The fall class schedule is alive and well! Register before July 15th and save 10% when you enter “EarlyBird2010” at checkout. Class numbers are limited and these will fill up quickly. Just saying! Also Monday means a new contest! Read below for your chance to win! Hint: Yippee for beauty sleep!
Sleep is perhaps one the most important things for our health. There are so many reasons we should get lots, and so few of us do. Of all the things we can do for our health, this really should be at the top of our list and we don’t do it nearly enough. Here are my top five reasons why sleep is my fave health promoting activity:
- You don’t actually have to do anything
- You get to do it either naked or in your PJs- my two favourite outfits
- You get to be unconscious and let your body do all the work for you
- You get to lie down and be comfortable
- You get to share this activity with the one you love the most
So why aren’t we getting enough sleep? I have no idea. I do know that in the summer months it can be a bit more difficult to get quality sleep. We sleep best when the temperature is slightly cool, and when the room is totally dark. With the sun setting later, we tend to eat later which can disrupt our sleep. And with the sun rising earlier, we tend to rise earlier which may shorten our normal sleep duration.
My solution: the cutest sleeping mask your ever did see courtesy of Bonnie Oman at BibBon.etsy.com. (Find out how you can win one below).
How can a good night’s sleep boost our health?
- Boost immune function
- Boost concentration
- Promote weightloss
- Promote healthy hormone balance and thyroid function
- Promote more stable mood
- Promote craving control
- Promote cuddling with your spouse, partner and/or lover
Meghan’s Top Five Tips for Great Sleep
1. Eat loads of foods that promote sleep:
- Chlorophyll-rich foods, such as leafy and green vegetables, steamed or boiled.
- Fruits, such as mulberries and lemons, which calm the mind.
- Whole grains boost serotonin, which promotes better sleep.
- Chia seeds have a sedative effect.
- Have a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed, calms down your digestive system, and relieves muscle tension.
2. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
3. Keep your bedroom as dark and as quiet as possible.
4. Avoid alcohol, sugar, caffeine and ciggies late in the day and into the night. Hello stimulant
5. Sexify!
Sleep rituals are also handy, dandy and your computer and/or television should never join in the boudoir. The bedroom should be reserved for sleeping and loving. I am also a big fan of foot massages, back massages, dimming the lights and perhaps a little inhale of lavender. Warning: these may lead to point 5 above.
Of course darkness is key! Keep is dark in your room or better still, keep your windows wide open and darken your eyes with a sastastik sleep mask!
Question of the Day: What is your fave nightly ritual?
Win An Eye Mask From Bonnie Oman at BibBon.etsy.com
Darken your sleep and sleep better! Don’t all pounce at once!
You can enter to win muchas timos by taking on the following tasks. Some worth 1 entry, some worth 5!
- Enter a comment below sharing your fave bedtime ritual.
- Mention the contest on your blog and post a link here for 5 entries!
- Follow me on Twitter for one entry
- Join my Facebook Group for one entry
- Visit BibBon.etsy.com and declare what pattern you love best (no guarantees, if you win that you will receive this pattern but we want to know just in case we can do it for you)
Summer Recipe Guest Blogging Contest
The search is on for the best summer recipes! What is your favourite summer dessert recipe? Send it along to hello (at) meghantelpner (dot) com with a brief tale of how you developed, when you first made, where you found it etc. in 500 words or less, and even better, with a photo and if we choose it to post on the blog, a guest blogger you will be! Summer guest posts will be featured throughout the summer, with voting and winning in August. No chance of winning if you don’t get in the game!
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Part of my night time settling routine started when we renovated our bedroom Jan ’09.
1. The tv got removed. The bedroom is a place for sleeping and sleeping only. This way when I get into bed my body knows what’s next, instead of expecting to stay awake & watch the late night news.
2. The bed is almost always made in the morning (thank you hubby), so the bed is nice and warm.
3. Get out workout clothes if an am workout is scheduled for the morning.
4. Settling routines start at 10pm, that way lights are out by 10:30.
5. A kiss and I love you’s are always exchanged before we go to fall alseep.
~ M ~
Chamomile tea before bed is a must for me! I usually curl up on the couch to catch the 10 pm news and sip. If I’m lucky, I can get a foot rub while I’m at it! And if I’m still not quite relaxed, I find reading a little (non-suspenseful) fiction before going into the bedroom will knock me out.
Andrea- I feel like a chamomile tea and the nightly news would kind of cancel each other out
News at night gives me nightmares.
Miranda- #5 is the best for sure!
I drink chamomile tea and take natural calm with magnesium:-)cc
I have an evening primrose tea or decaf earl grey. Then off to bed! If I do not have my tea I am assured of a lousy night.
I am a follower on Twitter as AutumnScamper
I am a group member on Facebook
I would love either the Monkey or In the Treetops….do you sense a theme?
Thanks!
I put a few drops of essential oils on my pillow, enjoy a nice cup of herbal tea (always have different ones, depending on what i feel), and after my tea I do some deep breathing. Sometimes a bath is in there too.
I do Yoga in the evening 1-2 times per week. Have the best night sleeps on those nights ;o)
Gotta love yoga!
What’s your fave oil? I always go for lavender.
I love lavender on its own……but i also have a blend with lavender, ginger, ylang ylang, eucalyptus and a few others. It is a really nice blend ;o)
ylang is my personal fave. also have a soft spot for jasmine
The one thing that will always have me asleep in a matter of minutes is curling up next to my beau and snuggling in for a good sleep!
