The most obvious benefit is the social interaction that we have with our pets. They fulfill the natural craving for emotional relationships. The desire to be loved is a powerful one and our animals fill it very well. A snuggle from a kitten or a wet kiss of a dog are equally as loving a hug from a friend or family member.

Stress reduction is another benefit to owning a pet. Petting an animal has been shown to reduce heart rate, blood pressure and even the arteriosclerotic process. Stress can also be alleviated when we talk to our pets. If we can get things off our chests by telling Spot, we often feel some relief, and animals will listen without judgement. Also, it is difficult to be angry or frustrated with something when you see your cat is being silly.

Animals that need to be walked every day will increase the amount of exercise one recieves. Your puppy doesn’t care that you had an exhausting day at work. It’s added motivation to get up and out when you have those big brown eyes looking at you. Certain animals have been shown to improve safety. Whether it is an intruder that they alert you to or if a cat wakes you when there is smoke in the house, many pets have saved there owners’ lives.

Although it is impossible to measure, pets increase their owners sense of worth. Whenever we do something for another living thing that needs us, we feel better about ourselves. They meet our need to care for something or someone else.

One should not rush out and get a pet without thought and consideration. It must be taken in to account the conditions that the pet will be brought into. First, pets are not inexpensive to keep. Vet bills, food and equipment can be more expensive than many realize. Do you have the space for the animal to run around? Do you have the time and patience to exercise the animal? Do you have the discipline to train your new pet? Are you prepared for a few accidents on your carpet while they are being house-broken? These are just a few of things to consider. Discuss these items with people you know who have pets and ask them how they cope with these issues. If you can come to conclusions on these issues, you will be bringing the animal into a positive environment—for the both of you.

During stressful times — such as the loss of a loved one, a change in job status or a serious illness — the numbers of those who suffer from sleep deficiency can be even greater. Ironically, this is the time when a good night’s sleep is even more important to facilitate recovery and healing.

The following suggestions may ensure a more peaceful and restorative night’s sleep for the entire household.

Struggling for Much-Needed Rest

People who suffer from anxiety often have difficulty falling asleep, wake up frequently during the night, arise too early in the morning, or experience unrefreshing sleep. These symptoms of insomnia are fueled by stress, grief, worry and disrupted sleep schedules.

One solution to combating insomnia is to create a restful sleep environment in every bedroom in the house. This includes keeping the temperature cool, the light dim and the bed comfortable.

“Choosing a good mattress can make a difference in the quality of sleep you get at night and the way you feel during the day,” said Dr. Gary Zammit from the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Medical Center in New York City. “Most people do not realize that their bed can be preventing them from sleeping well and, in some cases, keeping them awake.”

Insomniacs might consider alternative sleep surfaces to improve their sleep. One alternative is the Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort with adjustable firmness and individualized comfort levels. In studies conducted at Stanford University and Duke University, participants fell asleep faster and experienced better quality, more restorative sleep on the Sleep Number bed than on a traditional innerspring mattress. Stanford University researchers also found that 87 percent of those who slept on the Sleep Number bed experienced a greater percentage of REM sleep with fewer disturbances.

Insomnia can be a forerunner of depression and other health-related problems, so it is important to seek a doctor’s advice if symptoms persist.

Recognizing That Your Body Needs Sleep

For many involved in a crisis, daytime sleepiness is a frequent problem. Even if a person is getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, stress and emotional fatigue can cause excessive sleepiness and frequent dozing off. This can be especially harmful for adults since daytime sleepiness can lead to health problems or dangerous situations when they drive.

The best solutions for overcoming daytime sleepiness are to stick to a normal sleep routine and get extra rest if your body needs it. When stressed, adults should pay careful attention to what their bodies are telling them, make good judgments about getting to bed earlier and take frequent naps.

Lack of concentration, nodding off during quiet activities or having trouble waking up in the morning are signs that a child is not getting enough sleep. Parents should remember that if the sleep schedule is disrupted even one night, a child may experience these symptoms.

