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Depression Among Single Parents

Most single parents experience some form of depression at one time or another throughout their parenting career. What may have begun as sadness may have developed into something far greater. There are times when extreme emotional trauma can throw your body into an extreme chemical imbalance. This isn’t your fault; it is your body’s response to the chaos going on around you. Depression is more than just a deep sadness at your situation. Most of us aren’t thrilled at our circumstances as a single parent, but when you are depressed you may feel consumed by that sadness. You may feel … Continue reading →

Parents Busy Getting Busy During the Holidays

We’re all busy during the holiday season. There are parties to host and attend, presents to wrap and unwrap, shopping, cooking, cleaning and procreating. Yes, you read correctly. According to a new study, a large number of parents are busy getting busy between the sheets during the height of the holiday season. Researchers at the University of Texas found that most babies born in the United States are conceived between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Do the math and you’ll discover what the study’s authors did: The most popular birthday in America is September 16th. September 16th! That’s my brother’s … Continue reading →

It’s Two O’Clock, Do You Know Where Your Energy Went?

You know the feeling. It is a while after lunch and you are sitting at your desk, working. All of a sudden, you realize that you are tired. Not just a little tired, either. The kind of tired where all that you can do is think about how tired you are, and how much you would like to go to sleep right then and there. You are experiencing the afternoon slump, and you are not alone. What causes the afternoon slump? Afternoon tiredness is a natural part of our circadian rhythms, those daily cycles that are biologically hard-wired into our … Continue reading →

Pain and Sleep

In a way, pain is a good thing: it is the body’s way of saying that something is wrong, and giving you a general idea of where the problem is. But pain can mess with your appetite, concentration, sleeping habits, and more. Sometimes, pain makes you want (or need) more sleep. If you are sick or injured, you need time to rest and heal! There are some types of pain that make me want to snooze — mostly headaches. Often, I’ll try taking a nap to see if I can sleep the headache off before resorting to pain relievers. Though … Continue reading →

Better than Energy Drinks

I feel like I’m seeing a LOT of commercials for energy drinks on television lately. But I’ll be honest: energy drinks scare me a little. I imagine that they’re full of sugar or caffeine, or both — giving you a quick jolt of energy, sure, but in the long run, probably not that great for your health. But I do suffer from that mid-afternoon slump. Around two o’clock, I start to slow down and think about napping. I suspect it might be a hold-over from my radio days, when I’d get off the air at two and it would be … Continue reading →

Myth: Your Baby Will Sleep Longer If You Feed Her Solids

If your baby has been having a hard time sleeping through the night, you’ve probably had more than one well-meaning person tell you to add cereal to your baby’s bottle or start solids. “Think about it, it’s hard to sleep if you’re hungry,” they’ll say. There are several problems with this myth however. First of all, there is no evidence that solids increase a baby’s total sleep. They may fall asleep a little quicker if they are stuffed, but babies wake up for many reasons which have more to do with their biological clocks than their tummies. The circadian rhythms … Continue reading →

Do Athletes Sleep Better than Non-Athletes?

Having trouble sleeping? If you tend to be an object at rest more often than an object in motion, that might be part of the problem. A study from the University of Basel in Switzerland looked specifically at teen athletes in their study on exercise and sleep. More than four hundred teens (the average age of study participants was seventeen) kept logs of activity and sleep patterns for a week. More than half of the participants were members of the “Swiss Olympic Classes“; the rest were more sedentary. The 258 student athletes exercised an average of seventeen and a half … Continue reading →

The Best Time of Day

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Throughout my school years, I was a morning person. I arranged my college schedule to have class in the mornings and afternoons free. I’d still rather do the bulk of my thinking in the early part of the day and leave the after-lunch hours for less brain-intensive activities. Brain power can actually wax and wane as the day progresses! Researchers have looked at the “best” times of day for different activities, based on brain chemistry. Early mornings (like the first few hours after you wake up) are the best time for … Continue reading →

When Your Medication Causes Sleep Problems

When I was trying to clear up my clogged ear, I picked up a variety of decongestants to try. My family doctor suggested traditional Sudafed — made with pseudoephedrine, which can be hard to get in some areas. The Sudafed worked, but caused a different problem: I had trouble sleeping. Most nights, I’d wake up every few hours — instead of sleeping straight through like I normally do. The doc had warned me that the decongestant might cause problems sleeping, and suggested that I only take it in the mornings (instead of twice per day as indicated on the package). … Continue reading →

A Healthy (and Sanitary) Bedroom and Bathroom

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Where and how you store your stuff can make a big difference in how clean and healthy your bathroom and bedroom are. Here are some tips to keep things sanitary — and help keep you and your family healthy. For a clean and healthy bathroom: Move your toothbrush away from the sink. The best place to keep your toothbrush is in a cabinet, behind closed doors. Why? Even the cleanest toilet is full of microbes that can become airborne when you flush. Do you want toilet water landing on your toothbrush? (I don’t. I’m moving mine into a cabinet today.) … Continue reading →