Ladies, it’s no mistake that sleep is something we aren’t get enough of.
Whether you’re a working mom, stay at home mom or just a busy lady, you might not be getting the beauty sleep you need. Not getting enough sleep each night might actually be doing some harm. Getting plenty of deep, restful sleep might offer more than just some pep in your step on Monday morning.
Healthy sleep habits are important for tons of daily functions and sleepless nights can affect everything from concentration to heart health, making those sweet dreams more serious than you think.
Here’s the top 5 benefits of sleep for women and why it’s important to catch plenty of Z’s everyday.
Repair Your Body
Our lifestyles take a toll on our body and we need plenty of time to rest and recover. While you sleep, your body is programmed to release extra protein molecules to repair damage and boost your immune system. Stress makes you more susceptible to infections and illness, making this flush of new cell nourishment an important part of your day.
Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, making heart health a very real concern. Your heart works overtime under stress and sleep helps lower blood pressure and eliminate stress. Quality sleep routines help maintain cholesterol levels to keep your heart healthier. Getting plenty of sleep is an important addition to your heart health regimen and high levels of inflammatory markers are big red flags for heart disease and stroke.
Improve Memory
Sleep deprivation leaves you feeling foggy and sluggish, making it difficult to remember facts, faces, lessons or even conversations. While you’re deep asleep, your brain is busy organizing memories and thoughts. A good night’s sleep helps give your brain a fresh start in the morning and helping you ponder a decision or processing a new memory.
Weight Management
Women’s metabolisms are very much based on hormones and a good night’s sleep gives these metabolisms a welcome boost. When you aren’t getting enough sleep, your appetite may actually increase. Sleep deprivation increases your appetite for energy and this manifests usually in cravings for fatty, high carbohydrate or high sugar foods. If you’re starting a new diet or nutrition plan, getting a good night’s sleep help give you the push you need to make healthier food choices each day.
Mental Health
If you’ve ever had a horrible night’s sleep before a busy or important day, you probably weren’t in the best mood. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation can cause long-term mood disorders to develop like depression or anxiety that can really hold back your well being in different areas of your life. A healthy sleep schedule can keep you feeling happier, more alert and in control of your mental health. When your mind is healthy, physical well being is always sure to follow.
If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you might actually be doing some hidden harm to your body.
Give yourself the opportunity to unwind at the end of the day and enough time to get a full 8 hours of sleep whenever you can. When you feel more refreshed heading to bed, you can wake feeling more refreshed and ready to seize the day.
Good sleeping habits start early.
As you get your new baby settled in at home, starting a sleep training regimen helps a baby learn how to fall asleep and stay sleeping through the night on their own. Some little ones take to sleep training effortlessly and others need a little more patience and encouragement to develop their own sleeping patterns.
Not every sleep training technique works for everyone and with the right support system in place, parents can find the sleep training method that aligns best with their parenting style and the needs of their baby.
When can I start sleep training?
Most sleep training professionals recommend starting a sleep training routine when your baby reaches their 4 to 6 month milestone. By this point, most babies have stopped night feedings and is starting to develop their own sleep-wake cycle. Developmentally, babies of 4 to 6 months can safely sleep through the night in long stretches. All babies are different, and your little one might not be ready to start sleep training until 8 or even 10 months old. Consult with your doctor if you have any questions about your baby’s development or if you’re unsure about when to start sleep training.
Preparing to Sleep Train
Any good night’s sleep begins with a bed time. A good starting place is to introduce a bedtime routine and many parents have night time rituals already in place as early as 6 weeks. It’s never too late for an evening relaxation routine including a warm bath, a bedtime story or a lullaby. Keep bedtime consistent and at the same time each night. Experts recommend 7 to 8pm to keep your baby from becoming overtired and fighting sleep. The predictability of bedtime, nap-time and waking each morning, helps your baby relax and acclimate to a natural sleep pattern.
Set the Scene
Your baby’s bedroom, nursery or sleep space should be comfortable and invite sleep. Keep lights dim and the temperature cool and comfortable at a 65 – 75 degrees. If your nursery is sunny during the day, room darkening shades can help your little one relax for nap-time and help them develop their own circadian rhythm. This rhythm encourages your baby to get sleepy at sundown and wake in the morning. A white noise machine can also be useful in creating a comforting space for your baby to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Lay your baby down while they’re awake to help encourage them to be comforted by the space around them each night.
Technique
There’s tons of sleep training techniques to choose from that includes everything from co-sleeping to “cry it out” and everything in between. A starting point that many parents feel comfortable with is “move the chair.” Use the same calming techniques as you lay your baby down for sleep at night, while sitting in a chair near their crib. Every three nights move your chair further away from the crib until you’re ultimately out of the room and out of view. Keep this move consistent to keep your little one feeling dependent on your presence in the nursery for them to fall asleep.
As with beginning any training or parenting routine with your baby, patience and support is key.
Sleep training can be a frustrating process, but with patience, your baby will be sleeping soundly and all on their own. Not every family or baby is the same and being flexible with your sleep training styles can help you find the method that is right for you and your baby.
