Sweet Sleep Blog

Having a Healthy Holiday Holidays are full of time with family and tons of food.  With Easter comes a lot of candy and sweets.  Easter baskets, egg hunts, treats from grandma, all of these are full of sugar.  What can you do to keep the sugar craze out of the house?  Try these healthy treats you and your kids will still love and keep the sugar rushes away!  Try These! Almond butter and fruit is a healthy and super tasty treat full of fiber and protein.   Chocolate dipped fruits can help get that chocoholic their sweet treat and get some healthy fruit in as well.   Hardboiled eggs are a perfect and fun treat for anyone on Easter and can be very fun to decorate.   Homemade peanut butter eggs! Store-bought candies are full of more sugar than anything else but you can create your own with much healthier ingredients.  Check out this recipe !  Non-food items like bubbles, chalk, coloring books, new markers, stickers, books, jump ropes, bubble bath, bath bombs, new toothbrush wi

Why We Love Yoga Yoga is a relaxing exercise that is amazing for your health.  It can help with flexibility, controlling your anxiety, pain management, warming your muscles to prevent injury, and so much more.   Yoga and Sleep Yoga helps with sleep by reducing stress and getting your body and mind into a relaxed state where it is ready for sleep.  Regardless of your physical abilities yoga is a gentle way to introduce your body to exercise and relaxation all at once.   Yoga Poses

Do You Have RLS?  One of the biggest factors with RLS is a feeling that you need to move your legs that you cannot help.  This is accompanied with uncomfortable feelings that  include creeping, itching, pulling, creepy-crawly, tugging, or gnawing.  RLS may also include movement of your legs that can inturrupt your night's sleep.  These movements are known as PLMS and can occure every 20 to 30 minutes.  If you feel the uncomfortable sensations to move and do move your legs the sympotoms ease, this is also a sign that you may have RLS.  The longer you are at rest, the greater the chance the symptoms will occur and the more severe they are likely to be and they will usually be worse at night. If you are experiencing signs of RLS or any sleep disorder come see us at the Sweet Sleep Studio to take control of your sleep again.  Check out our website here . 

Delicious and Healthy Bedtime Snacks These mixes of carbs and protein increase serotonin levels which leads to better sleep. 1/2 cup whole-grain cereal with 1/2 cup nonfat milk 6 ounces low-fat yogurt and a sprinkling of berries 1 slice whole wheat toast and 1 tablespoon peanut butter 3.5 ounces fat-free vanilla pudding and 4 graham crackers 1/2 whole wheat pita and 2 tablespoons hummus 1 oatmeal raisin cookie and 8 ounces skim milk 6 whole-grain crackers and a small handful of walnuts

Article of the Week This week we're going to be going over RLS.  RLS stands for restless leg syndrome.  This week's article gives you an overview of RLS and more great info.   Read this week's article here ! 

What is Meditation Meditation  is the practice of turning your attention to a single point of reference (Psychology Today). Meditation is not a complicated technique and is simply focusing on the moment and clearing your mind of outside distractions and chaos to really just breathe and relax.  Benefits of Meditation There are many benefits to meditation. A few of the benefits include: Helping Normalize Blood Pressure Reduces anxiety, burnout, improves stress-related disorders Promotes the experience of relaxation throughout the day Decreases insomnia Improves concentration  A study from UCLA was conducted on individuals who had been meditating for an average of 20 years and found that they actually had more grey matter in their brains than those who did not meditate (Forbes).  So beyond the immediate benefits of relaxation, meditation actually helps preserve our minds as we age. Read more here ! How to Meditate Meditation is not complicated.  Here are some

Excessive Sleepiness What is it?   Excessive sleepiness is feeling very tired or drowsy during the day. It is often confused with fatigue, but they are different struggles.  Excessive Sleepiness vs Fatigue  Fatigue is dealing with low energy. You can be physically, mentally, or emotionally fatigued.  This is usually a result of either a medical condition or overusing your body or mind.    Excessive Sleepiness makes you feel so tired that it ends up interfering with your daily life. Excessive sleepiness is often a sign you may have a sleep disorder that is keeping you from getting the sleep you need to function.  Treatment Since excessive sleepiness is not actually a condition, but a symptom, the best way to treat it is by determining the cause.  If being excessively sleepy is keeping you from daily tasks and affecting your work, relationship, or what you need to get done, call to schedule your visit with Dr. Bhat  (913) 221-6059.

