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5 Foods That Will Help You Sleep at Night

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Sleep is essential for living a healthy life. Tossing and turning nonstop can lead to a variety of adverse health effects, such as an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among others. Sleeping disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, along with lifestyles that limit the amount of sleep you get per night, can cause you to feel groggy and irritable. Luckily, food might be your answer to catching some shuteye and sleeping peacefully at night. If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation, try one of these five foods below to help you get the rest your body deserves.

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Chocolate

What else is there to say? It’s sweet, delicious, and the best pick-me-up after a long day. While dark chocolate does contain caffeine, it also contains serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that’s responsible for helping you feel more relaxed and tired. If you’re counting sheep at night, try eating a chocolate sleep aid. Just make sure it’s dark chocolate and not milk chocolate! Milk chocolate doesn’t contain serotonin and can actually make you feel more awake.

Furthermore, dark chocolate has many attractive health benefits that make this the perfect treat to eat day and night. It is high in antioxidants, which aid in cognition and memory formation, and also help reduce the risk of heart disease! So eat the chocolate!

Chamomile

Herbal teas, such as chamomile, is a great drink to sip on before bedtime. Chamomile tea is proven to improve sleep quality. It contains apigenin, an antioxidant that is responsible for making you feel tired and can reduce insomnia. This study even found that those who drank chamomile tea before bedtime fell asleep 15 minutes faster than those who did not drink chamomile tea and reported fewer instances of waking up during the night.

chamomile tea

Along with the ability to whisk you away and into a solemn slumber, chamomile offers many additional benefits, such as:

●      Reduces symptoms of depression;

●      Improves skin health;

●      Boosts the immune system;

●      and Reduces inflammation that leads to diseases like cancer and heart disease!

Turkey

The fourth Thursday in November is one of the best days of the year. Why? Because it’s Thanksgiving! This means endless mounds of food, desserts, drinks, and conversations with friends, family, and loved ones. As you may know, turkey is often the centerpiece of every Thanksgiving Day meal, which means you’ve probably experienced the after-effects of eating turkey.

Have you ever realized how tired you were after indulging in your Thanksgiving meal? Filled tummies with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans? That’s because turkey contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which causes the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin to increase in production. This increase in melatonin will make you feel more tired and will reduce the chances of you waking up in the middle of the night. So, before bed, try making turkey sandwiches or a turkey loaf for dinner!

Kiwi

One of nature’s greatest candies are kiwis. Kiwis are a delicious and nutritious fruit that are packed with healthy vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin K. Additionally, they’re a great food to have if you’re having trouble sleeping! Packed with serotonin (just like dark chocolate) they help regulate your sleep cycle. Kiwis are also full of antioxidants, such as carotenoids and Vitamin C, which help reduce inflammation and promote sleep.

Along with these sleep-aiding benefits, kiwis also:

●      Improves digestion

●      Lowers cholesterol

●      Reduces inflammation

●      Fights heart disease

●      Clears out toxins

●      Lowers blood pressure

clock with nuts and veggies

Nuts

Tree nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, are also great foods to eat before bed to get some shuteye. Walnuts, in particular, are filled with the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. Additionally, walnuts house healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids that convert to DHA, which aids in the production of the sleep-enhancing chemical serotonin. Along with that, walnuts provide over 19 vitamins and minerals, making them an extremely healthy nut to snack on.

Almonds, like walnuts, can also help you sleep at night. Almonds, too, are filled with melatonin, which will turn your brain’s lights off to help you drift away to dreamland, and provide 19 percent of your daily needs of magnesium, which is thought to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia.

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Time for bed

If you’re struggling to sleep at night, try eating one of these five foods. However, if insomnia or other sleep disorders are keeping you up at night, it’s always recommended to see a doctor or specialist who can provide professional treatment.

Taking A Moment To Find Myself // My 3rd Postpartum Journey

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I needed this Mother’s Day in ways that I cannot even convey to you. Just Saturday, I was a broken down mother — exhausted from the grind, full of self-doubt and self-pity. But late Saturday evening, I purchased a pass to Balance + Brews at Royal Docks in Canton.

