I am thrilled that once again my favourite businesses are offering giveaways! This is an opportunity to have some fun and spread joy to each and everyone of you.
****BONUS 12 GIVEAWAYS*****
Each of these terrific businesses are graciously offering a fantastic GIVEAWAY that anyone can win. Just head over to the Sound of Sleep Facebook Page to enter. Beginning December 1st you have a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
World Changing Kids
Give the gift of kindness! We all want to encourage our children to be kinder, especially at Christmas. Lindsey Barr is an author, speaker and founder of World-Changing Kids (WCK) – empowering children to believe that they can make the world a better place, help them to figure out how they want to do this, and give them the tools necessary to make this happen. Plant a Garden of Kindness is the perfect gift for any child!
www.facebook.com/worldchangingkids/
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Little Ray’s Nature Centres
Little Ray’s Nature Centres (previously Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo) is a privately funded zoo and animal rescue and is the largest of its kind in Canada, and what started off as a private collection of pets has blossomed and grown into something spectacular! The zoo has the largest and most diverse animal education outreach program in Canada and is extremely proud of the reputation they have built – the perfect gift filled with fun and adventure! Read more about Paul, Sheri, and the zoo at http://raysreptiles.com/about-us/
www.facebook.com/LittleRaysOttawa/
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Jackie Leduc of Cumberland Yoga & Mobility
Jackie Leduc is an Integrative Wellness Coach and Movement Specialist who helps people move, feel, and be well so they can live their lives to the fullest without pain, discomfort, or embarrassment. Whether you’re looking for the warmth and kinship of a small group yoga or mobility class, wellness workshops and mindful retreats or you would prefer individualized, laser-focused one-to-one work, she is here for you!
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Success in Steps Behaviour Consultant
Sylvia Corzato is a Parent Consultant and Founder of Success in Steps with over 17 years of experience working with children and their families! Success in Steps helps overwhelmed and frustrated parents spend less time on challenges and behaviours and more time enjoying their family. Everyone needs this gift of support and guidance on the parenting journey! Learn more about the incredible work that she offers here.
www.facebook.com/successinsteps/
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Irina Fortey Photography
Gift your loved one with photo memories! Irina Fortey is a baby and family documentary photographer. With a strong visual aesthetic, she flawlessly links the feelings with the emotions you wish to remember, drawing out beauty, comedy and the unseen story her clients wish to remember through her stunning photography. A photo session and her book “how to (emotionally) photograph your baby’s first year are gifts that will stay with your family for a lifetime!
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Mellow Baby
Give the gift of fun, connection and bonding with your baby and other parents through Mellow Baby massage and sign classes. Owner, Jenni Lloyd, offers a little get-away for Moms & Dads, while creating products and an environment that is fun and accessible for everyone! Babies love all the songs, rhymes, materials and toys to help stimulate sensory development, and improve sleep patterns in your baby!
www.facebook.com/mellowbabyottawa
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Allergies & Me
The gift of wellness! Lori Preshing, RHN- a Nutrition Consultant specializes in hidden food allergies, digestive issues – food and chemical sensitivities and is a Food Allergy Advocate! She works with various wellness clinics and local specialists, and will help you create plans that are able to deliver improved health for the entire family. Learn more about Lori and her gift for helping families here.
https://www.facebook.com/lori.preshing
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Lunar Fusion
The gift of peace and relaxation! Jen Hastings is a 200Hr Certified Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master. Her passion is to guide people into a state of relaxation through restorative and yin yoga and yoga nidra meditation practices. She is an expert at helping people remember what a relaxed state truly feels like whether through one on one Reiki Sessions that aim to bring awareness to the root cause of the stress and imbalance or by experiencing one of her relaxation yoga practices. Learn more about Jen’s events and incredible work here.
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Salsa Babies
Salsa is for everyone –an older child, expecting parent, or while baby wearing! Salsa Babies Ottawa, is the original provider of Latin dance/fitness classes for families in the Ottawa area! Salsa Bellies™ and Salsa Babies™ programs are perfect for expecting and new parents. While our Salsa Tots™ and Salsa Kids™ classes will get older kids moving to our unique Latin Beat! Check out their 2020 classes!
www.facebook.com/salsababiesottawaarea/
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Horizon Coaching Solutions
Give the gift of health through nutrition with Anne Thibodeau, M.Sc. Nutrition, RHC™ and CEO of Horizon Coaching Solutions! She offers custom coaching and group programs to help her clients overcome obstacles that have them feeling “stuck” so that they can finally make a positive change in their nutrition and their life! Check out her new and exciting Horizon Coaching Solution’s VIP members, and receive 5 easy and healthy weeknight dinner recipes – ready in 30 minutes or less, detailed grocery list, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday morning!
www.facebook.com/horizoncoachingsolutions
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Sound Of Sleep Consulting Services
Enjoy the gift of sleep this Christmas! Diane Dauphinais is a Sleep Specialist that offers her expertise in Pediatric, Teen & Adult sleep. Eliminate the exhaustion, and achieve solid sleep routines with her unique support and guidance through any of her customized coaching programs found here!
www.facebook.com/www.soundofsleep.ca/
Remember to follow and share the Sound of Sleep Facebook Page to enter any of the GIVEAWAYS starting December 1st to enter your chance to win!
