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Eight ways to keep your bedroom as dark as possible for a good night sleep
Published November 23, 2011 | 
If you are not sleeping your best you may be letting too much light into your bedroom at night. We need complete darkness in order for our bodies to properly manufacture and release the sleep hormone melatonin. Being exposed to light will give our bodies the wrong message. Our bodies may think it is daylight and actually release cortisol and wake us up instead.
Here are eight ways to get your bedroom dark:
1. No night lights. If you must have one, make it a red one.
2. If you have a television in your bedroom, keep it put away in a cabinet or armoire when not in use.
3. turn off cell phones
4. Turn off laptops. Better yet, keep all of these electronics out of the bedroom all together when not in use.
5. If you use an alarm clock, use a non digital one.
6. Invest in quality shades or blinds
7. If you live with other people, keep your door closed
8. An hour before bedtime, make your living quarters progressively dimmer. Start turning off lights and take a bath, stretch, and read in lower lighting to give your body a hint that it is getting near sleepy time.
Goodnight!
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Drink this beverage for a better night sleep…
Published November 1, 2011 | 
Masala Chai Tea with it’s combination of calming spices will help you to feel sleepy within twenty minutes of drinking it.
To make your own: In a saucepot, bring two cups of each to a boil:
- black tea
- milk
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
- 2 crushed cloves
- 4 crushed peppercorns
and a pinch of cinnamon.
Strain and enjoy! (makes 4 cups)
If you have no time to make your own you can try Rishi Tea Organic Masala Chai at Rishi-Tea.com
Source: For Women First Magazine October 31, 2011
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What is keeping you awake at night?
Published October 24, 2011 | 
If you have challenges with insomnia, what is causing it? It is often helpful to get some insight as to what is keeping us awake at night. If you have a journal I encourage you to write in it nightly and see if any patterns are there.
There are many different reasons for not getting a good night of sleep. For the longest time I had serious challenges with anxiety and worry. Nowadays, I sleep pretty well except for the fact that I have a snoring partner.
Here is a list of common reasons for insomnia:
1. anxiety
2. Worrying: about finances, health, children, job related issues
3. parents with babies and young children who have sleep issues
4. being pregnant
5. back pain
6. restless leg syndrome
7. stressful life events: marital troubles, divorce, job loss, unemployment, aging parents, death, a move
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. If you are having trouble sleeping at night I do encourage you as mentioned before to:
1. write in your journal
2. talk to your doctor
3. get some support
Please know that you are not alone. You can get help. For years I did not think I would ever sleep well again and then for many years when I got on an anti-anxiety medication I did not think I would be able to sleep well without the help of that drug.
I have been off the medication for five years now. Most nights I sleep soundly. You can too.
Sometimes it helps to share our experiences. Not getting enough sleep can be so frustrating because you end up feeling irritated and physically and emotionally drained.
You are welcome to write in and comment here at The Warm Milk Journal. You may also write in at our Facebook page
Have a blessed day and restful night,
Debra
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We will get a good night of sleep if we do these twelve things.
Published October 16, 2011 | 
We will sleep well if we do these twelve things:
1. Believe in ourselves
2. Do not take anything personally
3. Give important tasks at hand our best and then let the rest go
4. Love unconditionally
5. Focus on the good in our lives
6. Spend our time with positive and supportive people
7. Drink good wine (I just had to put that in there!)
8. Do what we love to do
9. Take mental breaks as needed
10.Pamper ourselves frequently
11. Help others
12. Cultivate a sense of gratitude
To a blessed night of sleep tonight and every night,
Debra
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Five tips for higher quality sleep
Published September 27, 2011 | 
Here are five tips to get a higher quality of sleep:
1. Turn in earlier. If we can train ourselves to get to sleep before midnight, those are hours of very high quality sleep.
2. Turn the mind off for an hour before bed: turn off violent television, emails, etc. and take a hot bath, make love, read something relaxing.
3. Do some gentle stretching before bed.
4. Set an intention to be peace.
5. Write a few things you are thankful for in your journal.
Turn off the light.
Good night.
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Being in balance and good sleep really are connected. (I know, because I lost my balance this weekend)
Published September 12, 2011 | 
The Mission of the Warm Milk Journal is to live a well balanced life by day and sleep restfully at night.
I will come forward this morning to tell you that I allowed myself to get off balance this weekend.
Things that got me off balance recently:
1. Having so much on my plate (too much)
2. Worrying about changes that are happening in my work place.
3. Worrying about finances
4. Working all weekend
5. Skipping my yoga class (and choosing to work instead)
6. Not permitting myself much down time
7. Instead of watching a movie with my husband last night, working (sense a common theme here?).
8. Seeing that my mother called me and not calling her back because I felt like I couldn’t afford the time.
I could go on and it is not a pretty picture.
The result of knocking myself off balance?
1. Crankiness and short with family members
2. Slept for only a few hours last night and now I have to go to work exhausted
3. Not feeling as centered as I would like
4. Physically not feeling well due to poor sleep.
5. Mentally not feeling up for the many tasks I have for the day.
I am not sharing this with you this morning to complain. I know that I will get my center back today and sleep well tonight. I will feel much better tomorrow. I will do my best at work today, go to yoga after work, and have a nice evening at home before collapsing…ha!
Feeling as bad as I do this morning just serves as a reminder the importance of taking care of ourselves. Work will always be there. I can choose to work myself to a grouchy wretched mess and make myself and those around me miserable or I can choose to:
1. take time to talk to my mom,
2. spend time with my family,
3. go to the beach
4. read and write for pleasure
5. go to my yoga class
6. or, do nothing! (does that sound wonderful)
The choice of course is up to me.
