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Let’s Support Female Entrepreneurs!! Get Ready for WO3 Day - March 26, 2022
I am proud to be on the Executive Committee Member for WO3 which is a grass-roots movement dedicated to supporting women-owned businesses in three ways: Partner, Promote, and Support.
Our goal is to create an annual movement (WO3 Day) to raise awareness of female-owned/female-led businesses and inspire women to look for opportunities to support her all year round.
Each year, WO3 is held on the last Saturday in March (Women’s History Month). It’s scheduled this year on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
My call to action to you is simple and it’s easy:
1) Go out and support at least one woman-owned business on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Your support can be local and/or global. Our mission is to build a global community of women that comes together for just ONE DAY to support female- own/female led businesses. There are no “rules!” You decide who, where, and how you want to show your support on WO3 day.
2) Let us know your committed to joining in on the movement by making your pledge at https://www.wo3connect.com/signup. It will take you 30 seconds.
3) Spread the word to family, friends and colleagues.
WO3 is the brainchild of BRA-série (www.braserie.com) Founder & CEO Tammi Relyea, a Northern California entrepreneur who is passionate about supporting woman-owned businesses.
Launching BRA-sériē introduced Tammi to dozens of other women entrepreneurs and business owners and WOhelped her realize that many of the challenges she faced are shared by other women running their own business.
Let's do this....Let us know your committed to joining in on the movement by making your pledge at https://www.wo3connect.com/signup. It will take you 30 seconds.
Let’s Praise the Female Entrepreneur!
Guess what! I am a Featured Sleep Expert on the Redfin Real Estate blog!
I am excited to be a featured as a Sleep Expert on Redfin.com and so I wanted to share the blog post!
There is really great information about how to optimize the bedroom for beautiful, blissful sleep! Read on and enjoy the tips and tricks!
https://www.redfin.com/blog/bedroom-remodel-tips-for-sleep/
15 Expert Bedroom Remodel Tips For a More Comfortable Sleep
We all want to get a good night’s sleep, but factors such as light and sounds from electronics can often distract us and wake us up in the middle of the night. Because of this, creating a bedroom environment that’s both visually and practically conducive to sleep is important. If you’re having trouble sleeping, we’ve got you covered. We reached out to sleep experts from across North America, from San Diego, CA, to Barrie, ON, for their best bedroom remodel tips for a more comfortable sleep. From keeping colors neutral to keeping WiFi routers out of the bedroom, keep reading to see what they had to say.
1) Find the warmest dimmable bulbs
It’s increasingly hard these days to find LED bulbs that are the color of candles or sunset (>3000k is like a blue sky, and 2200k is hard to find), but in reality, it’s those lights that are more amber hues that help our bodies realize it’s the evening and time for sleep. Find the warmest dimmable bulbs you can, and consider blackout shades. Good sleep requires a cool, dark bedroom, so do your best to create one. – Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
2) Keep colors neutral in your bedroom and program your shades
Keep the color palette neutral to create a calming vibe for your bedroom sanctuary, including paint colors and bedding. Smart black-out shades that close in the evening and open at your wake time are great for simulating sunrise and sunset in addition to saving energy. Eliminate clutter and minimize distractions by selecting a nightstand where you can store stacks of books and accessories out of sight. – Sound Sleep Guru
3) Have warm lamps instead of overhead lights
I recommend having warm lamps instead of harsh overhead lights, as well as room-darkening curtains. Both of these items can help our body’s natural transition to sleep by dimming the lights 30 minutes before bedtime, followed by complete darkness once we get into our beds. You can add a comfy chair next to the bed and lamp to unwind with a book or another relaxing activity before turning off the lamp and getting into bed. – Mcgowan Psychological Services
4) Consider circadian lighting for your bedroom
Light is the most powerful “zeitgeber” or time giver to our body clock, part of the brain that regulates melatonin release, which helps set your sleep and wake cycles. Studies show that normal LEDs used in house lighting impact the body clock, suppressing melatonin production, leading us to fall asleep later and sleep shorter. Scientifically designed circadian lighting mimics the natural light levels at dusk/dawn, supporting the sleep system and a natural sleep/wake cycle. – The Better Sleep Clinic
Installing circadian lighting in your home when renovating or purchasing a programmable circadian light is a great way to mimic the sun for sunrise and sunset. These lights wake you up, energize you and wind you down at the end of the day by substituting the sun’s natural color hue and intensity, keeping you in sync with your body clock resulting in better days because you have better nights. – Family Sleep Institute
