Parenting Advices

Set The Mood.

An environment conducive to sleep is very important. Lower the temperature a few degrees and dim the lights. I highly recommend upgrading your beddings to sheets with a 600 to 1000 thread count –it’s like sleeping on silky butter—and investing in an ergonomic pillow. You may also use a linen spray with pure essential oils, not artificial fragrances, which trigger our brains to help the body relax.

Drink Milk.

Have you ever observed how happily babies doze off after having their fill of milk? As adults, we can likewise benefit from drinking milk, even the skimmed kind, to help us sleep better. Milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, long known to help induce sleep. Avoid alcohol, which can knock you out into a superficial, disturbed sleep that leaves you barely rested.

Do Not Stimulate.

Baby experts warn us against stimulating babies close to bedtime, a good practice that we can carry on as adults. While watching TV or reading newspapers helps us wind down, doing this too close to bedtime can actually rouse our senses. Instead, choose easy bedside reading materials. Leave work-related materials outside your room.

Have A Sleep-Time Routine.

Nothing knocks my baby out better than a warm bath which lowers the body temperature. Have a warm shower, give yourself a relaxing self-massage, or slip into your most comfortable clothes. You can even put on soft music to lull you to sleep. Do this night after night, preferably at the same time, to prepare your mind and body for sleep. We are creatures of habit. Conditioning our minds and bodies through a sleep-time routine will help ensure that we get our much-needed seven to eight hours of shuteye.

Take Naps.

As children, we were asked to take naps to refresh our energy and avoid fussiness in the evening due to over-exhaustion. Research has now shown that these restorative naps are not only for the young. Adults benefit from taking a nap break in the middle of the day. You may be surprised how these power naps, if kept to a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes so as not to disturb our natural sleep-wake cycles, enhance the quality of our waking hours and, consequently, our sleeping hours.

In today’s urban jungle, towers of glass, metal, and concrete house a thriving and bustling populace. People scurry about at a dizzying pace like insects. It’s a fast-paced world we live in and admittedly, it can get crazy. For many urban dwellers who want to unwind and de-stress, going back to nature is at the top of their list. This usually means a trip outside the metro where plants still grow abundantly and one can get a lungful of smog-free air. It is undeniable that there is something about Mother Nature that soothes and heals a weary soul and body.

Green Therapy

As much as we want to retreat to a distant green sanctuary when our stress levels go up, it isn’t always a viable option. So, for a quick dose of green therapy, head on to the nearest park, or better yet, create your very own garden. A lush patch greeting you when you get home is just the ticket to ease some of the tension brought about by a long day. Just the sight of a well-tended garden with a display of wonderful colors and the amount of oxygen that the plants exude can soothe the nerves and the eyes of a tired individual. The rocks and boulders can provide meditative attention to someone who is enjoying the premises of the garden. If walking into or even just having a view of a garden is already calming, just imagine the benefits of growing your own plot of green. Stress starts to melt away the moment you step into a garden. The vivid plant colors are a pleasant sight for sore eyes. A whiff of floral scents floating in the air instantly puts one at ease. Hearing the sound of flowing water and touching the earth relaxes tense muscles and calms the mind.

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