The Stars of Sleep

The Stars of Natural Sleep Remedies

It happens to us all. Sometimes there are nights where it seems impossible to either fall asleep AND stay asleep. We can will ourselves all we want, but when it comes down to it, the sleep process involves a lot more than willpower.

There are actually four different chemicals that aid in proper sleep. The first, tryptophan, is what is needed to start the process of sleep. Tryptophan is the only one of the four chemicals not produced naturally by the body. This is one chemical that you must consume. Once it’s consumed, it gets converted into 5-HTP, which then converts into serotonin. The serotonin then converts into melatonin. It’s the melatonin that tells our body when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake. If you don’t get enough tryptophan to start your sleep process, your body will be lacking in the other three essential sleep chemicals.

If you regularly have trouble sleeping, make sure that you are consuming foods that contain tryptophan. These include: cheese, chicken, eggs, fish, milk, nuts, oats, peanut butter, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soy, and turkey.

Once you know that you are eating foods that give your body the tryptophan it needs to start you on your sleep journey, you can look further into how to naturally increase your sleep time and quality. Many answers can be found in plants and minerals.

The Two Stars of Sleep Remedies 

These two seem to be the most powerful of natural remedies. In fact, the first, tart cherry juice, has been found to provide better sleep than Valerian Root, a commonly prescribed natural sleep aid. 

Tart Cherry Juice – Two studies, one performed in 2009 and one in 2011, show that drinking tart cherry juice every day increased melatonin levels and provided participants in the study with more sleep time and better sleep efficiency. Why does it work? Cherries help to increase the availability of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that coverts to serotonin, which then coverts to melatonin. Cherries are also a source of naturally occurring melatonin. Concentrated tart cherry juice is the best as it is a much smaller serving size with a lot less sugar than the not from concentrate. This ‘remedy’ is particularly helpful for staying asleep through the night.

Magnesium – Magnesium plays a huge roll in calming the nervous system, thus getting the body ready for sleep. Surprisingly, many people are deficient in this mineral. If you are experiencing muscle spasms or heart palpitations, these could both be signs that you need more magnesium in your diet. Magnesium can be found in foods such as dark leafy greens, nuts, fish, dark chocolate, avocados and bananas. Though important to ingest through foods, you can also get it through soaking in an Epsom salt bath. In this way you are absorbing the mineral into your skin. Make sure to follow the dosage directions that come with the salts.

Two Herbal Remedies for Sleep

These two provide great sleep on a lesser scale of potency than the two aforementioned remedies. While the cherry juice and magnesium can both be used with children, these two herbals/oils can be used on very young kids and babies as well.  

Chamomile – Chamomile contains properties that act as a mild sedative and helps to aid in calming. The properties of the plant can be used in two ways to induce sleep. It can be made into a tea, or the essential oil can be used on the bottom of the feet or diffused in the air. Chamomile is great for inducing sleep.

Lavender – For sleep purposes, lavender is best used as an essential oil as it is the inhalation of it that helps to reduce stress and to provide a calming and sedative effect. It can be diffused or put directly on the soles of the feet to be absorbed into the skin.

It’s important to note that a great night’s sleep starts with your sleep environment and the routine you have for getting to sleep. Please see “Bed-time Tips for Your Child” for more information on this because the same tips that apply to children also apply to adults!

Resources

Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. NCBI. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study. Journal of Medicinal Food. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133468/

Lavender, University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Tart Cherries SUMMARY OF CURRENT SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. http://ncnm.edu/images/Helfgott/Projects/scientific-literature-summary-cherries-2011.pdf

DIY Mattress Freshening

At least one third of our lives is spent sleeping on a mattress. Add in time spent reading, watching television, cuddling, nursing, and playing on one and the amount of time that we spend on our mattresses increases significantly.

If you think about the activities that take place in the bed, be it a bed you sleep alone in or one that you share with another adult and/or children, you will see how a mattress needs to be refreshed every now and then.

Many mattress are found to contain sweat, blood, urine, and other bodily fluids, along with dirt and dust. Some without a good, natural moisture barrier also contain mold and mildew.