The BibBon shop is adorable!!! I really like the Silk Luxury Eye Mask in Modern Paisly, not an easy decision though!!
Great taste Kendall!
POSTED LINK ON FACEBOOK AND MY BLOG ;O)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=265149695973#!/pages/Vaughan-ON/Jamie-Langlois-Registered-Nutritionist/265149695973
http://jamiesnourishingbites.blogspot.com/2010/07/trouble-sleeping.html
Sitting outside with my herbal night-time tea!
I have a big glass of water before I go to bed. Yes, this means I will have to get up a pee in the middle of the night, but I never get enough during the day, and I like knowing that I’m hydrated so my body can do what it needs to while I sleep
I make sure my bladder is as empty as possible before I go to bed. If I end up with a full bladder in the middle of the night I toss and turn until I finally wake up to pee, and then it can be a bit difficult to fall asleep.
I also find that doing a charka clearing meditation before bed helps me sleep better, and wake up feeling more refreshed.
Metta- would love to know more about the chakra meditation, as I’m sure others would too. Care to share?
I keep meaning to start a “good” nightly ritual. Right now mine goes something like this – finally get kids asleep by nine, sit down and have our grown up supper. Then enjoy the silence for a couple of hours by emailing/surfing/watching tv. Force myself to do the dishes and get lunch ready for the next day. Fall into bed way later than expected, too tired to take off my make up, and curse myself for not having an organized nightly routine. And forget the “sexify” part!!! lol
One of my favourite bedtime rituals is turning out the lights and chatting with my husband. I love hearing his childhood stories!
Love that!
My favorite bedtime ritual is wigging each body part, one at a time, and then letting my body rest.
Also I love “Bamboo Eye Mask with Little Birds and Blossoms.”
[...] a better sleep? Visit Meghan Telpner’s blog for your chance to win a gorgeous eye mask from Bonnie Oman at [...]
No truer words spoken! I went to bed early last night and got a deep and delicious 9.5 hrs of sleep and woke up feeling like a new person…er, maybe like an improved version of myself
Linked your contest to my blog here – http://bodybynature.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/oh-honey-honey/
My fave night time ritual is turning down the lights, getting into bed and just talking with my hubby. Night time, and especially after we’ve put the boys to bed, is really our only time to catch up without anyone needing anything from us. It’s just a nice way to unwind.
I follow you on twitter @easyecotogo
I’m a fan on fb
I love listening to talk radio at a certain frequency. I find that certain personalities voices are so lulling and calm me down. I used to read a lot too or listen to classic or calming music
I’ll bet those radio announcers would LOVE to know they lull you to sleep
I like all the silk luxury ones- JAPANESE SILK luxury eye mask, the adjustable silk garden Persian blue, plain black, the black striped, monkeys,
My favourite night time ritual is listening to guided meditations. They really help me sleep. Sometimes I fall asleep as I’m listening to them because they are so calming.
I follow you on twitter
I’m in your facebook group
My nighttime routine consists of a cup of hot tea and a book. Lately I’ve been trying to be more conscious about not eating before bed because I used to enjoy a sliver of dark chocolate at night and that certainly does not help me sleep.
I’ve noticed that with the sun rising earlier I’m often waking long before I need to because my blinds do not completely block out the sun… a sleep mask sounds like the perfect solution!
Love that you are a nutritionist who looks at the whole picture of healthy living, it is a breath of fresh air.
I am a fan on Facebook.
It was a tough choice but my favourite is definitely the lace and flowers eye pattern. So pretty! http://www.etsy.com/listing/50592395/silk-luxury-eye-sleep-mask-in-lace-and
You have great taste!
The chakra meditation is by Doreen Virtue. She has a chakra healing book and it comes with a cd, which has both an A.M. and P.M. medititation. The A.M. meditation gets you ready for the day, and the P.M. releases any junk you might still be holding onto from the day’s events.
I replied in the wrong spot, sorry!
[...] contact Making Love in the Kitchen: The Blog « Slumber Party for Health [...]
Following on Twitter
Following on Facebook
My favourite bedtime ritual is dimming the lights and reading (in the living room, not in bed) before bedtime to get myself nice and sleepy.
I love the hedgehog. So cute!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/50504565/hedge-hog-silk-luxury-eye-mask
I have a lemongrass coconut tea that I drink before bed, it really helps to wind me down. And I try to unplug from the computer at least an hour before bed and switch to books and non-work stuff… otherwise my mind keeps going all night long.
If all else fails, I lie in bed and intend to do some breathing exercises. By the time I’m breathing properly, I’ve usually fallen asleep.
It was hard to choose just one lovely pattern, but my favourite is the red/turquoise large-print branchy flower pattern:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/44642515/silk-luxury-sleep-eye-mask-fully
[...] Class numbers are limited and these will fill up quickly. Just saying! Also don’t forget to enter for your chance to win an Eye Mask From Bonnie Oman at BibBon.etsy.com! Yippee for beauty [...]
[...] Class numbers are limited and these will fill up quickly. Just saying! Also don’t forget to enter for your chance to win an Eye Mask From Bonnie Oman at BibBon.etsy.com! Yippee for beauty [...]
My favorite bedtime ritual is having a cup of rooibos tea and spending some time with a good book. Right before I go to sleep I like writing in my gratitude journal.
All the eye masks are so beautiful but my favorite would have to be the Red and Black Blossom brocade.