The holiday season can be such a hectic time for us, which can affect how we sleep. Add in the change of Daylight Savings Time and it's ...

The holiday season can be such a hectic time for us, which can affect how we sleep. Add in the change of Daylight Savings Time and it's a wonder we're not walking sleep deprived zombies.

I'm currently trying to avoid being a sleep zombie by trying out the ResMed digital device, I learned about from the Sleep Better with Dr. Oz show. I'll let you know how that goes.

But besides using the ResMed digital device, I also wanted to get some sleep tips to help both myself and others I know not getting enough sleep during the holiday season.

Thankfully Dr. Michael Breus, a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, had some tips to share for you (and me!)

4 Tips for Better Sleep from Dr. Michael Breus

First, there are several things you can do that can help you transition physically and mentally to the time change. Here are a couple of helpful tips:

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time, even on the weekends. That consistency is helpful for your internal biological clock to help you get a good night’s rest
• Caffeine…stop drinking beverages with caffeine by about 2 pm in the afternoon. This will give the body enough time to get it out of the system so that it won’t keep you up at night and affect your sleep.
• Alcohol can play a big role. While alcohol does make people feel sleepy, it keeps them out of the deeper stages of sleep. If you have a glass of wine (even two) with dinner have it three hours before you go to sleep.
• Sunlight….It turns out that about 15 minutes of sunlight after you wake up in the morning helps reset that circadian clock and brighten your mood!

Along with sharing these sleep tips, Dr. Michael Breus also answered a few additional questions

Parents (especially single parents) have such a hard time in their childrens' younger years getting proper sleep. What can you recommend for them?

When looking at a time change like this, keep the kids on a consistent schedule. Don’t tell them they will gain an hour, because many will say, “Then can I stay up an extra hour?”. Keep everything in the schedule consistent, so whatever the bedtime routine is, keep it going.

With cumulative sleep deprivation, what can happen?

Sleep deprivation effects every organ system and every disease state. It slows reaction time, cognition, and dampens mood. IN fact there is data to show that sleep deprivation over time can lead to: lowered immune function, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, increased pain, accelerated cancer growth, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, lowered reaction time, increased stress, poor decision making, poor marital satisfaction, and lowered testosterone.

What is the ResMed Study?

The ResMed study is the first of its kind to give out ( 1000) or have people purchase ( for 50$) a very accurate sleep monitor, and advice engine. So not only does this monitor your sleep, to a very high standard, but it gives tips to improve your sleep, that are customized for the individual. The study will acquire about 1M nights of Data over time, and we will release the results of these data at CES in Jan of 2017. These data are meant to be a “Wake up call” to everyone to determine sleep habits, sleep deprivation, etc.

Do you know anything about the S+ Sleep monitors?

I do, it uses a proprietary algorithm and a scanner ( built int the hardware) to measure respiration, heart rate, etc, to then determine, how long it takes to fall asleep, how long you stay asleep, how many times you wake up and for how long, it can wake you up at the optimal time (in your personal sleep schedule), and offers personalized advice based on your score. It is the only monitor on the market to do all of these things, that I am aware of. The S+ is also more accurate than other popular items like the FitBit.

Tell us a little bit about "The Power of When”

It turns out that each of us has a unique bio-time for our circadian rhythm often referred to as your Chronotype. You may already know about 2 of these, the early bird, and the night owl, but there are also 2 others ( in between early and night, and those who suffer from insomnia) These types are hard-wired into our genetics ( PER3 clock gene).

In this new program, I present the most cutting-edge research for how to get back in sync with our body’s natural rhythms to achieve maximum health, happiness, and productivity.

When we stop focusing on the "how" and "what" of our lives and start focusing on the "when," we reveal our body's natural schedule and unlock our hidden potential.

I show how making small tweaks to your daily schedule—such as when to have the first cup of coffee, when to answer emails, when to nap—will nudge the rhythm of your day back in sync with the rhythm of your biology, and then, everything will start to feel easier and flow naturally. Backed by over 200 evidence based studies I have put together a fun, interesting, and enlightening read.

I want to thank Dr. Michael Breus for taking time to share these sleep tips and info.

Learn more and enroll in the sleep study, visit www.sleepscore.com

To learn more about Dr. Breus and get more tips, visit - www.thepowerofwhen.com

When was the last time you stopped to think about your "gut" health? Most of us don't think about our digestion system unless ...

When was the last time you stopped to think about your "gut" health? Most of us don't think about our digestion system unless there's an issue. But we should be more aware of our digestive health.

Note: This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network. I was invited as media to this event. However, any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.


To learn more about "gut" health and how we can use probiotics to support a healthier digestion system, I met with Ellie Krieger, RDN, culinary nutritionist, author and host of “Ellie's Real Good Food” show.

Like many of you, I've heard about probiotics and know I should make it part of my lifestyle yet.....I haven't.

But while talking with Ellie, I learn that "70% of the immune system is located in the intestinal tract, therefore, maintaining gut health is a key part of maintaining your overall health."

Seriously?! So clearly we need to learn about and then maintain our digestive health.

Ironically it's easier then we think. Since our "gut" already contains trillions of bacteria that helps with digestive and immune health, our job is to make sure things are balanced so our "gut" can keep doing it's job.


While you can eat specific foods to manage your "gut" health. Most of us don't have the time or resources. So one easier way is with probiotics like those offered by Renew Life.

A few things I learned about the brand that impressed me:

• The company has been around for 20 years and mainly focus on digestive health.
• The probiotics line are free of GMOs, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, and artificial ingredients.
• The probiotics line has formulas specially designed for everyone in the family, including kids and seniors.

Ellie also shared the results of a recent survey done conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Renew Life Probiotics from November 9-11, 2016 among 1,127 U.S. women ages 18 and older., that found out:

• Nearly three quarters of women (72 percent) have experienced a digestive/gut issue in the past 12 months with gas/bloating (53 percent) being the most reported issue, but nearly two in three women (64 percent) aren’t even willing to talk about gut issues with their friends.

• Nearly a quarter of women (22 percent) don’t consider the status of their digestive health when they think about their overall health and wellness, but it can affect your entire body, including mood, memory, immunity, digestion and more.

• Furthermore, some women are unaware that diet (16 percent), stress (21 percent), aging (43 percent) and even their living environment (52 percent) are factors that can upset the delicate bacterial equilibrium in the gut, which can make it difficult to feel your best.

Since digestive wellness has such a strong connection to our over all health, Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics has launched the “Get to Know Your Gut” education campaign in order to increase awareness and turn the table on the taboo topic of gut health.

I hope this post shows you why we need to know and take care of our "gut" health!

To learn more about Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics, visit - www.renewlife.com

On Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/Renew-Life-Formulas
On Twitter - www.twitter.com/RenewLifeInc