Gross to think about? Absolutely. The good news is that it’s easy to freshen a mattress, even though it’s not something many of us think to do

Here’s How You Can Freshen Your Mattress

1. Start with washing all of the bedding including the mattress protector. In order to insure that any nasty germs are killed off, add about 10 drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent. Tea tree has been proven to kill off everything from the flu virus to MRSA!

2. Vacuum the mattress in every crease and crevice with the upholstery attachment. This will get rid of any dead skin cells, dust and other debris that have made their way there.

3. Mix some baking soda with 10 drops of tea tree oil and 10 drops of lavender oil. You can use a mason jar, shaking the mixture to combine the oils with the baking soda. Sprinkle the mixture over the bed and let it sit for a few hours. The baking soda will neutralize and odors and absorb any moisture. The oils will help to kill any germs on the surface of the mattress.

4. Vacuum up the baking soda once again using the upholstery attachment.

5. Spot clean any stains. The stains on mattresses are usually those of body fluid, and if you are finding them after freshening your mattress for the first time, then they have most likely been there for a while. You may not be able to fully remove them at this point, but here are some recipes to try. Please note that you do not want to get a lot of fluid on your mattress, so use as little as possible when cleaning it.

For blood: Make a paste of 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1 tbsp liquid dish soap and 1 tbsp of salt. Rub it in, let it sit and then scrape it off.

For urine and sweat: Mix 3 tbsp baking soda into 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with 2 small drops of dish soap. Mix until the baking soda is dissolved and dab this on the spot.

For vomit: Make a paste using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Set it on the stain, let it sit and then scrape it off.

If you needed to do any spot treatments, wait until any damp spots on the mattress are dry before putting any bedding back on.
When you are sure that your mattress is dry from any spot cleaning, put all of the bedding back on and relax knowing that you will sleep ‘fresh’ tonight!

 

 

 

Sweet Sleep

Taking the Big Kid Bed Plunge – Strategies to get a Child to Move into a Big Kid Bed

While there is no ‘right’ age for moving your child into his or her own big kid bed, there does come a point where it’s simply necessary for one reason or another. The appropriate time is different for each family, depending on their sleeping arrangements and what’s comfortable for the family and the child.

Timing is Everything. Moving into a big kid bed is a big transition for a young child. While exciting, it can also be scary and overwhelming. The move has to happen when everything else in the child’s life is consistent. Do not do it if the child is experiencing another major change at the same time. If he/she is potty training, weaning from nursing or a bottle, or starting school or daycare, wait until the child is comfortable with that transition first. If the move to the bed is coming because a new baby is expected, do the move months before the baby comes.

 

Continue with your bedtime routine. If you don’t have a routine, now is the time to set one up. For ideas on what this routine should include, you can see Bed-Time Tips for your Child.

Let your child be involved in the process. When a child is involved, it gives him ownership over the situation and allows him to feel that he is part of the decision. This can mean letting him pick out the bed, the comforter or a pillow cover and perhaps a stuffed animal to keep on the bed to snuggle with.

Talk about it. Start the big kid bed conversation a couple of weeks before the actual move. Start talking about other family members or friends who sleep in big kid beds. Get some children books, such as Your Own Big Bed and A Bed of Your Own to read together.

Expect that it will take some time. Chances are that your child won’t just go into his new bed and sleep through the night right away and that’s okay. Give him positive encouragement just for staying in it however long he does, even if it’s only a minute. Then remind the child he has to stay in his own bed. It make take a week or two before he/she is comfortable enough to stay put.

Stay with your child. You want your child to feel safe. The first few nights, get in bed and cuddle until he/she falls asleep. Then gently walk away once the child is asleep. If he/she wakes, go back in and cuddle. After a few days, if you decide that cuddling is not to be part of the bedtime routine, you can stay by the door to reassure your child you are still there, spending less time at the door each night.

Why change the Pure Echo?

Our main focus at My Green Mattress is not only to provide a healthy chemical-free mattress, but to also make it as comfortable as possible. Last year we upgraded our inner-spring unit to a posturized coil system to contour to the body better. This along with our ticking fabric made a bit firmer mattress. Well, with some customer concerns and product research, we felt it was time for a change! 

After numerous tests working with our fabric distributor and adjusting our quilting pattern design, we managed to gain an ideal soft sleep surface while maintaining the proper support underneath. And yes, our beds still are made with organic cotton and natural wool. Which means no flame retardant chemicals are needed.

