived of good, deep sleep, the worse the effects are, especially in the area of cognitive function.

In a two-week sleep restriction study reported in the New York Times, the subjects only getting 4-6 hours of sleep per night (as opposed to 8 hours) for two weeks had the same level of cognitive impairment they would have if they were drunk. Imagine all the people out there functioning at this level each day!

Here are 6 suggestions to start getting better sleep:

1) Live a healthy lifestyle overall.

The majority of the time, eat healthy foods and get regular, invigorating exercise. Aim for balance.

2) Prepare for sleep - Chill out and power down.

Don't do intense exercise within 2-3 hours of your intended bedtime... even longer, if you can help it.

Go to bed when you're tired. Not the couch. Not the recliner. Bed.

Decrease mental stimulation as sleep time approaches. Again, not the time for scary movies, late night (bad) news, or stressful encounters. This also includes backing away from all your connections and screens for the night - computer, phone, ipad, television, and whatever gadgets you've got these days.

Have relaxing rituals and routines at night. Deep breathing, relaxation, meditation, light reading, writing in a gratitude journal, whatever works for you!

I like to jot down plans, action steps, and ideas for the next day so that my brain can calm down when it's time to sleep.

3) Watch your evening intake.

No alcohol a couple hours before bed. (If you're really sleep deprived and really desperate to improve here, cut it out all together for a couple weeks and see what happens)

Keep all liquids to a minimum for your last couple hours - helps with night time trips to the bathroom.

I wouldn't recommend having caffeinated beverages in the afternoon, or at least not 8 hours or so before you'd like to sleep.

If you need a late night snack, base it on healthy fats and protein, not starchy carbs or other high-sugar foods.

Really, the same can be said for dinner. I know this can be tough, but dinner (especially a late dinner) is not a wise time to scarf down a big plate of pasta, a loaf of bread, or a bunch of grains in any form. While we're at it, you should pass on the high-sugar dessert for the same reasons.

4) Consider your sleep environment.

Sleeping in complete darkness is best. This allows optimal release of the "sleep and relaxation hormone", melatonin. Even if you have to get up to use the bathroom during the night, try not to flip on lights. It interrupts this hormonal release.

Move anything giving off EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) away from your noggin. E.g. your digital clock.

Several studies indicate that an air temperature around 60 degrees, give or take, is the best for optimal sleep. Most people have trouble sleeping when it's too hot, or the heat is cranked all night.

Having a window cracked for fresh air in and the escape of carbon dioxide can also be helpful.

Make sure your feet are warm. I found this to be true for me. Cold feet keep me tossing and turning all night. Solution? Socks. You're welcome. That's why they pay me the big bucks, right there.

Try some "white noise" or use ear plugs if external noises are disrupting your sleep. I keep a small fan on in our room.

The more peaceful, relaxing, and 'tidy' your bedroom is, the more likely you are to be fully relaxed in it.

5) Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.

I've resisted this in the past, no doubt, thinking I've "earned" some extra shut-eye on a weekend morning. But, it's probably no coincidence that I've been very consistent with my bedtime and waking time for the last few months and my sleep has dramatically improved. Therefore, so has my focus, memory, clarity, and productivity. Give it a try for a couple weeks and see how it works for you.

6) It could be something else.

Your sleep challenges could be the result of certain medication, or a combination of medications, you're taking. Many have that effect. Talk to your prescribing doctor about an exit strategy and a real solution for whatever you're currently taking.

You might have some chronic hormonal imbalances or hormonal resistance. This could be from chronic toxicity and inflammation. Until that's resolved, all hormonal function can be skewed.

In the case of sleep, some of the big hormonal players are cortisol, melatonin, and insulin, to name just a few. In some cases of hormonal imbalance, the result is that you can't fall asleep. In other cases, you can fall asleep, but then you wake up often and can't get back to sleep. I feel your frustration.

By the way, remember that if your cortisol levels are off (or the receptors are congested due to toxicity and inflammation) you're going to gain weight and have a tough time losing it.

Having sensitivities to certain foods can keep you awake at night, too. If you have gut permeability issues (most likely the case if you're sensitive to many foods), this can cause symptoms and discomfort that keeps you restless.

The good news is that there are solutions that address (and correct) the root cause of inflammation, toxicity, hormonal resistance, and gut permeability issues. I wouldn't expect to find them via your family doc, however! Typically, you've got to branch out from the basic treatment protocol offered by conventional practitioners and get into more functional diagnostics and care.

Of course, there can be other reasons for occasional or temporary loss of sleep; things like stressful situations or events, or certain seasons of our lives (like co-sleeping with a baby or young children), or travel, or a major change in life, and so on.

The occasional and temporary loss of sleep isn't so horrible. Humans can be pretty amazing at adapting to stressful environments when we need to. When the sleep deprivation becomes chronic, though, we need to take it seriously and work to correct it just like we would with any other health condition.

