Category: Moving Like A Mother Blog

10 Tips For Healthy Sleep

10 Tips For Healthy Sleep

Posted on by Monica

I have struggled with healthy sleep almost my whole adult life. Insomnia is something I’ve battled on and off since college. I blame it on anxiety, stress, or sometimes I believe it might be related to hormonal fluctuations. Anyways, all I know is that it seriously sucks. There is nothing worse than laying in bed and feeling utterly exhausted but not being able to drift off into glorious sleep land. I’ve been the person staring up at the ceiling saying, “Ok, if I just fall asleep now I’ll get 4 hours… Ok, if I just fall asleep now I’ll get 3 hours…” and so on.

What’s more, I know how important it is to get good sleep. Sleep is when our body heals. It’s when we recover. We need sleep. Fortunately, I have learned a tip or two (or 10) that have been very helpful in helping me achieve healthy sleep. These are tips recommended by sleep experts as well as things I have tried that honestly work. Healthy sleep is an incremental component of our total health. Here’s a few more reasons why you need good sleep and how to get it.

Healthy sleep habits

Sleep Hygiene (it’s a thing)

Sleep hygiene refers to our routines that promote restful, uninterrupted sleep. It’s about practicing healthy habits that make it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling well rested. The Sleep Foundation states, “Sleep hygiene encompasses both environment and habits, and it can pave the way for higher-quality sleep and better overall health.” Good sleep habits can have a positive effect on several aspects of health including improved mental and physical state. And it is a simple and inexpensive component of total health you can easily work on by making small changes. That is of course, if your kids let you. So if your babies are sleeping through the night than you should be sleeping too. Here’s why.

What Happens If You Don’t Sleep

Lack of sleep can have numerous negative effects on our health. Sleep helps restore our bodies and our minds. Inadequate amounts of sleep may cause:

  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Poor concentration or memory
  • Compromised immune system
  • Decreased productivity

There are some health conditions related to an inability to get restful sleep that may need to be treated by the appropriate health care provider. This includes sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or other diagnosable sleep disorder. Speak to your health care provider if you think medication or a physical or mental health problem may be affecting your sleep.

poor sleep habits

What Does Healthy Sleep Look Like

Getting the appropriate amount of sleep impacts your physical development, mental health, cognition, quality of life, weight loss, and athletic performance. The recommended amount of sleep is between 7-9 hours each night. Children and teens likely need even more. The quality of sleep you get is just as important as the quantity. You should wake feeling well rested and restored. This means no or minimal night wakings due to having to go to the bathroom, environmental disturbances, insomnia, or other.

Check out these 10 tips for improving your sleep hygiene habits. Gradually try implementing some of these changes for healthier sleep and decreasing sleep disturbances.

Tips For Healthy Sleep

Tips For Healthy Sleep

1. Stick To A Routine

Try to rise and go to bed about the same time everyday. This helps develop our circadian rhythms. This is our body’s internal clock that tells us it’s time to be awake or it’s time to go to sleep. Routine also refers to the steps you take throughout the day and especially before bed that help trigger your mind and body that it’s time for sleep. Try to follow the same couple steps each night prior to going to bed.

2. Get Exercise In During the Day

Exercise during the day helps fatigue our body in a good way so we are ready for sleep and rest during the night. If you are having trouble falling asleep you should avoid exercise close to bedtime. Try and get some sunlight and physical activity during the day to help encourage quality sleep at night.

3. Watch What You Eat & Drink Before Bed

Be careful what you eat and drink as it gets close to bedtime. Generally it is best to avoid caffeine after 12 pm. Alcohol can also have a negative effect on sleep. While alcohol may make you sleepy it actually disrupts your sleep or REM cycles and prevents you from getting deep restorative sleep. You should also avoid eating large meals close to bedtime as the digestion process can trigger your body to be awake. Plus having a big meal can cause discomfort and make it difficult to fall asleep.

4. Write Down a To-Do List

Anxiety and stress is one of the main reasons people, especially moms, may have trouble relaxing in order to fall asleep. With mental to-do lists 10 miles long it can be hard to quiet the mind. Try writing down everything on your mind in a “to-do” list. Jot down a list of all the things you want to remember for the next day to help clear your mind.