5) Use organic mattresses and bedding
Given that we spend 1/3 of our lives (ideally) in bed, we want the bedroom’s environment to be as healthy and as close to nature as possible. A bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary: dark, cool, and quiet with fresh air. Using organic mattresses and bedding, no-VOC paints and finishes, and installing soft incandescent light bulbs to limit artificial blue light are great steps to support healthy sleep. – Sleep Like a Boss
6) Incorporate red and amber colors to promote sleep
We know blue light disrupts the ability to fall asleep, so going in the opposite direction and using red or amber light promotes sleep by signaling the body to release melatonin. Himalayan red salt lamps give off this warm light and look beautiful, too; you can also put red light bulbs in your regular lamps to get the same effect. Lastly, you can maximize this effect by painting bedroom walls in sunset colors or warming neutrals. – Sugar Night Night
7) Install blackout curtains
One of the best ways to ensure a great night’s sleep is to use black-out or light-filtering curtains. Light inhibits melatonin production, which we need to sleep. When it comes to sleep, darkness is best. – Little Bird Sleep Consulting
Natural light is wonderful, and sheer blinds are fun, but blackout blinds are a must for those late summer days and bright weekend mornings. The main takeaway, keep it simple and serene. We spend the most time sleeping in our bedrooms. You want calming colors that help your feel relaxed and ready for sleep. – AM Smiles
When planning out your budget, make sure that you budget for blackout shades and curtains as well as a high-quality white noise machine. When considering what you put back into your bedroom after renovating, consider light sources from electronics. Steer clear of all white, blue, green, purple, and pink light, which can prevent you from falling and staying asleep, and if you need a nightlight, red is best. – Bella Luna Family
8) You can even get curtains custom-fitted
The best tip for sleeping well in your bedroom is a dark room. Consider installing well-fitting curtains or blinds to ensure no light comes in when the sun rises. We installed customized fitted shutters to ensure total darkness day and night in our bedrooms. – Sweet Dreams Consulting
9) Keep wifi routers and other electronics out of your bedroom
Although more research is needed, some studies have shown that exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) emitted from electronic devices such as Wi-Fi routers, cell phones, and laptops at night can lead to interrupted sleep. The biggest offenders are WiFi routers. That’s why I recommend being mindful of where you store your routers when renovating your home. Keep them out of the bedroom and somewhere you will see them before you go to bed so that you can ideally turn them off before retiring. – Kelly Murray Sleep
10) Put your heart into the remodeling project
As a place where you seek peace and rest, your bedroom is the most important place of your home, and how you decorate it should reflect that. No matter what choices you make, it should be a place you look forward to every day and one that you associate solely with sleep and positive feelings. – Not a Peep
11) Consider an air purifier
Sleep matters to everyone, and having a proper bedroom set-up for each family member is critical to creating the optimal sleep environment. I recommend each bedroom has darkening shades as well as a powerful medical-grade HEPA technology air purifier. The air purifier also has the additional benefit of creating white noise all night to diminish ambient noise that can disrupt sleep. The ideal bedroom temperature is between 68-72 degrees for every age. – Joanna Clark of Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching
12) Have a separate place to lounge and relax in your room
I find it beneficial to have a place to lounge and relax in your bedroom that is not the bed itself. This could be a chair or chaise lounge in another area of your bedroom. This way, if you are awake and tossing and turning, you can get out of the bed for a bit to reset. – Northern Virginia Psychology Professionals
Other considerations for a more comfortable sleep
13) Create a routine
I recommend that my clients create a creative bedtime routine before bed – power down electronics, yoga stretching, aromatherapy (lavender and eucalyptus are my favorites), shower or take a bath, choose clothes for the next day, etc. The more you practice the same routine, the more your routine becomes paired with sleep, leading to deeper and more refreshing sleep. – Dr. Josh Tal, sleep psychologist in NYC
14) Drink water and stretch
For snoring or other sleep conditions, stretching and positional sleeping are highly recommended as a must-have for your bedroom remodel. Did you know you could do an effective full-body stretch when you’re already in bed? We suggest simple steps such as drinking a glass of water at least thirty minutes before bed and a full-body stretch. – Better Sleep Inc.