This Easter, you don’t have to travel far for some fun Easter activities for the whole family.
Whether you’re spending time at home with the kids or having a big group of family and friends for dinner, there’s plenty of spring time fun to keep everyone occupied. Easter traditions are usually the first celebration of warmer seasons and sweet new beginnings to a great year.
Getting friends and family together for an Easter party at home is a great opportunity to play some fun games and let your creativity shine with unforgettable Easter activities.
Gather your family and friends together while you make some new family traditions you’ll look forward to every spring!
Easter Egg Hunt
An egg hunt is one of the most exciting Easter activities that families enjoy year after year. Kick your egg hunt up a notch with some fun twists to keep things innovative and unique. Take a few empty egg cartons and paint the inside of each with a different color and number the top with a black marker (Four kids means four cartons). Before the kids can start they have to pull a number that chooses the carton they have. Hide 12 eggs of each color in various areas around the yard so each kid has an equal opportunity to get the same amount of eggs. If you want to raise the stakes for your scavenger hunt, the first child to fill their egg carton wins the golden egg that contains an extra surprise.
Egg Toss
Who says your Easter fun can’t be a little messy? If you’re expecting a big group for brunch or dinner, an egg toss can be a whole lot of fun. Encourage guests to bring clothes that can get messy or encourage them to design funny shirts for their team of two! Distinguish your starting point about 3-4 feet apart, one person from each team stands on either side to start. On one side, mark up to 5 lines that go increments of a foot backward.
Dye some raw eggs with different colors and give one to each team. Using a timer, each team will have to toss the egg and catch it gently without it breaking in their hand or falling to the ground. As every minute elapses, one team member is told to move back one foot. This will make the game harder! The winners get a gift card, an Easter basket or even some cash. It’s impossible to not have fun and lots of laughs with this silly egg game.
Chicken Spoon Race
Baby chicks are one of the most identifiable symbols of spring. This spoon race is a great yard game for kids and kids at heart. Make a starting and finish line in the yard, lining the kids up across the starting line. Each kid gets a plastic spoon and an egg. The object of the game is to balance the egg on the spoon while they hold it in their mouth and cross the finish line without dropping the egg. To make this game a little funnier and more of a challenge, your game contestants need to walk and flap like a baby chicken. Play the Chicken Dance song in the background for some big laughs and even bigger photo opportunities as all your chickens scurry to the finish line.
Doughnut Munch
This activity is dessert and a game all in one. Take a fairly wide (about an inch) and colorful ribbon and for five players, string five doughnuts spaced out onto the ribbon. Stale doughnuts actually work a little better for this since they’re a little more firm. Hang your ribbon taught between two posts and have your players line up along the ribbon. The object of the game is to eat their doughnut off the ribbon first before the time is up, and without any falling to the ground. This is hilarious to watch and a delightfully sweet finale for your back yard Easter party.
Get your favorite bunnies together for some backyard activities that will quickly become awesome family traditions for your annual Easter gathering.
The new year means an opportunity to rejuvenate and refresh yourself.
Incorporating meditation into your day will help you manage stress and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle. Emotional self care will help you improve your concentration and even help you feel more confident. Improved concentration actually increases energy so you’ll have plenty of extra energy for your workouts and playtime with the kids.
Whether your meditation is in a group class or just a few minutes of relaxation at home, meditation is sure to bring you some uplifting clarity for the new year ahead.
Practice Self Awareness
When you take the time each day to wind down, you’ll experience more emotional clarity. When you become more comfortable managing your emotions during meditation, it provides feel-good confidence. Self care isn’t all bubble baths and salon trips. Your daily dose of self care can be as simple as devoting a few minutes a day to yourself.You’ll be able to recognize negative emotions and detach yourself from them, leaving space for positive energy. Meditation puts you on the right track for a happier lifestyle.Meditation can also help symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression
Improve Physical Health
Meditation doesn’t exclusively nourish your emotional well being and can actually do great things for your physical health. Meditating regularly improves immune system, boosts metabolism, improves quality of sleep and brain functioning. If you’re starting out the new year trying to kick start a healthy lifestyle, meditation should find it’s way into your new routine. Meditation can start your day or help you wind down before bed and after a workout. These relaxation strategies also help alleviate tension related muscle pain, migraines and insomnia.
Stress can create serious cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure and heart attacks. Meditation relaxes blood vessels to regulate blood pressure. When your body is more relaxed, your internal organs work more harmoniously to help you reach your fitness goals.
Improve Relationships
When you meditate regularly, you’re happier and happiness is contagious. Starting a family can create extra strain on relationships, causing some anxiety and tension between new parents. Incorporating some relaxation and meditation each day can be bring parents closer together and help them eliminate stress. Regularly attending meditation workshops with friends can create a strong support system for each other, encouraging you to stick with your meditation routine. New to the meditation scene? Why not try something new and find a relaxing yoga
A strong beginning to the new year starts with a healthy mind and body.