5. Avoid Screen Time

Try to put away all screens including cell phones, tablets, and even the T.V. 30 to 60 minutes before bed. These devices cause mental stimulation that can be hard to turn off. News or social media can further cause anxiety or stress making it hard to relax prior to bed. Furthermore the blue light that is emitted by these devices has been shown to reduce melatonin production. Melatonin is the natural “sleepy” hormone produced by your body.

6. Have a Wind Down Period for Something Relaxing

Similar to putting the screen away try to incorporate a 30-60 minute wind down period to help relax your body and prepare it for sleep. Instead of trying to get “sleepy” before bed focus on trying to become relaxed. Try reading a book, listening to music, meditating, mindfulness, or diaphragmatic breathing.

7. Turn the Temperature Down

A cool environment has been shown to be optimal for a restful nights sleep. Your perfect temperature may vary but around 65-67 degrees has been found to be best for sleep. Try turning down the thermostat or opening a window depending on your home or sleep environment.

8. Cover Up All Extra Light

Any extra light in your bedroom may be disrupting your sleep. Even a small power light emitted by a T.V. or clock may cause you to wake at night. Set your cellphones to bedtime mode and remove all unnecessary electronics. We have every single power light on our T.V. and receivers covered up in our bedroom by electrical tape. You can also use heavy curtains or an eye mask to block out any extra light.

9. Turn on White Noise

White noise isn’t just for infants. Use a noise machine or turn on a fan to drown out noise. White noise creates a buffer form noise disturbances that may wake you up at night.

10. Keep The Bed/Bedroom For Sleeping Only

Maintain a link between your mind that the bed is for sleeping time only. Avoid using the bed to watch T.V., have a snack, pay bills, or just hang out. Enter the bedroom when you are prepared for sleep. Should you have difficulty falling asleep avoid laying in bed and tossing and turning. If after being in bed for 20 minutes you can not fall asleep get up and stretch, read, get a drink of water or do something relaxing before trying to fall asleep again.

Sleeping Positions

 

Good For You Sleeping Positions

If pain is preventing you from sleep there are some optimal positions to try for restful sleep. Side sleeping with a pillow between your knees and under your top arm can help reduce pressure on the low back. If you have shoulder pain try partial side sleeping with a pillow behind your upper back. Essentially you are side sleeping with your upper body only 1/3 turned to reduce pressure on the shoulders and the back. A pregnancy body pillow can be an expecting mother’s best friend to improve sleep comfort and reduce pressure on the back and hips. Avoid using too many pillows under your head and neck as this can cause poor neck alignment and muscle strain.

What’s Next?

Practicing healthy sleep habits is one way to improve your total or holistic health. You can think of it as self care but in actuality it is so much more. Try implementing some of these tips if you are struggling with getting a good night sleep. Again always speak with your health care provider if you are struggling to get good restful sleep. Healthy sleep is imperative for a healthy you.

Good luck and sweet dreams.

–Monica

Recent Posts
Top Posts & Pages
Are You Breathing The Right Way? (How breath impacts our body)

Are You Breathing The Right Way? (How breath impacts our body)

Posted on by Monica

Did you know we use our muscles to breathe? I mean we don’t really have to think about using them, but our muscles are working to pull air into our lungs and push air out. Several muscle groups surrounding our chest and core are all contracting and relaxing in beautiful synchrony to allow breath in and out of our lungs. Pretty cool stuff. But sometimes we are not breathing the “right” way. We might hold our breath or take small shallow breaths without even noticing we are doing it. And these little breath changes can have big impact on our body.

Why Breathing The Right Way Matters

breathing the right way

The main muscle we use for breath is our diaphragm. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that lies just below the lungs. It contracts and relaxes rhythmically, and normally subconsciously. But often, due to physical changes (such as pregnancy), posture, stress, or other factors we stop breathing deep into our diaphragm. Instead we might start chest breathing using the accessory respiratory muscles of our chest and neck. No bueno.