15) For snorers, fill out the STOP-Bang questionnaire
If you snore, or someone has told you that you snore, try filling out the STOP-Bang questionnaire, which can tell you if you’re at risk for sleep apnea. A sleep doctor can use this assessment in addition to several other factors for a sleep apnea diagnosis. If a doctor determines you do have sleep apnea, there are a few changes you can make to your bedroom that can improve your rest, including investing in a pillow that helps you sleep in a better position or adding a humidifier. – Go Kick
LEGAL: This article is for informational purposes only. Individual results may vary. Redfin is not affiliated with nor endorses or guarantees any of the individuals, resources or websites mentioned.
Redfin does not provide medical advice. This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Redfin’s blog.
Originally published on Redfin.com
Sleep Success Story: How A Sleep Deprived & Grumpy Family Regained Quality Time
Watch the video below to hear this sleep deprived family’s story.
“We were both very sleep-deprived. We were grumpy with each other, not enjoying our quality time with each other and our baby. Having tried an online class and failed, we realized we needed more hand-holding, which led us to finding Joanna. From the first day of sleep training, everyone was in a better mood. Everyone had a little more sleep. No one was traumatized from the sleep training. It was just a really positive experience. Now we're able to enjoy a nice quiet evening. I was able to start a new job, which I definitely don't think I could unless our child was sleeping well and through the night.” -Christina F—Child was 10 months at time of coaching
Sleep Success Story: From Wit’s End to Family Happiness!
Watch the story of one family’s journey from being at their wit’s end to family happiness.
“I'm a pretty calm person generally and I was at my wit's end. I was miserable. I dreaded the evenings. I dreaded the weekends. Now, it's family happiness in and around everywhere. I am a much happier dad and the bond that I've gained with my son through this process has just been invaluable. We're so much closer now than we were before. In a very short time our quality of life improved dramatically. The personal contact with Joanna through Zoom was tremendously helpful.” Basak & Scott (child age 2.5 years)
Benefits of Room Sharing for Children 0-12 months
In the video below I discuss the guidelines around room-sharing for children 0-12 months.
Another great resource is my Ages & Stages Sleep Chart which will talk about how much your child needs for day and night sleep and the right sleep intervals. Enjoy instant download at Sleep Matters: Get your Ages and Stages Sleep Guidelines
Early Rising Behavior - How to Get Sleep Back on Track
It is the WORST when you hear your little one waking BEFORE 6am. In the world of Sleep Science, we call any wake-up between 4-6am Early Rising behavior.
Unfortunately, once this behavior starts, it takes on a life of its own and it can become very stubborn to unwind the behavior. In the video below, I breakdown the causes of early rising and offer some tips on how to get sleep back on track.
Real Life Sleep Struggle Situations and HOW to Handle Them
I love when moms share about their sleep struggles as this offers me a chance to offer insight and perspective into REAL LIFE situations and HOW to handle them. In this episode, the mom has a 21 month old daughter who toggles between great sleep and terrible sleep...sound familiar? Watch this video to learn all about her story and my insights.
Why are Sleep Sacks Awesome?
Why are Sleep Sacks Awesome?
Everyone has heard of using swaddles for newborn babies. The purpose of this is to calm the Moro reflex that babies are born with and a snuggly blanket wrapped around your baby can resemble the mother’s womb and safely help calm babies to sleep.
What is the Moro Reflex?
The Moro Reflex is an automatic response newborn babies show when they become startled. The Moro Reflex can be extending their arms, throwing their head back and extending their legs but can differ among babies. You may have noticed that your baby is sleeping soundly when all of a sudden their arm jerks and wakes them up. Once a baby's neck can start supporting the weight of their head they typically start experiencing less moro reflexes, usually around 4 months. The moro reflex is a normal reaction in healthy babies and you should not be concerned if you see these responses.
Once a baby starts working on rolling, typically around 2 months old, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to stop using a swaddle for sleep. This is the perfect time to introduce the sleep sack. Sleep sacks are a wearable blanket, they help the baby feel contained while maintaining safe sleep practices. Sleep sacks allow babies to move freely and can be used indefinitely. In order to maintain safe sleep practices, loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items should be kept out of the sleep space.
A sleep sack can keep toddlers in the crib and the whole house sleeping! Sleep sacks are great even for toddler who are at the age where they start trying to climb out of the crib. The sleep sack limits the ability of toddler to lift their legs over the crib railing. A climbing toddler can leave parents feeling exhausted. Considering a transitioning to a toddler bed? The transition to the big kid bed can be a massive vulnerability for sleep regression. I always recommend keeping children in a crib as long as possible which is often ages 3.5 or 4 and a sleep sack can help extend the amount of time a child sleeps safely in a crib.