I wish you all a happy day and peaceful night tonight.
Debra
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Seven tips to prevent insomnia
Published August 24, 2011 | 
No staying awake tonight!
You are going to sleep well tonight by doing these seven things…
1. Be content with the way things went today and let the day go…
2. Take a warm bath
3. Slip on some cozy loungewear or jammies
4. Focus on love: your children, pets, spouse. Love them, be thankful for them…
5. What are some of your other blessings?
6. Stretch gently
7. Read something relaxing.
Good night and sweet dreams,
Debra
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Six things to avoid for a good night sleep.
Published August 13, 2011 | 
For a goodnight sleep, avoid these six things before bedtime:
1. violent television or movies
2. Overly exciting mystery or murder novels
3. Information overload- it’s okay to be on the computer doing something relaxing such as playing a computer game of solitaire, watching and listening to a meditation video on Youtube, or reading something inspirational or relaxing (like The Warm Milk Journal)- but if you are aimlessly surfing the web or doing research on something, doing it too close to bedtime could keep your mind on overdrive and affect the quality of your sleep.
4. A belly full of heavy food: don’t eat late at night. If you must eat a snack, keep it something simple like a banana,a piece of toast, a cup of warm milk…
5. Arguments. Going to bed angry with your spouse or children is not a peaceful way to go to sleep. Do your best to avoid confrontations close to bedtime or make up and keep the peace before you turn off the lights.
6. Bad smells: clean your bed linens frequently, keep dirty laundry put away, and spray your room with an aromatherapy spray.
Good night!
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Posted in Bedroom ideas, Getting a good night sleep, insomnia, Products for a good night sleep, Tips to help insomnia | 
arguments before bed, aromatherapy, bad smell in bedroom, bedtime snacks, clean linens, getting a good night sleep, insomnia, surfing the internet late at night, things to avoid for a good night sleep, violent television | 
Leave a commentHave insomnia? Six ways to getting recentered, turn that monkey mind off, and get back to sleep
Published August 1, 2011 | 
Sometimes we can do all the right things: not drink caffeine, worked and played hard all day, be tired and ready for sleep and yet we still don’t sleep because our monkey minds still want to be active. I usually don’t have a hard time going to sleep initially. My biggest challenge is getting woken up in the middle of the night (my bladder, a cat, my snoring husband, etc.). When I return to bed I’m still very sleepy and I think I won’t have any problem going back to sleep. Fortunately that is the case some of the time. Some nights, however, my mind little by little wakes up and begins its monkey running on a treadmill thing… you know, I start thinking about a post I want to write for The Warm Milk Journal (how ironic is that?) or I am thinking about my job or what I want to cook for dinner the next day…
The way to get back to sleep as soon as possible when this middle of the night insomnia occurs is to get your mind to stop thinking and yourself centered. Here are some good ways to do this:
1. Get up and write in your journal for a few minutes until you feel sleepy again.
2. Get up and read a book.
3. Try recalling what you were dreaming about when you were previously asleep. Focus on that dreamland and it may just take you back.
4. Do a breathing excercise. Two of my favorites are breathe in “So”, breathe out “Hum” and also breathe in to the count of 5, hold breath for count of 3, and then exhale to count of 4. Repeat.
5. Sex (making love with your partner or masturbating will turn your mind off and relax you back into sleep)
6. Visualize the colors of the rainbow slowly. Red, orange, yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, violet….
Try not to worry about not sleeping. That will just provide bananas (fuel) to the monkey mind.
In peace,
Debra
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Another reason to improve your sleep habits: managing your diabetes
Published July 10, 2011 |
According to a new study in Diabetes Care, researchers found that people with diabetes who also had insomnia had a 23% higher fasting blood glucose level, a 48% higher fasting insulin level, and an 82% higher insulin resistance than people with diabetes who had no sleep issues.
Source:HealthSmart Advice from The Doctors, USA Weekend July 8-10, 2011
Here at The Warm Milk Journal, we support improving sleep habits by:
1. Exercising and stretching
2. Eating well
3. Writing in our journals
4. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude
5. Finding the pleasure and humor in little things
6. Choosing love over ego based choices such as having to be right or getting our way all the time.
7. Spending time outdoors
8. Focusing on things that matter to us
9. Stretching and practicing yoga
10.Meditation and prayer
11.Communicating, educating yourselves and getting help if one of you snores
12. Comfortable sleep environment: soothing colors, high quality mattress,bed linens, and comfy sleepwear with feet covered, dark, quiet,etc.
If you are one of the millions of people that are dealing with diabetes, I hope these suggestions will help you to get a better night sleep.
I believe no matter what our health condition or other issues going on in our lives getting a good night sleep will only improve the quality of our lives.
Keep visiting The Warm Milk Journal where we support each other to live life to the fullest by day and rest peacefully at night.
Have a blessed day,
Debra
* I am not a doctor and The Warm Milk Journal does not intend to give out medical advice. If you have any kind of serious health issues please consult your physician. Thank you.
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Posted in Bedroom ideas, Getting a good night sleep, Good Health, insomnia, journal writing, Love, Physical Exercises, Positive living, Tips to help insomnia | affects of insomnia on diabetics, good sleep and good health, improve sleep habits, insomnia, manage diabetes, tips for insomnia | Leave a commentJoin the fun!
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