Balance + Brews is a group of local yoga teachers that do pop up classes in craft breweries throughout Northeast Ohio. I’ve been meaning to show up for a class for years, but there was always a reason I couldn’t make it. In fact, this time I almost self-sabotaged — I almost decided not to go because I was afraid of going alone. But I bought the ticket anyway. I committed.

And as I was driving down the highway completely alone, blasting music from my college days, I realized… I needed this. I honestly cannot tell you the last time I went further than Target (which is about a half mile) in the car without a child.

And then to have a meal completely alone? It just sealed the deal for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my children. But the weight of always being “on” has really taken a toll lately. It took me until Sunday to realize just how much I missed being with my most authentic self. And in those moments of screaming singing Thursday songs at the top of my lungs, I made a vow to make myself a priority. Starting now.

So to all of the mama’s out there who are struggling to find their new identity, I see you. If you can, go ahead and take a drive, blast that music, and remember who you are.

And Happy (Belated) Mother’s Day.

 

Mila Rose // 9 Months

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Here we goooo again! I thought for certain we would make it through this month without an illness. Isn’t that funny! I know, I should have known better.

So yeah. This 9-month update should have come to you a few days ago, but Meebs was in no position to have her picture taken. Ha!

Meebs  //

For those of you who are new around here, Meebs is the nickname for baby number three — Mila Rose. Her big sister, Remy, age 3, can’t manage to pronounce “Mila” so she says “Meeba.” The name Meeba has somehow turned into “Meebs” and now that’s generally what she is known as… by, like, everyone.

It’s funny and cute and weird, but totally normal to us. And I sometimes have to remind myself that people who don’t know us well aren’t familiar with this name (and find it strange, not surprisingly) and that I should just take a second to explain.

On The Move  //

My first child, Ari, was quick to pick up everything. From the bottle to crawling, then walking to talking — even potty training! — he just did it all early. Kind of odd for a boy (and first child), but I rolled with it.

The same cannot be said for my girls. Both have completely different infant temperaments, but they both seem to be taking their darn time at ‘big kid’ milestones. And I guess I’m just rolling with them, too.

Although I expected Meebs to start crawling before 8-months, it wasn’t until about 8-months and one week before she started doing her own little army crawl. And guys, this army crawl is unlike anything I’ve seen before! It’s a combination of an army crawl and a half-roll! It’s hilarious but effective!

Boob + Food  //

I’ve never been in any sort of hurry to start my babies on solids. We have always done a combination of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and purees but only began once we were certain that they were ready. And with all of the meal-making for the big kids, I was honestly in zero rush to sit and force another child to eat.

In the last month I’ve been giving her at least one jar of food every day, but oftentimes it ends up being 2 or 3. I kind of let her take the lead and tell me when she wants food. She makes it pretty clear when boob isn’t cutting it. But last night, for instance, she let me know that less than one jar of food was sufficient for dinner. And that’s absolutely fine with me.

Her favorite baby foods are pears, sweet potatoes, and oats. And, thus far, she hasn’t really spit out anything.

Weight + Height  //

Well, I was super excited to see her weight and height progression at her 9-month well child visit. Although she was born my ‘biggest’ and is my chunkiest baby, I knew she was still really small compared to the average. Her weight, coming in at a whopping 15 pounds 11 ounces, came as no shock to me (although, truthfully, I was hoping she would break the sixteen-mark!), as she is still fitting quite comfortably in most of her 3-6 month clothes. That puts her at 10th percentile for weight! — STILL my biggest percentile baby, can you believe that?!

I can’t remember her exact height, but she’s over 40th percentile for height. Makes sense considering those 3-6 month clothes are just starting to get a little short.

In the end, our pediatrician isn’t worried one bit. She’s exactly perfect and right on track with her siblings. She’s meeting all of her milestones (and has crazy good hand-eye coordination!) regardless of her tiny stature.

Health  //

We’re on a once-a-month illness schedule around here. I’m chalking it up to building her immune system — and I’m just grateful it has never been something truly serious. But just days ahead of turning 9-months, she got hit with yet another yucky cough, turned double-ear infection, turned bronchiolitis.

Again, not serious, but definitely not all that fun either. We had a couple of really bad days and nights battling a low-grade fever and fussiness, but no sooner was she diagnosed and put on an antibiotic did she start to show signs of improvement.

