New Mom Tip: Take Care of Yourself

Posted on May 5th, 2008

It’s normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed when bringing a new baby home. Add to that hormone fluctuations and the fact that you’re recovering, and being a new mom can feel like a huge undertaking. Following are some ways to take care of yourself after the new baby arrives.
First, remember that you’re not the only [...]

Sleeping Battles Redux

Posted on April 20th, 2008

I’ve had to revisit the issue of sleep training again, an issue I once thought of as solved. You see before we left for the greener pastures of California, to start my life as a new SAHM, Mina had her sleeping pattern down to a routine we both could live with. She was [...]

Weight watching, Sleep watching

Posted on April 11th, 2008

Sleep, blessed sleep. We definitely need to have enough. We all know what sleep deprivation feels like. But can too much of a good thing – such as sleep – turn bad? Apparently, yes, it goes both ways. Too little or too much sleep can result in health problems – such as extra pounds that [...]

Giving Up Naps

Posted on April 8th, 2008

My daughter gave up taking naps right around the time she was poised to turn two years old. This may not have been such a big deal, but it was right around the time her baby brother was born and I really could have used an hour or two to myself during the day…or [...]

Cry It Out or Co-sleep?

Posted on March 29th, 2008

When I was pregnant, I read many baby books on the trials and joys of parenting a newborn. I received many warnings from books, and friends, about the sleepless nights ahead. In the process, I came across the much-debated Ferber Method of sleep-training your baby and the approach of Attachment Parenting.
The first method [...]

Lack of Sleep in Women Linked to Heart Disease

Posted on March 26th, 2008

As I toss and turn through long, uncomfortable nights in my eighth month of pregnancy, anything related to sleep and sleep deprivation seems to be catching my attention. This news regarding poor sleep in women was released last Friday:
A Duke University study has shown that women suffer more heart-related health problems which are related to [...]

The Importance of a Bedtime Ritual

Posted on March 17th, 2008

One of the best bits of advice I received when I was pregnant was to make the time before bedtime as predictable as possible. The theory is that a predictable series of events before bedtime is just what your baby needs to realize that it’s almost time for sleep. It’s supposed to be [...]

I Want to be Four

Posted on March 11th, 2008

This morning my daughter slept until 8:00, which is a luxury I never really get to indulge in since my son usually wakes up around 5:00. I checked on her around 7:30 and saw how comfortable she was snoozing under her covers, and that’s when it hit me: I was jealous of her. [...]

Are My Children Getting Enough Sleep?

Posted on March 4th, 2008

Since my twin boys went to preschool last autumn, they don`t get to nap anymore at midday like they did at the daycare. Thus, evenings would find them crabby and exhausted and without appetite. So now I make it a point to put them in bed by 8 pm so they can be up at [...]

Insomnia and Mobile Phone: Is there a Link?

Posted on February 22nd, 2008

Are you electrosensitive? If you are, then you shouldn`t be using a mobile phone close to your bedtime. Results of a study by American and Swedish researchers show that mobile phone use can cause symptoms such as headaches and sleeping disturbances. This was based on a study of a group of 35 men and 36 [...]