Sleep Sacks can be incorporated in the bedtime routine.They are a great visual cue to babies and toddlers that it's time to wind down and go to sleep.
Sleep Sacks have many benefits including:
Keep baby warm
Maintain safe sleep practices
Help baby feel safe and secure
Discourage climbing by limiting a child’s ability to lift their leg over the crib railing
Visual cue of bedtime when used in the bedtime routine
There are so many sleep sacks on the market, which do you recommend?
Dreamland Baby has a line of incredible weighted swaddles and sleep sacks. The Dreamland sleep sacks utilize a proprietary CoverCalm™ Technology, evenly distributed weight from shoulder to toe, to naturally reduce stress and increase relaxation through deep touch stimulation. The evenly distributed weight increases serotonin and melatonin (the happy/sleepy hormones) and naturally decreases cortisol (the stress hormone).
Dreamland Baby has offered my clients an exclusive Black Friday offer to save 20% by using the Coupon code: BLISSFULBABY20 at checkout.
Dreamland Sleep sacks offer:
Machine Washable
Reversible neckline designed for exclusive tummy sleepers
Gentle weight increases serotonin and melatonin while decreasing cortisol
100% natural, soft cotton for temperature regulation: TOG (0.6)
Two-way zipper for easy diaper changes
Decreases irritability while promoting self-soothing
The weighted sleep sack is for babies, 0 to 36 months old
Safety certified
Designed in partnership with pediatricians, NICU nurses, and certified sleep consultants
The Dreamland weighted sleep sacks take the soothing, calming comforts of a regular sleep sack and gives baby the sensation of getting a gentle hug. If you are looking for the perfect swaddles and sleep sacks I highly recommend giving Dreamland Baby products a try.
To get 20% off yours today use Coupon Code: BLISSFULBABY20 by November 22nd👇
https://glnk.io/vzkl/blissfulbabysleep
To see more of our recommended products check out 👇
https://kit.co/BlissfulBabySleep
For more information on the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep practices please visit: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/safe-sleep/
For more information on the Moro reflex:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327370#summary
Fall Time Change Tips: November 7, 2021
The Fall Time Change 2021 is this coming Sunday, November 7th at 2 a.m.
At each seasonal time change, parents often reach out to me with great trepidation about how this time change will affect their child’s sleep schedules. It is true, the “fall back” time change can cause havoc on sleep.
Not to worry, I am going to guide you so this time change minimizes stress and confusion!
Watch this video for a summary of my sleep expert's tips and tricks on how to adjust to the Fall 2021 time change.
So here are some facts to consider:
The “Fall Back” time change in the US is on Sunday November 7th 2021 at 2 a.m.
You will “fall back” by setting your clocks back by one hour.
This fall time change is often EASIER than the spring time change. You will enjoy a “bonus hour” of overall sleep and a “bonus hour” of light in the morning. Thus, waking up in the morning will definitely be easier.
In the evening, it will be darker one hour earlier. You may find that both you and the kiddos will likely become drowsy earlier.
This time change can trigger “early rising” between 4-6 am, so be prepared to handle this event when it occurs.
Seasonal time change is all about working with the biological rhythms which are primarily driven by natural light and the onset of darkness and adapting the schedule and routine of your day (i.e., wake times, meal times, nap times, etc.)
Please know it can take up to 2 weeks for a child to make the transition to the new time change, so be patient and mindful of your child’s needs.
There are two strategies to consider in tackling the fall time change for children 6 months-6 years of age.
Proactive Approach: Make changes to your routine 3-7 days prior to the time change. This strategy of incremental change is best for children that tend to be early risers (waking before 6am) or children that tend to be sensitive to schedule changes.
How To Make Incremental Changes:
Start putting your child to bed 10-15 minutes later than his/her normal naptime or bedtime and then make similar changes to the nap schedule and meal schedule.
Every other day/night, try to “move up” meal time, naptime and bedtime by 10-15 minutes. Do this until the night of the time change.
The goal is to complete shifting your child’s bedtime schedule up by a full hour by the time the clock changes on November 7, 2021
For example: if your child’s normal nap time is 8:45am, bump it to 9am and each day keep “bumping it forward” till you bumped it a fully 60 minutes hit an hour.