It’s nighttime, yet the idea of going to bed sounds more like a nightmare rather than sweet dreams.
Why?
Chances are you likely can not fall asleep or stay asleep and are dealing with constant insomnia. These symptoms include:
- Going to bed at a reasonable time, but laying awake for hours.
- Falling asleep easily, but waking up and are unable to fall back to sleep.
- Or the worst yet, not sleeping at all.
Experiencing insomnia is no joke! In fact Stats Canada reported in 2007-2013 that 43% of men and 55% of women between the ages of 18-64 years of age have trouble going to or staying asleep. Based on what we know about the increase in technology, the constant demands to do more in a 24-hour day, we can suspect that these numbers are on the rise.
There are 2 common reasons that insomnia is becoming a major health crisis
1.Technology: Screens emit blue light which directly interferes with our sleepy hormone, melatonin.
Solution: Many of us do not need to reach for a melatonin supplement, but can become more disciplined with turning off our electronics at least 1 hour before bedtime, keeping our phones out of the bedroom and answering only necessary emails . Even if you fall asleep quickly, the disruption to melatonin before bedtime will increase wakefulness throughout the night.
Additional tip! Rediscover a new passion, draw, read a book, a magazine, take a bath or meditate to replace evening television or scrolling social media.
2. Stress: Although stress is a normal part of our lives, it is not meant to be a constant state of being throughout the day. This only increases cortisol levels. The stress response created by the sympathetic nervous system (also known as “fight or flight”) is great for times when we need to be on high alert as it can help you escape any life threatening situation. However, it also increases blood pressure, damages blood vessels, promotes a build up of fat stores and of course, keeps you wide awake at night if not kept in balance.
Solution: Create a 30 minute bedtime routine so that you have time to unwind before going to bed. This will not only help you fall asleep more easily, but it will also help you to stay asleep.
Additional tip! Give your body the time it needs to rest during the day. Take a walk at lunch, meditate for 5 minutes, read a good book, spend time with a phone call, or visit a friend or a family member.
Of course, if you are struggling with sleep, your health, and increasing stress, you are not alone. I would like to chat more about your sleep challenges so that you can be your best self again! I welcome you to schedule a free Discovery call here
Sleep well,
Diane
- Get into comfortable pajamas.
- Read or take a bath with dim lights.
- Drink chamomile tea.
- Keep your bedroom cool and bedroom free from clutter.
- Turn lights out.
If you are struggling with sleep, your health, and feel increasingly more stressed with less hours in your day to do it all, you are not alone. I would like to chat more about your sleep challenges so that you can be your best self again! I welcome you to schedule a free Discovery call here – https://my.timetrade.com/book/6PZFG
Sleep well,
Diane
Do you notice……everyone is B-U-S-Y? I hear it when I am at the park with my children, at the grocery store, before a work meeting, and of course when I dig in to find out why someone is not sleeping at night.
“I am so busy.”
“I can’t wait for the weekend. Work has been so busy.”
“Wow, that was such a busy weekend. I did not stop.”
“I am so tired. I will sleep when I am dead.”
Not to be harsh but SO many people say this. Please.stop.saying.it.
It may be the endless to-do list that got done or did not get done. I often wonder, are we stuck in filling our days with more than we can handle?
Why are we unable to share the moments we sat with our child for 10 minutes at the end of the school day, the glass of wine that we shared with our spouse, or a good book that we have read? Life ebbs and flows so busy times are normal. The question I often ask clients is, “Does it have to be our constant state of being?”
Busy, I have fallen in the “busy trap” myself and it enabled me to pause and reflect on what mattered the most to me in my life and fully understand the necessity for rest.
Sleep is so much more than 8 hours at night with a bedtime routine, although I am a huge fan of course! I am going to share my top 4 tips for slowing down hoping these will enable you to begin to sleep and live better starting now.
- Find ways to slow down. Doing this will eliminate being in “fight or flight” mode which that produces cortisol and zaps our energy. Keep it simple: a 10-minute walk at lunch, taking a bath, reading a book, chewing your food while away from your desk, journaling or meditating.
- Create boundaries. Honour your sleep. Doing more on less hours of sleep is only going to make you tired, irritable and less productive. Provide yourself with 7-9 hours of sleep most nights of the week. Know when you need to wake up for the day, and count backwards to find your best bedtime.
- Stop scrolling. Blue light interferes with melatonin and often increases stress with the good and bad news often shared on social media. Set an alarm for 10-minutes of scrolling time and then stop and make sure that you are off all screens at least 1 hour before bedtime.
- Ask for help. We can’t do it all! If someone offers to help, say yes please! And don’t be afraid to ask a family member or a friend for help, hire a housecleaner, or order groceries online if it helps during a busy week.
If you are struggling with sleep, your health, and feel increasingly more stressed with less hours in your day to do it all, you are not alone. I would like to chat more about your sleep challenges so that you can be your best self again! I welcome you to schedule a free Discovery call here – https://my.timetrade.com/book/6PZFG
Sleep well,
Diane
