As a Reflexologist, I always ask clients about their sleep patterns, because a good night's sleep is so important to general well-being.  And better sleep is often one of the additional benefits of a Reflexology treatment as the majority of my clients report having had a great night's sleep after a treatment.

The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep: 
* a good night's sleep can help learning and memory; 
* chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite;
* insufficient sleep can lead to poor performance and accidents; 
* sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness; 
* serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat; 
* sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. 

Here are  ways to get a better night's sleep:

1. Have a sleep routine
Going to bed and waking at the same time (even at weekends) helps to improve your ability to sleep and the quality of that sleep.  Avoid evening naps by keeping active until bedtime.

2. Get out into natural light
Long days in the office under artificial light can make your brain sleepy, while hours in front of a TV or computer screen can suppress the body's production of melatonin, making it harder to sleep.  Get out during the day - walk to or from work or go for a walk at lunchtime - even in winter when light levels are poor, this will help your sleep patterns.  The exercise you get from your walk will also help you sleep better at night.

3. Make sure your bedroom is sleep friendly
Keep your bedroom cool and well ventilated.  Keep your bedroom dark - use blackout blinds or a mask to keep light out.  Have your bedroom as quiet as possible, and if you can't avoid noises from neighbours or barking dogs, use soothing sounds or earplugs to mask external noise. And, of course, make sure your bed is comfy.  If you wake with a sore back or aching neck it may be a sign that you need a new mattress or a different pillow.

4. Prepare for bed
Have a bedtime routine: as well as brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed, incorporate relaxing activities into your bedtime routine: try doing a 15 minute relaxation, or some gentle yoga exercises.  To allow you to be totally relaxed, empty your head: write down all the things that you want to do tomorrow, or anything that is worrying you, or anything that you need to think about, or anything that you need to remember to do. Get it all down on paper, so there's nothing for your mind to chew on as you try to get to sleep.

5. Eat yourself sleepy
For a better night's sleep avoid big meals and fatty food late at night, alcohol, caffeine, and smoking all of which will disrupt sleep patterns.  If you find yourself waking at night for a snack, try having a light snack before bed - a handful of almonds or a couple of oatcakes with half a banana, honey, a slice of turkey or cheese may help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the night.  You might also want to have a cup of chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk.

6. Get rid of anxiety
If worry keeps you awake at night, this is may be a stress problem, not a sleep problem and you need to address the source of your worry.  You may benefit from meditation, or you may need to learn how to manage your thoughts, or perhaps enrol on a stress management course.  If it's a problem and you're not sure what to do for the best, go to your GP for advice.

7. Try a Reflexology treatment
Sometimes it's nice not to have to do everything yourself, so consider getting support from a Reflexology treatment.  Many clients talk about getting a great night's sleep after a treatment - it's almost as it a Reflexology session has the effect of pressing a reset button in the body. That's not to say that you won't need to take action yourself, but you know what they say about a problem shared is a problem halved!

If you're experiencing poor sleep and would like to try Reflexology to discover if it will help, click this link to email me and ask about my special discount for new clients.

Wishing you sweet dreams.

Have you been trying to conceive for 12 months or more, without success?

Are you confused by all the conflicting information on the internet? 

Would you like to feel more supported with your efforts to get pregnant?

Fertility Support Workshops

• Get clear about the lifestyle Do’s and Don’ts to improve fertility
• Discover how to transform your environment into a fertility friendly zone
• Learn how to develop a Baby Making Mindset
• Uncover any unconscious barriers you may have to getting pregnant
• Learn techniques to cope with the highs and lows of trying to conceive
• Discover powerful relaxation techniques to relieve stress
• Explore mind/body techniques that can enhance fertility 
• The nutritional maze made easy
  
• Unlock the secrets of a positive mental attitude
  

Sign up for a series of 6 Fertility Support Workshops:

Only 10 places available

When:                  Mondays 7.30-9pm on:
                             22 Sept,  6 Oct,  20 Oct,  3 Nov,  17 Nov,  1 Dec 2014

Where:                The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre
                             25 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh

How Much:         £15 per session

Book:                  Contact Doris Wylie on 07724 197627 or
                            email doriswylie@btinternet.com

Doris Wylie
Lothian Reflexology                        www.lothianreflexology.co.uk
07724 197627                                www.facebook.com/lothianreflexology

If you'd like to conceive, I'd ask you to look at all the highs and lows of your fertility journey. I know you'd do anything to get pregnant, so I'd like you to ask yourself ... are you trying too hard?

Trying might not be a useful thing to do, in fact it may actually hinder all your best efforts, because trying is about : endeavour, difficulty, becoming annoyed – or so the dictionary says.  Trying is all about chasing after your dream rather than waiting to receive it. Trying is all about forcing your heart's desire into being rather than allowing it to materialise in it's own good time.  Trying is about control rather than being in a state of flow.

Are you chasing your dream of having a baby rather than being ready to receive with open arms?  May I suggest that this might not be the best strategy.  And here’s why ...

Imaging you were to go fishing.  If you were to go fishing, you’d pack your kit – everything you need to land that prizewinning fish. You’d pick the perfect spot where you know the fish are likely to be. You’d set your bait and cast your line and then you’d sit back and relax and wait for the fish to bite. And while you’re waiting for the fish to bite you’d likely just enjoy being out in the fresh air, in the peace and quiet, giving yourself time to settle and release, and letting your worries and cares wash away.