If you would rather “work” the bedtime angle, then if bedtime is normally 7pm, during the days leading up to the time change, push bedtime to 7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8pm…then when the time change happens, the 8pm bedtime will “FALL BACK” to 7pm and your child will already be in the mode for the new bedtime.
If you try this method and your child starts waking before 6am, then STOP and go back to your old schedule. You will need to adjust to new time change in the “Just in time” method.
The “Just In Time” Strategy: Move all your meals, nap times and bedtimes to the new time on November 7th, 2021.
This strategy is best for those that don’t have the time or inclination to plan ahead.
This might also mean your child may wake earlier in the morning for the first week or so, but soon things will normalize.
How to do the “Just in Time” option: Sync with new clock times on November 7th 2021.
If your child starts to wake before 6am, (which is considered early rising) than it is imperative that you attend to this early rising or else it will persist. I highly recommend reading my post on early rising.
If you experience early rising, go to your child’s room, remind him or her it is still time for sleeping and try to soothe him or her back to sleep. (can use a tot clock for children 2.5 yrs of age and older). I recommend the HATCH.
If the child does not go back to sleep, then use the “dramatic wake-up” strategy to signify a morning wake up routine. Be sure to keep the room dark until 6am, then exit the room for 5-10 seconds, then re-enter the room and turn on the lights and open shades and then greet your child with “good morning” and proceed to get your child out of crib/bed and begin your routine. Be sure to expose to natural morning light.
By doing this “dramatic wake up” routine, you will not be reinforcing early rising and eventually your child’s circadian rhythm will get back on track. If you have ongoing issues with early rising after 10-14 days after the time change than it may be time to talk to a sleep expert and get the personalized sleep support to get sleep back on track via a sleep-tune up call.
In either case, it is important for children to get their daily dose of Vitamin D with morning light exposure. Turn on the lights, open your shades and, most importantly, try to give your child morning sunlight for at least 20-30 minutes a day during that first 7-10 days of the time change. This will help to reset your child’s circadian rhythm. You can also purchase a “happy light” that will offer some light therapy for you or your child.
It’s also important to protect Parental sleep! Here are my time change tips for adults:
Since you are gaining an hour of sleep, it is often easier just to go to sleep at your normal time on Saturday night and then allow yourself to sleep in on Sunday morning. Then for the first couple of days, please know that your body will be busy regulating to the new time change, so light exposure in the morning will really help your body adjust.
Like jet lag, time changes take about a week to resolve and so it is wise to be patient and try to adhere to a flexible schedule and you will begin to see it all normalize. Happy Fall!!
If after the time change you are still having challenging sleep struggles, then don't hesitate reach out for sleep support.
THERE IS NO NEED TO LIVE LIFE IN A SLEEP-DEPRIVED HAZE!
The first resource that might be helpful is my Sleep Regression Guide. It is a free guide jammed packed with helpful insights and actions. The other option is to schedule a Sleep Tune Up Call. In this 30 minute recorded, Zoom Video Conference Sleep Tune-Up Call, you will benefit from me, a 10 year Sleep Expert, becoming your personal "sleep detective" so you recover peaceful nights and joyful days.
You will complete a Sleep Tune-Up Form in Advance of our session so I come to the conversation prepared to help you solve the sleep struggles once and for all so everyone sleeps again. The fee is $100 for 30 minutes with your own personal Sleep Detective on Zoom Video Conference.
I look forward to helping you restore easy and calm bedtimes, quiet, peaceful nights, reliable naps and harmonious, confident parenting!
As a Pediatric Sleep Expert and certified Gentle Sleep Coach. I offer an alternative to the “cry it out” methodology.
I am on a mission to help parents tenderly teach the “skills of sleep” to their children through a guilt-free, gentle approach and a full-service, proven system to promote a gentle, reassuring, gradual change that results in drama-free bedtimes, peaceful nights, reliable naps, and marital harmony.
Want to find out more? Click to know about my methodology.
Click to find out how I can help you and your family members achieve Blissful Sleep.
Do you want to stay up-to-date on all the incredible information and interviews I have to share?
If so, please join my Linked-In and Facebook and Instagram tribes. I go on Facebook LIVE each Wednesday at 3pm PST and you can always ask me your sleep questions in advance and I will do some "hot seat" coaching to help you get sleep back on track. https://bit.ly/3dMGL7v
Sleep is bliss, let's get you more!