 Tears, meltdowns, clinginess…and that’s just the parents! Jokes aside this is a really tough time for lots of little ones. There is a million things you can do but one basic one that gets frequently missed is sleep. Super basic and incredibly important for our ability to emotionally regulate. Any sleep deprived parent will be able to tell of heightened emotions of some sort. Our little ones are absolutely no different. The only difference is they don’t have the maturity to know that one influences the other…plenty of time to work that out! to edit. A number of studies have linked a lack of sleep to anxiety and mood disorders. As science discovers more we have explanations for so many things- sleep loss and irritablilty, teariness, inability to control anger, depression…the list goes on. Some of it is chicken and egg stuff but a good night’s sleep will help regardless. Here’s a basic idea of how much sleep kids need: Age Recommend hours of sleep 2-5 years 10-13 hours 6-13 years 9-11 hours 14-17 years 8-10 hours That is a LOT of sleep! If your 5 year old goes to bed at 8pm then the earliest they should wake is 6 or 7am. Your 8 year old for example, goes to bed at 8.30am and they will be waking at around 6.30am. Don’t forget to account for time to get to sleep. Not all kids fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow. I know I’m not the only one with kids that go to the loo 4 times after getting into bed and get up for at least one drink! That can go on for more than an hour… I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty. I ask my clients to ditch the mother guilt at the door. This is about knowledge because once we know we can do something about it. Lots of these tips apply to parents as well so pay attention- sleep can become a family project! Sweet slumber tips:
Weirdly, sleep begets sleep. That is the more good quality sleep you have the more you will get. And lots of sleep helps our wee ones regulate their emotions that much better…I’m not going to guarantee no tears but giving your kids the best opportunity to sleep you possibly can is giving them a stable base for the day. References https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/child-sleep-zzzs/201805/how-much-sleep-are-children-getting https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/sleep-disorders https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood https://psychcentral.com/news/2013/06/27/sleep-loss-increases-anxiety-especially-among-worriers/56531.html https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/files/pdfs/Sleep-Needs-Across-Lifespan.pdf Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist.
Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation. Information is generally in nature and nothing said on this website is intended as a diagnosis and should not be taken as such. Always seek medical advice in emergencies.
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 What used to be a hidden condition, often referred to as ‘the change’, and more or less whispered about like a venereal disease, is now being spoken about openly. Thank goodness for that as roughly 50% of the world’s population happen to be female. I know! I’m so grateful for stats or we’d never have known. Can you see me rolling my eyes? The time that causes the most havoc is perimenopause. It’s like a cross over period between fertility and menopause. Menopause literally means a pause in menstruation or periods. And we can blame hormones. We love to blame hormones! But in this case, it’s true. In perimenopause we have oestrogen bouncing up and down as the ovaries start winding up business. Progesterone also starts to decline and other female hormones drop in this time also.
Oestrogen seems to be the culprit for most of our distress, however. And that’s good because there is a lot we can do about that to ease the transition. Diet is the first and easiest support so let’s go there. Oestrogen is unstable at this time so we can help support stable levels by ingesting phytooestrogens. Phyto-whatchas? These are simply plant based oestrogens. You can’t over consume these as a food source- I guess you could if you were really giving it a red hot go but I’ve not seen any one overdose on veg and fruit yet sooo…. Although these foods have phyto-oestrogens they create oestrogen regulation rather than just adding oestrogen.
Another thing to consider is that during our child-bearing years oestrogen has a protective quality for our bones. Once it starts to decline our bone density can also start to decline so there is an added need for calcium in the diet. Although dairy is a great source of calcium, I love my clients to get it from many varied sources.
It’s pretty important to mention that caffeine ie coffee can leach calcium from the bones so women need to avoid it in peri-menopause and menopause- sorry! And as a last couple of tips…minimise the hot flushes by working out what sets them off. Sometimes it’s a hot drink or a spicy meal. Keep a diary and you might be surprised. If vaginal dryness is an issue and you want to keep it natural, I strongly suggest coconut oil! Best ever lubricant. Too much information? Oh well! You can thank me later! Or wild yam cream is excellent too as it is a phytoestrogen for the vagina. Have I covered everything? Probably not but I hope that it brings you some relief. Remember diet is not the end of natural treatments to ease the symptom of peri-menopause and menopause. There is lots more so if you are still struggling check in with your natural health care provider.