Just three more months  //

It’s hard to believe that we’ll be celebrating her first birthday in 3 months. I’m already (slowly) starting to plan an elaborate celebration (my very last babies first birthday, y’all!). But in the meantime, I’ll be over here crying over every teeny tiny milestone.

Also! I’m hosting a Giveaway for a 4-pack of tickets to Sesame Street Live! at the Wolstein Center this April 6th – 7th. The giveaway closes at 11:59 PM EST 3/27/2019, so head here to enter now.

Five Friday Favorites

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Things have been so busy around here, but I wanted to share a glimpse of 5 things I’m absolutely loving as of late.

1. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite fiction writers. When she first released Big Little Lies (which, it should be noted, is much better than the HBO adaptation) I was hooked on her suspenseful style of writing. This more recent novel is filled with the usual suspense and drama with a parental twist. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you’re already a fan of her work.

 

2. If I’m Being Honest with Katie Crenshaw

This podcast has been a refreshing take on taboo subjects. Each episode is an interview-style talk with someone with a story to tell, whether it be about a dad in prison for crimes against a minor, or being a psychic medium. Basically, super interesting subjects that are rarely discussed. Basically, I’m addicted.

 

3. Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System

Y’all, despite my best efforts, I’ve never been one to brew coffee at home. I’ve had a Keurig, I’ve had a Starbucks Verismo and a traditional coffee maker with a pot. But none of those really did it for me. I was drinking too much coffee to justify the pods of the Keurig and Verismo, but not enough back-to-back coffee to justify the pot (and I despise reheated coffee!).

Last Fall I snagged one of these Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve Makers and I fell in love with brewing my coffee at home! It uses just regular ground coffee with a reusable filter. It has an option for different sizes, bold brewing, and iced coffee brewing! Complete with a milk frother. Best invention ever!

 

4. Russian Doll on Netflix

I binge-watched the first season in 24-hours. And I want more! Natasha Lyonne is incredible in everything, but she really knocks this role out of the park.

Stuck in a ‘groundhog-day’ type scenario, she continues to relive (and die) repeatedly on her 35th birthday. She goes on a mission to figure out why and how to stop it while encountering another person going through the same thing.

It’s not as twisted as it sounds, but it’s certainly super interesting. I am already very excited about season 2.

 

5. Weight Watchers

For those of you who have been here a while, you might remember I did WW after Remy was born and had a decent amount of success. Truthfully, the only thing that thwarted my success was getting pregnant again, this time with Mila. So now that I’m 8 months postpartum, I’m finally ready to really step up my game. My body is regulating itself hormonally, Meebs is sleeping a decent amount, and our lives are adjusting as well as is possible.

Last week was my first week of sticking to Weight Watchers and I lost 5.8 pounds! That’s the biggest loss I’ve ever had on the program! Many credits are due to the program, but I also worked my butt off at the gym earning ‘fitness points’ and tracked my ‘food points’ religiously.

I love this program so much because — 1. It doesn’t require weighing in every day, just once a week! and 2. I’m able to still enjoy life and be social! During the last week, I had a glass of wine at night a couple of times, which made it feel like ‘normal’ versus a ‘diet.’

 

Okay, technically this is number 6 and she’s all mine, but I’m definitely loving this kid a lot lately.

Mila has been so fun lately and I just can’t stop staring at her in amazement. She’s nearly crawling, always smiling, and loves to laugh at her brother. She’s such a wonderful addition to our family and I couldn’t be happier to be her Mama. ♥ ♥

What

are you

loving lately!?

It’s Normal For Your Baby To Wake at Night

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When I first became a mom nearly 7 years ago, I felt completely lost. I came home from the hospital and expected my baby to act like a ‘normal’ baby — you know, the babies that all of the moms are posting on their Facebook pages about? So when that didn’t happen, I was distraught. I vividly remember calling my friend Sarah and crying. Crying about the adjustment and crying about the fact that no one told me just how hard it would be.

See, my first baby did not sleep through the night. Nor did my second. Nor does my third. And despite what my Facebook friends would have me believe, it is absolutely normal for your baby to wake in the middle of the night.

I repeat — it is normal for your baby to wake up in the middle of the night!

For those moms in the back, your baby is normal!