Breathing deep into the diaphragm helps with proper physical function, especially core stability and health. The diaphragm is one of the deep core muscles contracts and relaxes in harmony with the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis (core), and multifidi muscles. Read my Pop Can Core post to learn how the diaphragm is connected to our other deep core muscles.

How To Breath the Right Way

how to breath the right way

Ok, so how do you make sure you are breathing the “right way”? First let’s visualize the diaphragm. Like I mentioned earlier, the diaphragm is a muscle that sits just under the lungs at the bottom of the rib cage. When we inhale the diaphragm contracts downward creating a vacuum that allows air to be pulled into the lungs. We we exhale the diaphragm relaxes and rises back up to force air out of lungs.

Unfortunately due to any of the aforementioned reasons, sometimes we stop breathing deeply into our diaphragm. Instead our breath stays “shallow” and we no longer allow the diaphragm to contract all the way down. Just like with any muscle when it’s not contracting and relaxing appropriately problems tend to arise. So let’s make sure we are fully activating our diaphragm by following this exercise below.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise (belly breath):

Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees flexed and your hands on your stomach near lower ribs.

Step 2: Take a deep breath in through your nose. Feel your belly and lower ribs expand out into your hands. The diaphragm is contracting downwards.

Step 3: Slowly let the breath out through pursued lips (like you are blowing out a candle). As you blow out feel your a deep abdominal muscles (your TA) activate and your belly contracts inward. The diaphragm relaxes upward.

Repeat for 5-10 breaths.

diaphragmatic breathing

Laying down is the best way to stay relaxed and really tune into your breath and muscle activation but this can be done in any position including sitting or standing.

Benefits of Proper Breathing

There are numerous benefits to breathing the right way. Some of the main benefits include:

  1. Improves core muscle stability
  2. Improves exercise tolerance
  3. Promotes relaxation/reduces stress
  4. Lowers heart rate/blood pressure
  5. Less work of breathing
  6. Improved oxygenation to the body

Practicing Your Diaphragmatic Breathing

exercises for diaphragmatic breathing

There are several other parts of the body that dictate how you breath. Your rib mobility, posture, chest wall flexibility, and core strength can all play a roll. And when you are not breathing properly one or more of these elements may be negatively affected. Improper breathing patterns can be related to neck pain, shoulder pain, low back and incontinence.

So once you nail down the diaphragmatic breathing exercise described above try working on your belly breath during other daily activities or exercise. Some other ways to work on your breathing include:

  • Try belly breathing while sitting at your desk. Assume an upright posture and practice breathing deep into your belly. As you slowly exhale, activate your abdominal muscles.
  • Work on deep diaphragmatic breathing during core stability exercises. Blowing out is a great way to activate your deep transverse abdominis muscle.
  • Practice diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor contractions. As the diaphragm contracts downward on an inhale the pelvic floor also lengthens downward. During the exhale the diaphragm relaxes upwards and the pelvic floor muscles should also contract or stretch back upwards.
  • Try diaphragmatic breathing while on your hands and knees, sitting on an exercise ball, or while laying on your side. Every position will work the muscles in a slightly different way so it’s good to mix it up.

What’s Next?

Proper breath technique is one of the main building blocks for proper body function. But besides helping with your deep core activation good diaphragmatic breathing can be calming and relaxing. Personally I love some good belly breathing after a hectic day with my kids. Keep following along for more helpful hints for taking care of your body. Follow me on Instagram @movinglikeamother for quick tips and tricks.

Keep calm and breath on.

-Monica

Recent Posts
Top Posts & Pages
Bouncing Back After Baby (Why All New Moms Should Have Physical Therapy After Pregnancy)

Bouncing Back After Baby (Why All New Moms Should Have Physical Therapy After Pregnancy)

Posted on by Monica

Hi ya’ll. Some of you may know that I recently began seeking further education in the area of women’s health. I especially have a strong interest in the pregnancy and postpartum population. Since having my two babies I have realized how much change women undergo physically. It’s actually quite amazing what our bodies are capable of. But unfortunately, our postpartum bodies are not perfect. Muscle weaknesses, posture changes, and healing tissues can lead to aches, pains, and impaired function. Luckily physical therapy is available to help women after pregnancy with many of these new and unanticipated challenges.