The all elusive good night's sleep! It's not a one trick wonder but often something we need to work at. Sleep hygeine is such a weird term but basically like a clean house it's a constant effort. You can't clean it once and it stays that way (at least not in my house). It is, however, essential to sleep initiation aka getting to sleep!  How to clean it up!
 I wouldn't be doing my job is I didn't mention at least one homeopathic! For trouble getting to sleep Coffea has been traditionally used. If you think of the buzz coffee gives you this is the kind of sleepless you are. More used for sleep initiation than waking in the middle of the night it is the constant thoughts of the day turning round, the slightly energised feel that something else needs to be done, an inability to settle...coffee is a social drug after all! So much to be done but remember that even with all these things in place there may be other reasons why sleep is still elusive. Hormones, thyroid, stress, anxiety and/or depression can all cause sleep disturbance amongst other things so please get it checked out! Disclaimer: Homeopathy is a traditional medicine.The TGA considers Homeopathy a low risk medicine. It may be used in conjunction with other medicines. For any ongoing chronic condition, it is important to be assessed or examined by your healthcare professional or specialist.
Information given here is in no way intended to take the place of advice from your chosen healthcare professional or specialist. Any examples given from the authors life do not indicate that the remedy in question will work for everyone in every instance. They are used solely to illustrate the use the medicine in a practical situation. Information is generally in nature and nothing said on this website is intended as a diagnosis and should not be taken as such. Always seek medical advice in emergencies.  This has got to be the number one thing that pops up in the clinic regardless of what they come in for. I rarely get someone say 'I sleep really well! Solid 8hrs every night- wake feeling great!'. It's an elusive dream for most. I can't give you a miracle cure but I can share a tip that I recently came across. Gelatin. Hang in there! Let me explain. Gelatin contains lots of amino acids that make up proteins. Some our bodies can make, some it can't. Glycine is made by our bodies but that doesn't mean we can't give it a boost when times are tough. Amongst a host of uses, glycine increases seratonin which is one of those lovely hormones that regulates sleep and mood.  Like all the whacky stuff I suggest to clients, I trial it on myself. Some works, some...let's just say I don't pass on everything I try! But so far this one is a keeper! Not only is it relatively cheap and ridiculously easy, there are a host of other reasons to eat gelatin. It's great for the gut! It soothes inflammation and seals the gut. It's a great source of protein and all those amino acids can go toward repairing muscle, tendon, ligament and cartilage damage. There's research to show it helps build lean muscle and supports the liver. You can't loose! Here's the detail. The research uses 3g of glycine which is roughly 15g of gelatin. Try and source an organic, grass fed gelatin to avoid anything extra that may leach out of the bones or cartilage during the making of the gelatin. The down side is...it's rather a lot of gelatin you need to consume before bed. About one hour before bed stir about 1.5-2 tablespoons of gelatin into hot tea. That gives you approximately the 3g of glycine you need. A nice sleepy time or chamomile tea is lovely. It does have a slight earthy flavour be warned! And don't let it go cold or you'll be eating sleepy jelly. Other than that....Eat, drink, sleep...Good night!  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02181.x
https://aminoacidsguide.com/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x  Often Bowen Therapy is thought about when we injure our muscles, tendons and ligaments but what about an injured nervous system? A nervous system that has pumped adrenalin for so long it is now fatigued? What about that? What can Bowen do for that? LOTS! There is a lot Bowen can do for the nervous system! Why treat my nervous system?While Bowen works on soft tissue, fascia, tendons and ligaments it also works on the autonomic nervous system. 'Auto' meaning it automatically controls 80% of the daily processes our body does without us consciously having to tell it to. Check out the list!
