When did you first feel like a mom? Most think it’s the moment they place your baby in your arms, but since becoming a mom I’ve realized that wasn’t it. It hasn’t been just one moment for me. There have been many moments throughout my parenting where I do a double take and realize, yup – I’m a mom.
When you finally understanding the meaning of mom jeans because let’s be real - you’re not just tucking in your shirt anymore.
You just started another nutritional cleanse. You’re chugging down your smoothies and researching the latest gluten free, sugar free, organic kale recipe. You’ve renewed your gym membership and you’re on target for your next triathlon. You are ready. Ready to make changes. Ready to put YOU first. You are going to work towards optimal health.
Before you start though let me ask you a question?
The evenings are getting lighter and that can only mean one thing: Spring Daylight Savings Time is here on Sunday, March 13th, 2016 at 2:00 am, when we turn our clocks forward one hour. I know; just when you have your baby on a great sleep schedule, right? But during this time change moms and dads may actually get an extra hour of sleep and I’m going to tell you how.
Over the summer we went on a road trip with the kids to Martha’s Vineyard. We had to stop overnight at a hotel where the five of us shared a room. I remember being woken up in the middle of the night by loud snoring and elbowing my husband to roll over and be quiet or he’ll wake the kids. I was shocked when he groggily told me that it wasn’t him snoring but our 4-year old daughter.
There she was in all her cuteness snoring away beside her big sister. I couldn’t believe how loud she was.
Valentine’s Day is a special night for you and your loved one. Ladies, we are gifted with heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, roses, and cards, but what about the gift of sleep? I don’t know about you, but as a parent, sometimes there is nothing sexier than being able to get a good night of sleep. I’m going to offer you some tips on how romance in the bedroom could lead to blissful sweet dreams.
You are ready to sleep train, but the information out there can be overwhelming and discouraging. Sleep training doesn’t need to be so hard!
Often when we think of sleep training we think we need to choose the method and that’s the only thing we tend to focus on within our sleep plan. I look at the steps of sleep training as sleep tools within your sleep tool kit, and the method you choose is only one of the tools.
We have an Auntie Sandy in our lives and she is a complete rock star to my kids. Telling my kids that they are having an overnight at Auntie Sandy’s is like telling my husband his kids are having an overnight anywhere! It’s pretty freaking amazing.
When the topic of sleeping in separate quarters comes up in conversation, I find you get two reactions. You will get those who recognize this as trouble in the marriage, and with headlines like “sleep divorce,” it’s no wonder that stigma exists. But then you also get the other reaction, you see eyes light up and smiles appear with the possibility of a sleep-filled night.
Self-soothing. You’ve read every article you can on it and your head is swimming with the difference of opinions. Most sleep experts will tell you that your child needs to learn how to self-soothe in order to fall asleep on their own. Those who are opposed to sleep training will tell you that self-soothing doesn’t exist and all you are teaching your child is that you have abandoned them.
Recently a top trending hashtag was #IWouldSleepMoreBut - top trending as in over 21.4K at one point. All age groups, both male and female were joining in on the conversation and sharing the reasons of why they rob themselves of sleep.
At the top of the list were two things near and dear to all of our hearts:
When you and sleep are going through a rough patch it doesn’t mean that you have to put on the brakes and break up. Like any healthy relationship it’s important to put in the work to maintain it every now and then.
While getting dirty in the bedroom helps maintain some relationships, keeping your sleep hygiene clean will help solidify your union with sleep.
But what is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene are steps that you should practice to promote ongoing healthy sleep. Some important sleep practices that you should implement are:
It is common to hear sleep issues discussed in a community of 40+ year old women. According to stats Canada, 35% of women claim to have difficulty falling and staying asleep. Reasons for this vary, but two recurring issues show up in research that hormones and inability to quiet the mind can play major roles in sleep loss for women.
The key to a good night’s sleep at any age is setting up your sleep environment for sleep success. We equip our kitchens with the tools we need to create delicious meals and our dens are our family’s space for relaxation and entertainment. Unfortunately, though, our bedrooms environment often gets overlooked.
Often we see toddler sleep regressions happen to even the best of sleepers. When clients contact me regarding their toddler sleep struggles, I first make sure sleep basics are being promoted. Are all the pieces of the toddler sleep puzzle in place?
Ask yourself the questions. Is your child generally well-rested? Still taking a nap, followed by an age-appropriate bedtime? Are you practicing a consistent and calming bedtime routine with your little one and making sure nightly limits and boundaries are being set? Something to keep in mind:
To this day I still have to fast forward the MADD commercial where the little boy drops his glass of milk as a mother is told by a police officer that his father isn’t coming home. I just can’t bring myself to watch it. This disturbing commercial drives a message home to many – don’t drink and drive. It can ruin a family.
In the fall we are hit with a double whammy, and the sleep gods are not on our side. We have to change our clocks AND we have Halloween. On Halloween children everywhere will be going to bed much later than usual with bellies full of candies, and on top of that... Hey! Let’s mess around with their internal sleep clocks!
Now in the BK era – "Before Kids" – we could enjoy that extra hour and bask in slumberville. Now that we have kids, the fall time change is the most terrifying time of the year – minus the ghosts and ghouls.
It was my husband’s idea to let our four year-old daughter watch Ghostbusters. But who’s she going to call when she has a nightmare at 4 a.m.? That’s right; it’s mommy she wants for some reassurance and comfort.
It’s common for your 8-12 year old to start struggling with sleep. Often parents find their children at this age take longer to get to bed. Perhaps it’s taking them longer to fall asleep or suddenly they are showing bouts of anxiety and fear about going to bed alone. At this age adequate sleep is necessary as children are growing, becoming increasingly active in school and after-school activities, and need well rested minds and bodies to strengthen their cognitive ability, memory, alertness, and overall mood and behaviour for school and learning.
A recent paper released through the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health is making waves through social media. University of Adelaide sleep researchers are concerned with the increased use of melatonin for children and the paper warns parents and doctors that giving their child melatonin isn’t a good idea, as the side effects for when children are older are unclear and the results could be serious.