Redesigned Pure Echo Mattress Jan. 2016

The model beds in our local showroom can testify that our customers are beyond happy as we sold out of our “sample” run and have pre-orders waiting to be shipped. (hang tight, they are coming soon)

We are so excited here and know you will enjoy a new Pure Echo in your household! 

(BTW, look for our updated website to launch soon)

 

 

 

 

Bed-time tips for your child!

Instilling healthy sleep habits in children helps to set their foundation for proper mind and body development for the rest of their lives. It also enables parents to get some down time and a better night sleep for themselves. Many parents of toddlers to pre-teens are in a situation where it takes hours to get their children to bed and/or their kids aren’t sleeping soundly through the night. Fortunately, there are ways to help children to transition better from awake time to sleep time, as well as steps parents can take to make sleep more restful.

Set a routine – Start with making sure that there is ample time between the end of dinner and bedtime, giving the body time to digest before trying to send it off to sleep. Also keep in mind that sugar is only going to stimulate a child’s body, so it’s not the best idea to end the evening with a sugary treat. Once dinner is over, set up some relaxing activities along with the essentials of getting ready for bed. This can include bath time, getting pajamas on, brushing teeth, reading books and possibly listening to some relaxing, meditative music. There are some great music and meditation programs designed specifically for children to listen to at bedtime. As addressed below, television should not be part of the bedtime routine, so if watching a show is something that you want to incorporate in the evening, make it either right before or right after dinner, before the nighttime routine actually begins.

Provide the proper sleep environment – It’s important that the place where a child sleeps is conducive to relaxation. The bedroom should promote rest and a sense of peace with subtle colors and not too much clutter. It should also be free of too many electronic devices. A room painted red, filled with toys and video games stimulates a child’s brain, while a bedroom painted in a light, peaceful color, with toys put away and no electronic devices to be seen promotes a sense of rest. In addition, the darker the room at night, the better a child can sleep. Any light coming into the room at night, be it from a hall light, a nightlight, or from the windows, can confuse the pineal gland, which results in it making a lesser amount of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that is essential to a good, healthy night’s sleep. So forgo any lights and invest in some darkening blinds for your children’s bedrooms; you will see a difference.

No television, iPads or computers before bed – One mistake parents often make is letting their children watch a television show right before bed. Any device that emits blue light, such as iPads, television, computers and smart phones, actually inhibits the body’s self regulating release of melatonin, which usually starts to occur a few hours before bed. This makes it hard for a person to feel sleepy. Leaving any thing that emits a blue light on in the bedroom can inhibit the pineal gland from producing the melatonin at all while the light is being emitted.

Add essential oils to the bedtime routine – There are some great essential oil combinations that can help the body to relax. Two that are safe for children are lavender and roman chamomile. You can diffuse some by the bedside or apply a drop or two to the bottoms of the feet. Both oils have calming, soothing and relaxing properties.

Our New Arrival!!

Introducing our NEW ARRIVAL at My Green Mattress

Our newest product is now available for you to purchase just in time for YOUR new arrival! We are very excited to offer the My Green Crib mattress made with organic cotton and natural wool for just $249 with free shipping. It’s important to know that not all crib mattresses are made the same, and that choosing a crib mattress warrants careful consideration.

You know that new babies need love, attention, nourishment, and up to 18 hours of sleep each day to grow up healthy. We want to keep your baby safe and as close to nature as possible when he is sleeping all those hours (fingers crossed). Many conventional mattresses are made with dangerous flame retardant chemicals and petroleum based foams that off~gas and can cause sleep disturbances, allergies, and illness. We know you want something better!

Like us, you want to offer your little one the most non-toxic and natural products you possibly can. At My Green Mattress, we now offer our customers a crib mattress of the highest quality, handcrafted with an organic cotton and natural wool quilted cover. The wool acts as a natural flame retardant meaning your baby won’t be exposed to any dangerous flame retardant chemicals. We use a heavy batting of organic cotton to provide your baby comfort and a natural night’s sleep. The mattress contains a firm 150 coil innerspring unit with a supportive edge. (Recommended by the Consumers Safety Commision – http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/129289/202.pdf)  And, we’ve made the mattress two-sided for longer wear and the ability to flip it in case of an accident or spill. All of our My Green Mattresses are proudly handcrafted in the USA.