I wish someone would have told me that the highlight reel I was viewing on Facebook was the extraordinary rather than the ordinary. Instead, I was inundated with “I can’t believe so-and-so has slept through the night since day 1! I’m so #blessed!” It left me feeling entirely defeated. I truly thought my baby was defective.

The highlight reel of social media left me feeling defeated. I thought my baby was defective because he didn't sleep through the night. Click To Tweet

But, it turns out, he was normal. He just wanted to eat and be held, as all newborns do. In fact, according to research, only 57% of babies stay asleep for 8-hours straight by one year of age.¹

Let’s break that down for a second — because babies go to sleep early. My own have always been put to bed at 7:30 PM. Eight hours from 7:30 PM is 3:30 AM. So at some point, if my baby goes to bed at 7:30 PM, they are still waking up in the middle of the night. Even if they go to sleep at 9:30 PM, that’s still a 5:30 AM wake-up call. And that’s only roughly half of newborns!

So for those of us with babies that wake to feed or be comforted in the middle of the night? That’s a 1:00 AM wake-up…. and/or 3:00 AM… and/or 5:00 AM. And lack of sleep can make even the not-so-hormonal people just a tad bit crazy.

Here I am, at 8 months with baby number three, and I can confidently say I somehow survived the deepest, darkest moments of sleep deprivation. I was not a “hashtag blessed” mom with my babies sleep. I was the opposite. I struggled. I cried. I, GASP!, even screamed.

But I also have spoken out about my struggles. And when I did, something magical happened. I learned that many others struggled with getting their babies to sleep at night. I breathed a collective sigh of relief. It may be a little true that misery loves company, but there is also a mutual support and understanding that comes with this kind of misery. The solidarity of knowing that I wasn’t on this journey alone was enough to really push me through.

So, Mama, I see you.

I know your struggles. I know you’re trying. I know you cry. And I absolutely know you’ll make it through.

In the meantime, if you need someone to talk to, to vent to, or to cry to… I am here.

 

 

¹Uninterrupted Infant Sleep, Development, and Maternal Mood

 

28 Years Later // Remembering a Tragedy

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Twenty-eight years ago our lives changed forever. While we all have our own memories of that night, my own are still incredibly vivid — and certainly helped shape me into the adult I am today.

You see, 28 years ago, on MLK day, my younger sister and I were sitting in the living room watching TV. We had just finished eating dinner and we were on the couch in our pajamas. I was only 6. My little sister was not yet 4. The phone rang and my parents answered it from their bedroom down the hall. What I heard next were blood-curdling screams of my mother.

I remember my sister and I running back to their bedroom, terrified. What we saw were both of our parents hysterically crying. We both began crying as well. We had never seen our parents crying before and this was all so very scary. We didn’t know what was going on, but we were both very afraid.

Shortly thereafter, we were driven down to our neighbors’ house. We knew our parents had to go somewhere and that they wouldn’t be home for the rest of the night. We spent half of our childhoods at our neighbors home, playing with their two children of similar ages, but this was the first time I did not want to be there. I was scared.

The next morning I went to school, where I was met with condolences of teachers and school administration. I still had no idea what had happened.

I’m honestly not sure who told me what happened. At some point during that school day, someone had told me.

My maternal grandfather was shot and killed the night before.

The next several years of my life were filled with a sort of grief that no child of that age should have to deal with. Having the trauma of your first experience with death be that of murder was excruciating. I didn’t understand how or why someone would do this. And I spent the rest of my childhood acutely aware that (in my 6-year-old words) “bad things are happening in the world and I don’t understand how other kids are so happy all of the time.”

Now, 28-years-later, it amazes me that on top of my mothers’ grief, she also had to deal with two very traumatized children. She was not even yet 30 herself! Three men stole her father from her life far too soon for no reason other than a carjacking gone wrong.

I have the clarity now that only time can provide. Occasionally the whole family will discuss the memories of the details of that awful night — each of my moms 6 brothers and sisters and all of my cousins have varying stories of what we remember in the immediate aftermath. But time also truly does heal. And, although I’ve found forgiveness for the act itself, I still do not forgive them for stealing my innocence and causing a tremendous amount of anxiety.

While today I’ve been thinking about that horrible night, for the rest of the 364 days of the year, I think only of his memory — of his laugh, his smile, his warmth, and his love. The other 364 days, I remember my grandfather, not the tragedy. ♥ ♥