The need for physical therapy after pregnancy

physical therapy after pregnancy

In my recent postpartum course I discovered some staggering statistics on the number of women struggling with postpartum pain or issues who are not receiving any treatment. Some of the particularly noteworthy statistics include:

Pregnancy related lumbopelvic pain persists in 25-50% of women at 3 months postpartum. And if the pain is there at 3 months postpartum, then it will most likely still be there at one year postpartum. 

Sometimes this back pain can become chronic. So what exactly does this mean? This tells us that postpartum women suffering from low back pain need therapeutic intervention. Unfortunately the pain will not just magically go away. 

What’s more, only 32% of women who have PLBP (pregnancy low back pain)  or PGP (pelvic girdle pain)  report it to their care providers. And then of those who report pain to their providers only 25% of these women get a treatment recommendation. This means a huge number of women are not getting any treatment or professional help for their physical problems after having a baby.  

Postpartum Care in Other Countries

physical therapy postpartum

So why aren’t more women in the U.S. getting physical therapy after pregnancy? I mean their body just went through a huge change, they potentially had surgery, and their physical demands just grew exponentially with a new tiny human on the scene. 

Many other countries are leaps and bounds ahead of us in their postpartum care of mothers. In France, the Netherlands, and Australia every woman is automatically given several visits with a pelvic floor physical therapist to address healing issues,  muscle imbalances, or any other concerns.  Fox News published an article addressing the vast difference between France and the U.S in their care of the postpartum women. In fact, U.S. women are the least likely to get physical therapy treatment after pregnancy (only 24%) compared to Europeans.  

Yet, of these women who do get treatment in the U.S. up to 87% reported positive effect, meaning that therapy works. Obviously. Therapy can help your body heal effectively in order to prevent chronic pain symptoms, incontinence, pain with future pregnancies, and safe return to exercise and regular activities. 

postpartum care

Common Problems Postpartum 

Below are some of the common problems women might experience postpartum.

Abdominal Separation/ Diastasis Recti 

When we are pregnant our uterus and stomachs grow as the baby grows. This new growth can place extra pressure on the linea alba which is the tissue that runs down the middle of your 6 pack abs (also known as your rectus abdominis). The added pressure on your linea alba can lead to a separation of your abdominal muscles known as a diastasis recti. A diastasis recti is diagnosed postpartum if the distance between the abs is 2 finger widths or more when measured slightly above and below the belly button, or there is insufficient muscle tension.  Around 4 weeks postpartum this separation naturally starts to come back together.

However, about 60% of women still have a diastasis recti 6 weeks after childbirth. In fact, if a diastasis recti is present at 8 weeks postpartum it will likely still be present at 1 year (Coldron, 2008) An untreated diastasis recti can contribute to low back pain, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and other pressure system issues in our body. 

A physical therapist would be able to assess and provide proper treatment to help heal a diastasis recti. We do not have any specific exercise program supported in the scientific literature to heal a diastasis. What matters is the quality of your exercises and movement which would be assessed by a specially trained PT.

Incontinence

For many women pregnancy and postpartum is the starting point for urinary leakage and other bladder problems. There is no “normal” amount of leakage or pee with activity. A systematic review shows that 33% of women have urinary incontinence at 3 months postpartum. At 4 years postpartum about 29% women reported incontinence. Postpartum incontinence could be from weakness, poor coordination, pelvic floor muscle endurance or from overactivity and muscle trigger points. Again a pelvic floor therapist would be able to evaluate and determine to the best specific and individualized treatment for you. 

Therapy after having a baby

Cesarean Section Scar Healing  

One in three women have a cesarean section according to an article written by The Bump in 2017. A cesarean section is a major surgery in which several layers of the abdomen are cut open. Caesarean sections vary in the layers sutured or not suture as well as the depth and amount of scarring. There are several techniques for scar mobility and massage to help the healing process. A physical therapist can perform and educate a woman on these techniques to aid in optimal recovery. 

Perineal Tearing 

Tearing is the tissue damage that happens during labor and delivery. Greater than 85% of women have perineal trauma with vaginal birth (about 50% of women have episiotomy). Tissue healing of the pelvic floor is important for proper function and remaining pain free.