Each crib mattress is made to order and shipped to your doorstep via Fed Ex within 7 days. We’re very excited about our new arrival and we hope you are too!

Perfect for your baby, the My Green Crib Mattress:

• is handcrafted using organic cotton and premium wool
• contains no chemical flame retardants
• uses non-synthetic fabrics
• latex free
• free of polyurethane foams
• passes all open flame testing required by law
• is certified to be free of lead by UL Laboratories
• Dimensions: 27.5″ width x 52.5″ length x 6″ height
• Proudly Made in the USA

 

 

 

Three Steps Towards Removing Toxins in Your Home

(Photo Credit: Inhabitots)

There are plenty of easy and simple ways that you can detoxify your life in your own home!  Here are three simple steps that you can start taking now!

1. Trade in your store bought cleaning products for homemade ones.

Why: Because the ones typically found on store shelves contain harmful chemicals that make us sick!  Read the label of what you have in your house now and notice how many of the ingredients you have never heard of!  Try Googling some of them and see what you find!  Most of these products contain toxins that can cause cancer and irritate the respiratory system in some way.

How: Use clean products! Instead of using products that contain chlorine, such as using bleach to kill mold, try using peroxide!  You can clean your counters, toilet bowl, and tile floors with a mixture of water, distilled vinegar and baking soda.  For a disinfectant, add a couple of drops of tea tree oil to a spray bottle containing water and a basic soap cleanser, like Castile Soap.  Also, microfiber cloths are a great replacement for duster sprays and shammy cloths eliminate the need for anything but water when cleaning windows, mirrors and shiny surfaces!

2. Phase out your wrinkle free shirts for ones that need ironing.

Why: I don’t like ironing myself, but think about it: what is making fabric, that naturally wrinkles, suddenly become wrinkle free?  Chemicals! A major chemical found in this type of clothing is formaldehyde.  According to Rara Siegel Bernanrd in The New York Times, “The United States does not regulate formaldehyde levels in clothing, most of which is now made overseas.  Nor does any government agency require manufacturers to disclose the use of the chemical on labels.”  Also, Healthy Child Healthy Families shares that “Formaldehyde has been identified to cause cancer of the upper airways and leukemia, as well as respiratory illness.  Most formaldehyde exposures occur by breathing indoor air contaminated by carpets, countertops, cabinets, couches and other furniture.  In fact, formaldehyde off gassing from building materials and other products can lead to indoor formaldehyde concentrations far exceeding outdoor levels.  For example, the average formaldehyde concentration in outdoor air in California is 3 to 5 parts per billion (ppb).  However, the estimated average formaldehyde concentration in Californian conventional homes is 14 ppb—and in manufactured homes is as high as 37 ppb.  In a recent California study, nearly all-new, single-family homes had indoor formaldehyde concentrations that exceeded guidelines for cancer and chronic lung irritation.  And these circumstances are often the same for indoor air quality in schools, exposing children to this cancer-causing toxicant.”

How: This will take time, as many of us don’t have the money to just throw away our current wardrobe and buy new, but as your clothes wear and fall apart, as the ones with chemicals often do, replace them with clothes made from untreated materials.  Of course, buying clothing made from organic cotton and wool is your best option.  As far as men’s dress shirts, make sure the ones you purchase doesn’t say stain resistant or wrinkle free.

3. As you need new furniture and mattresses, replace them with ones at are as natural and/or organic as possible.

The same formaldehyde found in those wrinkle free shirts are found in furniture as well.  This, combined with the chemical flame -retardants used on mainstream cushioned furniture, is what ends up as dust in your house, covering everything, even when we can’t see it.

How: You need to find safe and trusted sources. Don’t just believe what you read – furniture and mattresses and big ticket items.  Call the companies and speck to the owner, if you can.  Ask if they use flame-retardants and formaldehyde.  If they don’t know the answer, find someone who does.  Chances are, if they can’t tell you an answer, the answer is yes. With My Green Mattress, you can call and ask to speak with Tim or Kathy anytime.  They run the business and make the mattresses, and can tell you anything you want to know.  But, just so you know (in case you want to take my word for it), there are no chemicals used!