10 Tips to Get a Better Night's Sleep

Do you often have trouble with falling asleep, or waking up during the night, and then have trouble getting up in the morning? Lack of sleep, (or in more extreme cases - insomnia) can bring on a variety  of undesirable symptoms.

Symptoms of Sleep Loss or Sleep Deprivation

• You wake up exhausted, feeling "hungover" or spacey
• You are sleepy, sluggish or drowsy during the day
• You are unable to think clearly or accomplish tasks efficiently
• You feel "tired all the time"
• You are often irritable, angry, depressed or anxious, for no
  particularly good reason

Lack of sleep can cause your immune system to become compromised because the body has not had enough time to heal and rejuvenate itself. As a result you are more likely to succumb to seasonal

infections and take longer to recuperate from illnesses.

Sleep Tips to Incorporate into Your Life to Help You Get a Good
Night's Sleep

1. Sleep only at night.  Taking naps during the day will only make you less tired in the evening.
2. Get on a consistent sleep/wake-up schedule. Get up at the same time on weekends as you do during the week.  This will help your body to develop a natural sleep rhythm.
3. Exercise during the morning or daytime. Exercise in the evening does not help your body to relax.
4. Try taking a hot bath or shower before bedtime to help relax you.
5. Keep the bedroom slightly cooler.
6. Read a light novel or listen to soft music to help you unwind and relax.
7. Don't eat a big meal within two hours of going to bed. Instead, eat light, and choose food with a high content of L-tryptophan. Tryptophan helps the body to produce seratonin which is a hormone that the brain releases for a calming effect. Food such as shrimp, turkey, tuna, chicken, salmon, asparagus, cheese, eggs, kale, whole wheat, black beans, kidney beans and pumpkin seeds contain high levels of L-tryptophan. You can also try L-Tryptophan supplements in 1000-1500mg doses for the same result.
8. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and sugar within 2 hours of bedtime. These are all stimulants.( Contrary to popular belief, alcohol will not help you to seep better, as it wears off it puts your body in a very restless state.)  Instead try drinking Valerian tea. The Valerian root has been used for hundreds of years as a medicinal herb to treat anxiety and insomnia. It will not leave you groggy or foggy feeling in the morning. Use it daily for 2-4 weeks for best results.
9. Try taking Vitamin B3 (niacin) about 20 minutes before bedtime. Take between 100 and 500 mg. It may give you a warm tingly feeling (niacin flush) which will subside quickly. If it bothers you, lower the dosage a little. You can also purchase no flush niacin supplements.
   
10. Sleep in silence and complete darkness.  Your body will produce more melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone if you keep the room as dark as possible. If you have an alarm clock with a bright face, turn it to the wall or, even better, cover it with something so that there is no light in the room. If you wake up at night you won't know what time it is, which can make it harder to fall back to sleep, knowing how soon you have to get up. You can also try taking a
    melatonin supplement (3-6 mg) about an hour before bedtime.

Finally if you are a person who may or may not have had a good night's sleep, but hate being jarred awake by a blaring alarm clock, consider looking into a Light Therapy wake-up lamp. It wakes you in a natural way with light that increases gradually, providing a more pleasant and natural way to wake up in the morning. The Wake Up Light simulates the sunrise to help you face the morning with a better mood and energy level. It also has a power down mode that you can use before bedtime to simulate nightfall. That should help you get a better night's sleep as well.

Natural Sleep Remedy - Raw or Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Improve your Quality of Sleep - A Natural Home Sleep Remedy

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night in spite of being tired? Or do you wake up during the night?  Lack of sleep over an extended period of time not only affects your mental health and cognitive abilities, but also wears on your physical health as well.

Sleep Better Naturally

A natural solution to sleep disorders is clearly a better choice for your health than over the counter or prescription drugs.

Roasted Pumpkin Crostini Recipe

Halloween has past but its still Pumpkin season. Pumpkins have more value and uses than just being a happy, or scary, face for trick-or-treaters. The flesh of this member of the squash family  can be boiled, baked, steamed, pureed, mashed or cubed and roasted. And they are a healthy vegetable as well.  So look for a small pumpkin in your grocery store labeled "cooking", and give some different pumpkin recipes a try.