Low Back or Pelvic Pain

Pregnancy related low back pain or pelvic girdle pain is common during and after pregnancy. Due to changes in the body’s composition and posture during pregnancy many muscles and ligaments can become stressed out and irritable. And as previously mentioned, the core muscles are often quiet weak so there is a lack of stability which can further contribute to pain in the back and pelvis.

Upper Back and Neck Pain

Similarly upper back and neck pain is often present postpartum. Upper back pain is reported in about 43% of postpartum women. This again is due to muscle imbalances and forward posture preferences when holding baby, feeding baby, and more.

There are numerous other things a physical therapist can assist a new mom with after having a baby. Other impairments that often need to be addressed are posture, gait, breathing patterns, body mechanics, and potentially nerve pain. 

How Can Physical Therapy Help New Moms After Pregnancy

Physical Therapy after having a baby

No two women, pregnancies, or birth stories are the exact same so there is no one size fits all treatment for new moms. An individualized treatment session with a PT would allow a therapist to look at your specific impairments. There are numerous ways physical therapy could help a woman after pregnancy.

Examples include:

  • Help aid appropriate healing of perineal or C-section scars/incisions
  • Education on body mechanics and positioning techniques to improve function and prevent pain
  • Provide specific techniques and exercises to heal and strengthen the abdominal muscles (often through use of biofeedback, palpation, observation). They can help postpartum moms retrain the deep core muscles to work effectively and appropriately 
  • Provide specific exercises to heal and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
  • Assess posture, breathing patterns, and gait mechanics for correctness and efficiency
  • Evaluate and treat low back pain and pelvic pain. Possible techniques include massage, taping, manipulations, and appropriate exercises.
  • Provide an individualized treatment plan for safe return to exercise

physical therapy after pregnancy

What’s Next?

Ok, ok I’ll get off my soap box now. I just recently realized how little education is available to American women regarding their postpartum bodies. To be honest with you there is so much I have learned already that I was not aware of when I had my children. Luckily, I was able to use some of my prior knowledge of the human body to heal and get rid of the little pain and discomfort I did experience after having my babies. But most women do not have a background or education base on body biomechanics and exercise science.

So what can you do? I would love love love if you could share this info with all the mamas or mamas to be out there. I do believe there is a movement happening in the U.S. for postpartum care to be more common place. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor for a referral to a pelvic floor therapist or woman’s health specialist. I think there is a bit of a stigma around woman needing therapy after pregnancy. But you wouldn’t be embarrassed if someone told you your leg muscles were weak. Weakness of the core and pelvic floor shouldn’t be any different.

Keep following along as I embark on this journey of education regarding health and wellness for the pregnancy and postpartum woman. And I do believe the saying, once postpartum, always postpartum. Our bodies are fricken amazing. Let’s give them the love and respect they deserve.

–Monica

Recent Posts
Top Posts & Pages
Hints for Happy Healthy Hips

Hints for Happy Healthy Hips

Posted on by Monica

Our hips are pretty cool joints. The hips and the shoulders are the only two joints in our body that are ball and socket joints. This means that the hip can move in many different directions. The six main directions the hip can move are forward (flexion), kick to the outside (abduction), kick to the inside (adduction), backwards (extension), rotates inward (internal rotation), and rotates outward (external rotation). But with more power comes more responsibility.

The hips are very important joints in our total body movement, function, and well being. Unfortunately, the hips can be somewhat temperamental and cause various aches, pains, and even weird snapping sensations. Check out what causes these problems and helpful hints and exercises for happy, healthy hips.

Hip Pain

Problems or pain in the hips can feel like low back pain, groin pain, or even pelvic pain. Because the hips are such complex joints there are many muscles, ligaments, and other components that all need to be working in synchrony for the hips to function properly.

