Puddle Coach Column ~ Q&A / Nutrition/Parenting: Sleepless Mom
ASK THE COACH~
Puddle Coach Column, by Patrice Swenson Have a question for the Puddle Coach? Submit here
Dear Puddle Coach,
I have been having trouble sleeping lately and I find myself getting more exhausted every day because I know I’m not getting enough rest. I don’t really feel anxious or anything but I can’t sleep through the night. I’m pretty busy all day with 3 kids, being a stay at home mom. You would think by the time I lay down, I would just sleep for hours, but it’s just the opposite; I’m up for hours, tossing and turning! Ugh! I need some help! I’m not going to get medication for this and I’d like to know if you could help me figure out why I might not be sleeping and what I could do about it WITHOUT taking a pill for it. I want to be more active in managing my own health. I’m in my early 30’s and I think I’m in pretty good health. I don’t feel like anything is wrong with me but I just can’t sleep!
Sleepless mom~
Dear Sleepless,
First of all, I want to congratulate you on choosing to look for a natural means of helping yourself and wanting to learn more about what’s going on, instead of simply taking a pill. Bravo to you! Without knowing more details of your entire life-style, it’s hard to conclude what might be the problem or the solution. Being a stay at home mom is definitely a big job and even though you’re exhausted, you might be in overdrive! Since you’re on the path to learning more, I’d suggest doing some homework on the role of serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin plays an important role in sleeping well. As a natural remedy, tart cherry juice concentrate is one of the most effective means I know of to help with sleep. There is a video online that really explains it well. Look up tart cherry juice and Dr. Oz. There was a special on it in 2011 that really makes it easy to understand. Sometimes the best thing you can do when you are offered medication for anything you have going on is to simply look up how it works on the body and then look up foods, activities and life-style that can naturally bring about the same effects! If all else fails, ask your kids how they sleep. I once asked a 5 year old how she slept…her reply, “I close my eyes”. Maybe we make it too complex!
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Thanks for writing and good luck~ Back to Under the Umbrella