SPAGHETTI WITH TURKEY-PESTO MEATBALLS This recipe is full of amazing things that will give your body tons of natural energy. Recipe Here!

Weekly Article This week we're going to look at excessive sleepiness.  We're starting with this great informative article we found and then we'll be talking more about what excessive sleepiness is, advice, tips, and more.  http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/115/6/1774

Stretches for Better Sleep Spinal Twist  Knee to Chest Back Stretch Reclining Hamstring Stretch Lying Side Quad Stretch Half Happy Baby Happy Baby Cobra Fish Butterfly

CPAP CPAP stands for  Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.  CPAP devices are the usual treatment recommended for sleep apnea.  A CPAP is a small box that works by using a quiet fan, humidification chamber, and filter to create the optimal relief to nasal passages during sleep.   The device delivers relief through flexible hosing and a mask.  The mask is key to how successful the device is for the patient and should be well fitted and comfortable.    Alternatives Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) Therapy Weight Loss if you are overweight Positional Therapy (Mild Cases) Surgery Acupuncture  Oral Appliance Therapy

Eat well, sleep well As we've discussed before, diet is a huge part of your health.  When you eat well you are healthier.  A great diet leads to better health and better sleep. What you eat can effect your sleep greatly, like when you eat sugary snacks to get you through the morning then by afternoon you're crashing.   Instead of reaching for those sugary snacks in the morning, start off with a great breakfast like this one!  Open-Faced Broiled Egg, Spinach, Tomato Sandwich Skip a drive-thru egg sandwich and make this easy-to-prepare one at home. (It uses hard-boiled eggs, so you don’t even have to soil a pan.) Spinach and tomatoes provide valuable vitamins and antioxidants; a fiber-filled whole wheat English muffin combined with protein in the egg helps you stay satiated through lunchtime. PREP TIME: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 13 minutes SERVINGS: 1 ½ whole wheat english muffin ¼ c fresh spinach, cooked and squeezed dry (about 4 ounces) 1 slice t

Weekly Article This week's article is about Sleep Apnea.  We will talk all about the sleep disorder and some great info about how to help cope.   https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-apnea 

Insomnia We've talked about insomnia over the past couple of days.  Many times people will go undiagnosed with a sleep disorder, feeling that they're just a light sleeper, or that they just don't need a lot of sleep to function.  The truth is that you do need sleep.  Your body cannot function correctly without enough sleep and it is very rare for a person to actually need under 7 to 8 hours of sleep.  Many common signs of insomnia are Fatigue Problems with attention, concentration or memory (cognitive impairment) Poor performance at school or work Moodiness or irritability Daytime sleepiness Impulsiveness or aggression Lack of energy or motivation Errors or accidents Concern or frustration about your sleep If you are suffering from any of these symptoms you should consider speaking with a sleep specialist.   Insomnia or Not? How do you know if it's insomnia keeping you up?  Sometimes it's not a disorder at all that keeps you up late at night

Nutrition Nutrition is one of the key parts of being healthy and keeping your body on track to get the sleep it needs.  Getting a good night's sleep involves so many factors including having a good diet.  This recipe is amazing if you are suffering from Insomnia. Berry Smoothie 1/4 cup frozen strawberries 1/4 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 cup spinach 1/2 banana A handful of walnuts 2 tbsp raw honey Why This smoothie is perfect for great sleep because it is full of tryptophan.  This is an amino acid that is perfect for helping you fall asleep.  When your body breaks down tryptophan is turned it into serotonin and melatonin and this helps your body start the sleep process. 

The Key to Understanding is Knowledge  When you are facing a sleep disorder the key to dealing this them is education.  You must do research, consult with doctors, a sleep specialist, and peers who are also dealing with your condition.   We're talking about Insomnia today.  Here is a great read that we found full of great information.  https://sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/content/what-is-insomnia Don't forget to come back tomorrow for our next blog!