Some of the common causes of hip pain include:

  • Joint laxity (such as during pregnancy)
  • Muscle weakness
  • Prolonged positions (especially sitting)
  • Muscle or tissue tightness
  • Obesity or sudden weight gain (pregnancy again)
  • Labral tear, bursitis, arthritis, or other condition that would need to be evaluated and treated by the appropriate medical professional

Hip pain; happy healthy hips

Pain in the front of the hip:

Pain or tightness felt in the front of the hip may be due to prolonged or excessive sitting. Prolonged sitting shortens the muscles in the front of our hips, our hip flexors. When theses muscles become shortened they often become weak. This can present as a tightness sensation. This tightness feeling is the body trying to provide some stability to compensate for that hip flexor weakness. They best way to combat this is to actually strengthen the hip flexors.

Another sensation often felt in the front of the hip is pinching. This is may be felt with motions that involve flexing your hip such as squats or stairs. Sometimes a snapping or popping sensation is felt on the front of the hip. Have no fear. This is usually just the hip flexor muscle rolling over another boney structure in your hip. The best treatment for this sensation is again to strengthen your hip flexors and your abdominal muscles. You might want to try some of these core strengthening exercises to build abdominal strength.

Pain in the side of the hip:

Problems can also occur on the outside of the hip. Muscle tightness of the piriformis or glutes can cause pain and discomfort in this area. Try some of these piriformis stretches to relieve that tightness. Again, you might also experience a snapping sensation felt on the outside of your hip. This is often your iliotibial band, or ITB. Your ITB is a long thick band of fascia. The snapping sensation occurs when your ITB snaps over a boney aspect of your hip (the greater trochanter). This is often due to poor alignment, tightness, or gluteal weakness. Try strengthening your gluteal muscles to prevent or decrease this hip popping sensation.

Pain in the back or groin:

Pain felt near your lower back or the back side of your hip may be due to hamstring tightness or pelvic dysfunction. Be sure to check out my post devoted entirely to pelvic pain and try out some of these exercises to reset your pelvis. Many people with “bad hips” may also experience groin pain. Groin pain may also actually be due to poor hip function and mobility. Keep reading to find out why mobility matters and how to get your hips movin and groovin.

Hip mobility; healthy hips

Hip Mobility Exercises

Hip mobility is very important for the prevention of hip pain. Mobility is the ability to take your joint through its full active range of motion.

Having sufficient mobility to a joint can:

  • reduces stiffness
  • decrease soreness
  • improve blood flow
  • decrease stress on surrounding joints

As previously mentioned many of us spend much of our day sitting. And even those of us who are up moving around, standing, or walking, are not regularly taking our hip joints through their full range of motion. This leads to tightness, weakness, and immobility.

Try out some of these stretches and exercises to improve your hip mobility and help you get some happy healthy hips:

Stretches:

Hip Flexor Stretch

Lay on your stomach. Using your hand reach around and gently pull your foot towards your buttocks. If you can not reach your foot you can use a towel or belt looped around your foot. Hold at least 30 seconds

Pigeon Pose

Cross one leg in front of your body while the other leg is extended back behind you. Gently lean forward over the front leg. Hold at least 30 seconds.

Butterfly Pose

Sitting place your feet together with your knees flailing outwards. Gently lean forward between your knees. Hold at least 30 seconds.

Mobility Exercises:

Side Lunge

Start standing and lunge deeply over one leg while keeping your opposite knee straight. You should feel a stretch near your inner thigh and groin. Repeat to the opposite side.

Standing CARs

Start in a standing position. Lift your knee up as high as you can without rounding your lower back. Keep your knee up and move your knee to the outside. Keep the knee there and rotate the hip inwards and backwards. Finally bring the knee back down so it is in line with the standing leg. Repeat 5 times each leg.

Seated Mobility Flow

Start in a seated position. Rotate your body and hips such that you are side sitting. Rise to kneeling position and thrust hips forward over your front leg. Slowly return to sitting and repeat on the opposite side. (HINT: this is great practice for getting up off the floor without using your hands)

What’s Next?

Our hips are a very important part of our body. Much of the force that is placed on our body from standing and walking is transferred through our pelvis and our hips. Our hips need to be mobile and strong for optimal function and minimal pain. Feel free to drop a comment with any other questions you might have about the hips. Or follow me on Instagram at @movinglikeamother for more tips, tricks, and quick advice.

Exercises for Hip Pain

Recent Posts
Top Posts & Pages