The nervous system has 2 states. Sympathetic, otherwise known as fight and flight, and parasympathetic, aka rest and repair. It is in rest and repair that all our repair work takes places. It allows food to be digested, cells to divided and rebuild and healing to occur. In theory we should spend most of our day in this state! In practice, in this day and age....we spend more time in flight or fight than is fair to our bodies!  Bowen is the reminder your body needs to turn off, relax and get that repair work done! Look after your nervous system and watch as your health falls into place. What can Bowen do?During a Bowen treatment your therapist is able to address the whole body. By doing this the nervous system is relaxed. While it's soft tissue, connective tissue and fascia that the moves are made over the nerves are also activated. The brain gets the message that tension is being held here and there and seeks to release it. When your therapist hears a tummy rumble or a little snore they get very excited! Why? Because they are doing their job! They have successfully brought your nervous system into rest and repair and it is here that the healing begins. Clients often report a deep sleep the night after a Bowen treatment. Many people drift into sleep on the table, some snore (not always quietly). Almost all report a deep sense of relaxation and peacefulness as they slide off the table. So...stressed and overwhelmed? Come in for a Bowen and get back to rest and repair!  references
http://www.bowtech.com/WebsiteProj/Pages/About/AboutBowtech.aspxreferences http://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/autonomic-nervous-system-disorders/overview-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system  You’ve had a great Bowen session and feeling good! Of course you want to resume all your normal activities because you feel fine. Bowen has worked its magic so off you go and do that work out or go for that run…WRONG!
If, instead, you follow the guidelines below you’ll be encouraging your body to adjust itself back to a natural unstressed position of painlessness. And this is how you want it to be. Yes?
And of course there's more! I know you love your massage but…any other body work eg massage of any sort, lymphatic drainage, chiropractic work etc will also interrupt the Bowen. This includes another Bowen session within 5 days! Bowen instigates a self-healing process in the body and this takes place over 5-10 days. Any modality that manipulates the muscles or skeletal structure will interrupt the Bowen. If you’ve committed to getting Bowen treatment let the Bowen work. The other modalities are awesome too but one at a time folks! Chat with your therapist if you’re not sure. One more thing to remember to get the best out of your Bowen! Don’t use hot or cold packs on your injury while receiving Bowen treatment. I know the wheat pack feels great but it will absolutely interrupt the Bowen. The Bowen session you had 2 days ago is still acting! And it will continue to do so for 5-10 days…let it do its work!  “But when can I run/workout/ride etc again?” Ahhhhh….the big question on everyones lips…It is a process of reintroducing your usual exercise routine slowly. If you were recovering from the flu chances are you wouldn’t start off with a big work out or even anything strenuous. The same applies here. Your body is recovering and repairing. Listen to it! By taking 2-3 weeks to recover you can prevent further injury or prolonged recovery. Frustrating I know but that’s how it works.
And the golden rule- if you’re not sure ask your Bowen therapist! Put their card on your fridge and ring/text/email them.
Get the best from your Bowen and enjoy the results! Love and laughter til next week! Sarah  Of course Bowen for babies! It's non invasive and oh so very gentle. NO manipulation, no pushing and pulling just very gentle, rolling moves while being held by the mum or dad (or whoever brings bubba in). It can be used on babes straight from the womb. Birth is a beautiful thing but the trip down the birth canal is a cracker! If the birth has been a bit trickier and a ventouse or forceps used then definitely consider a quick trip to your Bowen therapist. It's a very quick treatment for a wee bub. A couple of quick Bowen moves could make all the difference...
So what's wrong with my baby???? NOTHING! Nothing is wrong. But if bub is having trouble from feed from one side or even just has a preference a couple of Bowen moves might just help sort things out (and maybe prevent mum getting mastitis on one side). Are you concerned that bub has colic and/or is projectile vomiting? Yep Bowen may help. Is your babe unsettled or distressed generally? A few Bowen moves may settle bub down. Honestly, as a mother of 4 I wish I'd had some of these things offered to me! So, I would like to make a permanent offer at my clinic. All babies under the age of 6mths can be treated with Bowen for FREE. It's a small offering but I hope that many of you will take it up. Just give me a call so I can slot you in. Having a baby is utterly wonderful. Let yourself enjoy it. I hope to see you soon! Love and laughter til I write again! Sarah
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AuthorHello, hello! Welcome to my blog. I'm Sarah the creator of Simply Healing. Archives
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