Can’t sleep.

If you find yourself with a small child that won’t sleep (and, consequently, won’t let you sleep) I have found that a (sippy) cup of warm chamomile infused milk,  bit of munchkin massage and a herb filled stuffed animal work wonders.

When Sophie was a baby, she was colicky, and we found that 2 ounces of dilute chamomile tea with some apple juice to sweeten it did the trick…particularly if we had delivered the preemptive strike of a lavender massage.  With Collin, we got lucky on the colic, but went through an anti-sleep phase around 8 months and found that the same routine did the trick (though he got a bigger bottle, lol).  Now that Sophie is three, and Collin is 1 1/2, we have been working on a bedtime routine that works (most of the time) to avoid the late nigh fussiness and sleep avoidance.

Chamomile Milk:

Sophie calls it “flower milk”…to make it, I use 8 oz of whole milk and a chamomile tea bag (or a tablespoon of loose dry chamomile, crushed, in a muslin bag), and a few drops of vanilla, warmed on low on the stove for about 20 min (and I mean LOW).  Sophie likes hers with a bit of “bee juice” (honey) but Collin takes his straight (be sure to never give an infant under 1 honey) ; which is surprising, because he likes sweets, and she doesn’t.

Munchkin Massage:

I have been a fan of baby massage since the kids were born.  Sophie probably learned her body parts from my endless litany of “toe, toe, toe, toe , toe…ankle…calf…knee and thigh” to the tune of Für Elise and there is little both kids like better than having their back rubbed (though Sophie also likes her forehead and around the ears, while Collin enjoys the feet and calves).   Massage is not only calming and soothing (and some studies have indicated that it may decrease aggression and increase cognitive performance in preschool age children), and it can also be used to help small children understand that they have control over their own bodies.

There are some differences between baby massage and munchkin (aka toddler/preschool age) massage…mainly that munchkins talk back and can voice their preferences, but also in terms of technique.  I recommend the book Infant Massage–Revised Edition: A Handbook for Loving Parents for information on baby massage, and the book Aromatherapy For Babies And Children
which discusses massage for infants and children.  One of these days I might actually finish the page on this topic…

Sleepy Time Bunny:

Recently we needed to recharge the Sleepy Time Bunny…he had lost most of his smelliness.  And so, it was time for surgery.

Bun-bun, as he is called by my daughter, is her “spell bear”.  Never mind that he is a bunny, ever since we made him “smelly” and charged him with the sacred duty of keeping her safe in case of the mean fairy dragon attack (don’t ask), she does not sleep without him.  Bun-bun is filled with the soothing sent of lavender (sorry, Angie) and chamomile (in the muslin bag, for easier transplant).    This time after surgery, we went ahead and gave him a heart as well!!

Stressed out…

I  have a 14 month old, I’m pregnant (and hi-risk) and I’m in the military (as is my husband) and work long, bizarre hours, we are often strapped for money, time and everything else…and, like just about everyone else in our society, I’m stressed…

I almost wonder if there isn’t some grand conspiracy of business, government and media to keep us that way, in the interests of making money off of us…I read a book that discusses that the more insecure women are made thru advertising (in the discussion of the book, about their periods), the more money they spend on feminine hygene products–I have seen this idea echoed in other articles and such, and I believe it whole heartedly—just look at the diet industry, the make-up industry, the fashion industry (to name a few).

I have had to work on decreasing my stress level, as well as some of my normal habits and actions…it is quite difficult for me to relax…  Clinically speaking, I have some hypervigilance issues, which tend to manifest as trigger point pain and a wee touch of OCD (the military loves that trait–but my family does NOT). 

Other than the tips below, the best thing I have done thus far has been to create an environment designed to relax and recharge, to welcome and make one feel secure…reducing clutter, creating a cleaning schedule, embracing the imperfect, soothing colors, scents, as well as cleansing and blessing the home can all go along way to achieving this.

Natural Remedies for Tension and StressThe best treatment for anxiety, tension and stress is to identify and eliminate or reduce stressors and to identify negative coping patterns and replace them with positive coping strategies.

*Keep your body healthy with proper nutrition and exercise.
*Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar and refined foods.
*Nutritional supplements such as calcium (1,000 mg per day), magnesium (400 to 600 mg per day), and B complex vitamins (50 to 100 mg per day can help support the nervous system and minimize the effects of stress. 
*Relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, biofeedback, meditation, and self-hypnosis can be effective in relieving tension, stress and anxiety. 

For those times when stress is unavoidable but manageable, consider the following:

*One 8 oz cup of chamomile or lavender or a chamomile and lavender combination tea can be taken to reduce anxiety, nervousness and tension.
*Herbs useful for reducing anxiety and stress include passionflower, valerian, kava, as well as most of the mint family, including varieties such as catnip and lemon balm.
*Aromatherapy can be excellent for reducing anxiety and environmental stressors and promoting a relaxing environment.  Lavender is especially good for this.  Put some essential oil on a cotton ball in your room, burn a lavender candle or put a cup of lavender flowers in a muslin/cheese cloth bag and put in your bath water.
*Other essential oils that are useful for promoting relaxation and relieving anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine, lemon balm, neroli, rose, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.
*Massage is a great stress reducer.  The following points can helprelieve anxiety, tension and stress.


*For some other ideas, try http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/47/123.cfm