Meditation works in conjunction with your healthy lifestyle changes to give you a fresh start. Start with fifteen minutes a day and you can slowly incorporate longer meditation sessions as you progress.
If you are newly postpartum, your doula can help you find the opportunity throughout the day to practice self care and meditate. Relaxation and meditation is often the best ll-natural medicine for postpartum recovery.
Finding the postpartum healing resources that are right for you can be exhausting.
It’s no mistake that placenta encapsulation has been around for centuries as an effective way for new mothers to recover postpartum. The placenta is a powerhouse of important hormones that helps women bond with their newborn, improve lactation supply, creating oxytocin and banishing postpartum depression. Containing stress-reducing hormones, many women also experience more energy and less fatigue
During the initial phase of postpartum healing, your uterus slowly begins to shrink back to normal and with the help of hormones your body naturally produces. Consuming encapsulated placenta helps your body heal, in an all natural way.
In home encapsulation is raising the standard for placenta processing in the United States.
Processing placenta requires a sterile environment and professional handling to ensure a safe and effective finished product. When your placenta is processed in your own home, the organ never leaves your possession and you can be sure that your home is clean and safe. If you want to be actively involved in the process, you can engage in the process by watching and asking questions you have as they arise. Or you can sit comfortably in the other room and be confident your placenta is being handled by a trained and certified professional.
Not only is your encapsulator a specialist in their field, they also have extensive experience with postpartum recovery, newborn care, breastfeeding and more. While your placenta is being encapsulated, you can ask your specialist about questions and concerns you might have about your first few days home with your newborn.
Placenta encapsulation is a powerful resource to combat postpartum depression and anxiety. If you’ve experienced symptoms of postpartum depression with your first baby, your chances of experiencing the same emotional distress nearly double with your second child. Most women who utilize placenta during their postpartum period, experience a quicker, more pleasant recovery with reduced or eliminated symptoms of postpartum anxiety or depression.
In home placenta encapsulation puts postpartum women in complete control of the process.
With some extra help getting yourself back on track with your postpartum recovery, your body can heal and recover more efficiently, offering new mothers a little extra peace of mind. Ask your doula team how placenta encapsulation can help you stay in control of your physical and emotional recovery during the fourth trimester.
Our compassionate staff is there to help parents transition home with their new baby and feeling confident, supported and healthy throughout the entire process.
The holidays are officially right around the corner!
If you’re looking to plan some fun activities with your kids during your winter break, there’s plenty of things to do in the Houston area to make your season a little brighter and a way more fun.
If you’re home with your newborn and you need some activities that are easy on your postpartum recovery, there’s also plenty of low-key holiday events for everyone in your family to enjoy.
We put together a go-to guide for local holiday fun this week, so suit up in your Christmas best and turn up the cheer!
The Texas Bowl
The Texas Bowl is a Houston post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division, FBS college football bowl game tradition that Houston families have been celebrating for over a decade. Sports during the holidays give families some uplifting spirit as they root on their teams as a family after eating a filling holiday meal.
It’s all about the pre-game parties, tailgating and team spirit with family and friends and there’s no shortage of all the above here. Get your gear ready, your game day recipes cookin’ and have some fun at this year’s Texas Bowl! The best tailgate decorations and spirit will be awarded by H-E-B judges roaming the stadium parking lot Team Spirit, Food Presentation (exclusive H-E-B pride is an absolute must) Originality and Hospitality in their search to crown this year’s H-E-B Tailgater of the Game! So get your thinking caps on and your crock pots going!
The Nutcracker at the Houston Ballet
The Nutcracker is an absolute Christmas classic and has become a tradition for many families to watch a Nutcracker performance together before their big holiday celebrations. The Houston Ballet puts on an incredible performance that will leave your little ones enchanted and anxiously awaiting Christmas morning. It’s a perfect way to get a little festive this week before the crazy travel and parties of the weekend.
The Festival of Lights
Moody Gardens hosts the area’s largest display of holiday lights in the Houston area that belongs on everyone’s list this month. The trail features millions of sparkling lights, live entertainment and tons of animated displays set to familiar Christmas tunes. There’s ice skating and a 100 foot long slide! This event is a crowd favorite and is an incredibly magical way to kick off the big holiday week ahead. There’s plenty to do here for the kids and parents, bringing this event to the top of our holiday to-do list every year.
Milk and Cookies With Santa
It’s not too late to get yourself on Santa’s nice list. The Children’s Museum of Houston is hosting a meet and greet with the big man in red himself, where kids can have milk and cookies and submit those last minute Christmas wishes. If you haven’t paid Santa a visit before he embarks on his big trip around the world, the Children’s Museum of Houston has the surprise for you! This museum also hosts different event for your little ones and fun interactive exhibits to explore throughout the year.
If you’re looking for some fun activities to do with the kids while they’re home on their holiday break, you don’t need to go far when Houston has you covered.
Visit some of these awesome local happenings in our area to start feeling a little more festive before all your big plans this weekend!
Have a happy and healthy holiday season from Lone Star Doulas!