This Roasted Pumpkin Crostini Recipe makes a great little appetizer before a holiday meal.  I served it to the "football fans" in my house while they were watching the games this weekend and it was a hit.

The pumpkin and goat cheese are both healthy and vegetarian. I will list the nutritional benefits at the end of this post.

Strawberry Mango Banana Smoothie with White Tea

Strawberries, mangoes, and bananas top the list of my favorite fruits. Here is an excellent replacement for a breakfast that might be too carb-heavy or too time consuming. You can fix this smoothie quickly before leaving for work in the morning. With the added Greek yogurt, this delicious  smoothie is packed with antioxidants and protein. It  both fills you up and provides an energy boost. This smoothie recipe has enough natural sugars to wake you up, as well as protein and fiber to sustain you til you break for a healthy mid-morning snack.

(The best Greek Yogurt EVER)

Brown Rice Pasta with Eggplant Recipe

Since I seem to be hooked on eggplant these days, (it seems I go through phases on having favorite things to eat, and then I tire of them and move on to a new temporary favorite) I was on a mission to find another dish in which to use eggplant.  Eggplant Parmesan is my all-time favorite but is very labor intensive, and I wanted something a little less so.

I came across this recipe in an old Cooking Light Magazine, and as usual, made a few changes to it to suit what I had on hand.

Eggplant Mini Pizzas

On my weekly grocery shopping excursion, I always try to stick to my usual shopping list, which consists mainly of fresh vegetables, fruit and  whole wheat pastas and breads. I always search, though, for something a little different as well. This time the eggplants looked especially nice, so I got one. The next day I  realized there was no way I was going to have time to make Eggplant Parmesan. I decided to get creative and came up with these Eggplant Mini Pizzas. I think these would be a great healthy item for kids too, and they might even enjoy helping to make them.

Best Childrens Laptop Computers - Educational Toys for Toddlers

Educational Toys for Toddlers -  Best Childrens Laptop Computers

I am convinced that children can start learning reading, writing phonics, and the like much sooner than society allows them. Granted, I'm not saying kids should be sent off to school sooner than we do, but I am saying that the time they are still at home could be used to allow them to advance more quickly, and be ahead of the game when they do enter school. I also think that with the importance of computers in the world these days, it is equally important to introduce children to computers at an early age as well.

Alaskan Crab Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado

I found this Alaskan Crab Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado Recipe in a local grocery store magazine. It was originally posted in FoodandWine.com.  It is healthy, light, and refreshing. I made some changes to the original, as noted.

Honey Mango Smoothie Recipe - Yes, Another One!

Here's another yummy Mango Smoothie I whipped up the other day with variations to one I posted a few months ago. I made this one without my usual addition of plain low fat Greek yogurt, so maybe it could be classified more officially as a slushy  but, call it what you will, it was delicious, very refreshing, and low in calories.

Honey Mango Smoothie Recipe:

Basil Pesto Veggie Wrap Recipe - My Favorite Lunch

This Pesto Veggie Wrap is a great refreshing, light recipe for lunch or even dinner, especially appealing for a hot day. Healthy, and low in calories you could even eat two of these for dinner and would not be going overboard on calorie intake, as long as you've been practical about your other meals that day.  I love this wrap, but knew I had really created a winner when I served it to a bachelor friend of mine who is normally a meat lover.

Successful Deer Repellent Solution

I think I've found a winning combination of tactics to keeping the deer from eating my plants and flowers!

In a previous post I was venting that the deer had made a meal out of my hostas, newly planted impatiens, and daylilies, and had asked if anyone had some suggestions for solutions. A well-meaning (?) Facebook friend suggested a gun. Not a reasonable solution. I went on search for a better alternative as I had just ordered 50 day lily plants from Smokey's DayLily Gardens, and was not looking forward to losing my investment.

Kiwi, Banana, Honey Mango Smoothie Recipe

Here's a great fruit smoothie recipe that requires no extra sweetener, and is therefore low-calorie in addition to it being healthy and delicious!

The beginning of June and it's already July-hot and August-humid out. After a 20 minute bike ride today and then going straight into the Ab Ripper X workout DVD from P90X, I was hot and sweaty (or perhaps "perspiring" is the proper ladylike term).  After drinking a big glass of water, I still wanted something else to reward myself, so I decided to whip up a smoothie, and relax for a few minutes.