Fruits that Improve Sleep Hormone

Fruit Activates Sleep Molecule
The fruit for good sleep are cherries. Reports show that tart cherries have high levels of phytochemicals. One of which is melatonin. And that’s a sleep-regulating hormone.

Reports of tart cherries containing melatonin are exactly what tipped Dr. Howatson off to putting tart cherry juice to the test.

He gathered 20 volunteers. He had them take either a placebo or the tart cherry juice for seven days. Then he measured their sleep using a sleep sensor and sleep questionnaires. He also had them take urine samples to gauge their melatonin levels.

Tart cherry juice helped the patients in two different ways.

The juice helped people sleep longer. It also improved sleep efficiency. Dr. Howatson says the good results are all down to melatonin levels. Cherry juice makes you produce more melatonin. And high levels or melatonin help you sleep. He also thinks this is why cherry juice might also help with disturbed sleep.

One Glass Before BedThe best kind of cherry juice is 100 percent pure organic tart cherry juice. But there’s one other thing you should know. The cherry juice used in the study was made from Montmorency tart cherries. And you can find that online or at most health food stores.

Try drinking a small eight-ounce glass an hour before you go to bed.

We’ve written about melatonin in the past…and how it can help you with jet lag. You can read that article here. It helps explain the right and wrong ways to use the sleep hormone.

You Snooze, You Lose

You know the old saying, "If you snooze, you lose." Well, when it comes to weight loss, it's true. Research has shown that not getting enough sleep can cause you to gain weight. I know it is tough for many people to get enough sleep in this crazy-busy society, but if you deprive yourself of the sleep your body needs over a long period of time, it can make it difficult for you to lose weight.

For most people, especially for those of you have plenty of time to sleep, this can be good news. But, for you busy career people, it can be tough to get the sleep you need. You need to work at scheduling a little harder so you can get the proper amount of sleep for weight loss sake.

However, it can be difficult to figure out just how much sleep you need to keep your body at optimum health for losing weight. How much sleep does the body require? Most people need between 6-9 hours sleep a night. If you are getting less than six hours sleep a night, your body will not be functioning at it optimum level for weight loss.

And don't fall for the idea that there is something noble about getting by with less sleep than your body needs. Believe me, the "I can get by on only..." attitude is fattening. During sleep, especially at deeper stages, your body goes into deep relaxation where it actually releases fat.

If you go for days on end with too little sleep, your body says to itself, "Hmmm, I better hang on to this excess fat in case I need it for energy for those long waking hours." It will actually hoard fat because it thinks you might need during your awake hours. So what should you do?

Make some adjustments in your life so that you can get the sleep your body needs. After a while, your body will decide that you don't need as much fat stored up and it will let go of your fat a lot easier. Your body will be glad to accommodate you at getting to the size you want to be.

Now if you have to stay up late occasionally, do not worry. It is what you do on a regular basis that your body will respond to. Treat your body right and it will be happy to help you in your weight loss efforts.

Seriousness of 8 Hours of Daily Sleep

Better sleep

Do you ever break up your sleep into smaller chunks? Or do you need 7-9 consecutive hours to feel like a human being in the morning.

In today's 24-7 work environment, with phones and various other gadgets beeping at all hours, this advice might be more realistic for many of us. In fact, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 41 million people in the United States get six hours or fewer of sleep a night. 

Reduces stress

In the case of sleep deficiency, the body’s functions enter a state of high alert, and cause an increase in blood pressure and production of stress hormones. 
The stress hormones make it harder to sleep and the higher blood pressure amplifies the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Allows body repairs

The cells in the body produce more protein while you’re asleep, which aids the body in recovering from damage caused by stress, ultraviolet radiation, and other harmful exposures.

Lowers inflammation

One of the most important benefits of sleep is that it helps to keep stress hormone levels in check. This allows the body to alleviate the levels of inflammation, which is known to increase the risk of heart-related diseases, premature aging, arthritis, cancer and diabetes.

Lower risk of depression

Sleep has an impact on several chemicals in the body, including serotonin, which causes depression in people in the event of a deficiency. The right amount of sleep, close to 7 to 8 hours, can prevent the onset of depression by producing enough serotonin.

Boosts memory

In the time you’re asleep, the brain processes any new knowledge, organises the skills learned while awake, makes connections between events, feelings and memories, and sensory input. This helps you to process information and perform better.

Healthier heart

A lack of sleep is often associated with increased blood pressure and cholesterol – factors directly responsible for heart ailments and strokes. Seven to eight hours of sleep will go a long way in promoting cardiovascular health.

Weight management

Lack of sleep may lead to an imbalance of the ghrelin and leptin hormones, which are crucial in regulating appetite. Additionally, the same part of the brain that controls sleep also increases metabolism. So to maintain or control weight, it is imperative to get adequate sleep.

Higher alertness levels

It follows logically that a good night’s sleep leads to more energy and alertness the next morning. This prepares the body for a day’s worth of activity and engagement, and increases the likelihood of another good night’s sleep. It’s a good circle to be caught in.