What you wouldn’t do is: jump into the car with no equipment. Then stop at any old spot without checking first to find out how the fishing was. And race into the water fully clothed, trying to catch the fish with your bare hands! That would just be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

The very act of “trying”, creates a level of stress that is more likely to take you away from what you want instead of closer to it. You effectively create obstacles that wouldn’t otherwise exist as a consequence of your desire to increase your chances of getting pregnant.  You begin to get in your own way!  Can I just say that again, "You begin to get in your own way"!

This is not always an easy concept to process when your sole goal in life is to get pregnant, so please give it some thought.

May I suggest that you might choose to let go, stop "trying", chill and just wait for the fish to bite.  And if you need some help with your fertility journey, check out how Fertility Reflexology could help.

If you want more tips like this, you’ll find them in the Free Baby Making Mindset Club, just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422257428013810/

The International Stress Management Association launched their 2008 National Stress Awareness Day with their top ten stress busters:

1. SMILE – it’s quick, easy and free!  When you smile your body releases feel-good hormones.
   
2. EXERCISE – you get a treble whammy through exercise: better health, improved blood flow to the brain, helping you think more clearly and reduced stress levels.
   
3. GET ENOUGH REST & SLEEP – hobbies and holidays counterbalance work and everyday stress and sleep helps restore energy, concentration and general health.
   
4. POSITIVE THINKING – remember external events don’t determine how you feel, rather it’s your response to external events that determines how you feel.  Try adopting a positive response and thinking positive thoughts.  It may take a bit of practice, but it’s worth it.
   
5. REACH OUT TO OTHERS – Make sure you have a support network of friends, family and co-workers you can call on to help take the strain.  And remember to be a good support to them too.
   
6. ACHIEVE A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE – All work and no play makes Jack and Jill a dull boy and girl.  How you spend your time away from work can improve your performance and effect in work.
   
7. RELAXATION – Make relaxation a regular part of your daily routine because relaxation is an easy and effective anti-stress weapon.  Check out the many books, CDs & DVD that can help.
   
8. EAT A HEALTHY DIET – Cutting down on coffee, sugar, alcohol and nicotine will help you avoid mood swings and a balanced diet will have your body functioning at its optimum level and more able to deal with stressful situations as they arise.
   
9. HUGGING – Hugging feels good and has been proven to reduce the stress hormone, cortisone, so make sure you give and get your fair share of hugs.
   
10. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IF YOU NEED IT – If you’re coping with more than one big event in your life – moving house, divorce, the death of someone close, big issues at work, ill-health – you may be so busy coping with the situations that you don’t notice their effect on you.  Don’t be shy about seeking professional help – your GP, a counsellor, a stress management professional, etc may help you cope better maintain your physical and mental health.

Pick one items from the list and put it into practice and see how well it works for you.

Or you could come for a relaxing Reflexology or Indian Head Massage and let someone else take the strain for a change. Just call Doris on 07724 197627 to book your appointment.  And remember there's a special JULY OFFER: £10 off your first treatment - but only if you book in July (appointments can be scheduled for August).

Hypnotherapy, affirmations, the law of attraction, NLP, positive thinking, the Silva Method - there's a long list of modalities and techniques that claim to be able to help you think positively and be able to manifest whatever you want, just by using the power of your brain.  So you want to be wealthy, healthy or happy - just think yourself so.  It may not be quite as simple as that, but it's most people would recognise that a strong focus and a positive attitude will be more likely to get you towards your goal more quickly.  And it's not just goals that can be influenced.

It's claimed that mental images produce changes in the body on a physical, chemical and immunological level that can affect health.  What you see in your mind’s eye can change specific immune system responses that may affect such things as white blood cell count.  It may sound a bit far fetched, but there is beginning to be some research to suggest that this might be so.  Visualisation is taught to people undergoing cancer treatments or suffering from anxiety or depression.

Guided imagery – more often known as visualisation – is an important tool in influencing a variety of health problems.  It provides benefits and poses virtually no risk.  The principle is that vivid imagery sends messages from the cerebral cortex to the lower brain.  From there the message is relayed to the endocrine and the autonomic nervous systems, which affect a wide range of bodily functions, including heart and respiration rates and blood pressure.

And visualisation can also be used to improve personal performance: it’s a way of programming your brain (and body) to help achieve the required outcome.  Athletes place as much importance on mental preparation before an event as they do on physical preparation.  It's a really simple process and since you can't stop thinking, you may as well direct your thoughts to a more specific outcome.

Why not give it a try yourself.....

1. Think of a situation for which you’d like a specific outcome – being calm at the dentist, passing an exam, making an impactful presentation, being more confident, etc. 
2. Now sit down and relax.  Observe your breathing for a few moments – you don’t need to do anything, just observe your breath coming in and going out again.
3. Imaging the situation as you’d like it to be – in as much detail as possible – and as if it had already happened.  How would you feel, what would you see, are there any sounds or smells that you’d be aware of?  Take as long as you need to prefect your ideal scenario.
4. Then really connect to it emotionally - feel the calm, excitement, triumph or whatever the predominant emotion would be once you were successful.  And feel it now, as if the event  had actually happened
5. Repeat as often as you can, and await a positive outcome.

A word of warning – imagining passing an exam without doing the revision may not work – you still need to undertake whatever preparation is appropriate in addition to the visualisation process.

And talking about focus, I'd just like to remind you that I have a special JULY OFFER: £10 off your first treatment of Reflexology or Indian Head Massage, so please help me spread the word.  This offer is only available for treatments booked in July, so don't delay.  To book just call Doris on 07724 197627.