“Children copy their parents’ sleep patterns, so it’s important for parents to maintain consistent sleep schedules and get enough sleep at night,” says Dr. Zammit. “Getting a good night’s sleep should be a family priority, and it starts with the adults in the household.”

Soothing Bad Dreams

Nightmares — vivid, long, scary dreams — are more frequent during times of stress, anxiety and helplessness. Children aged 3 to 6 are the most common sufferers of bad dreams, but traumatic events can increase the occurrence of nightmares in adults as well.

To avoid the anxiety nightmares can cause, it is important for adults to monitor the amount of television their family watches before bedtime and discuss any disturbing images with their kids. When children have nightmares, parents should comfort them by talking about the bad dream and offering reassurance that they are available whenever needed.

To reduce the chance of having nightmares, adults should avoid eating directly before bedtime and reduce their intake of caffeine and alcohol, as each will increase brain activity that can disrupt sleep.

Adult responsibilities, stress, lifestyle and other worries often result in poor sleep habits and once the cycle of tossing and turning begins, it is difficult to return to a decent night’s sleep. Many adults rely on prescription drugs to fall asleep and quite a few are addicted to them! Others ‘self medicate’ and use alcohol and other recreational drugs to try and fall asleep. If you are regularly struggling to sleep well, then you probably need to learn to fall asleep again!

So let’s go back to basics!

And who better to consult than babies! After all babies are the experts at sleeping so why not learn a little from them! Apart from their age and body clock, there are specific reasons that babies fall asleep so well. Let’s have a look at a few of them and see if we can’t borrow some of the tricks!

ROUTINE: Most parents try very hard to get their children into a routine. Regular bedtimes, bath times and mealtimes are something to strive towards. Of course, one cannot be too rigid, but a child on a regular routine will feel secure and will be able to ‘predict’ his environment more easily. It also helps his body clock to start the process of winding down before he actually gets to bed. He knows that after supper comes his bath, a story, a prayer and a good night kiss. When his head hits the pillow, he is ready to meet the sandman!

So try and follow this example. Start a night time routine. Make your evenings more or less predictable along the lines of supper, bath and bed. For at least three weeks try and follow this simple routine and go to bed at the same time each night – about 8 hours before it is time to get up. Wear soft comfortable and cozy nightwear, specifically for sleeping (remember flannel pyjamas?)

EXERCISE: This is something kids do lots of! They don’t stop running around for a minute! Now I am not suggesting that you start running around wherever you go, but regular exercise is one of the best sleep aids around! It’s also free and healthy and has lots of good side effects. Take up a sport, go to the gym or start regular walks. You won’t regret it!

HAVE PEACEFUL EVENINGS: How many times don’t you hear parents saying to their kids “Calm down now, it’s nearly bed time”. Or “You’d better stop running around – you won’t be able to fall asleep!” Perhaps you say this to your own children – with good reason! Do you follow your own advice? Or do you sit up watching thrillers (or even worse the news!) or finishing off the day’s work that you brought home from the office? Sound familiar? Try a different approach. Never watch TV while trying to fall asleep. Rather dim the lights while you get into a hot bath and put on some soothing music. Use aromatherapy in your home – in particular lavender for it’s soporific properties. Be quiet and peaceful for the hour before you go to bed and your body will start to get the message!

OTHER HINTS: Avoid all products with caffeine or sugar after 6pm. That means coffee, cola chocolate and all ‘soda pops’ (fizzy drinks). Also stay away from heavy meals at night. Your tummy will be too busy digesting to allow you to sleep well! Don’t eat red meat, refined products or lots of cheese. Go for pastas, grains, pulses, potatoes and rice. Good evening or bedtime drinks are warm milk, lettuce extract and chamomile tea (sleepy tea) – all safe and proven sleep aids. If you are really struggling, some herbal remedies to aid sleep are Valerian, Passiflora and Kava Kava. Try to put these simple hints to the test for three weeks only. You will be surprised at the difference they make! Should you do this faithfully and still struggle to sleep, consult your doctor.
Wishing you a Good Night !!.

All of us, at one time or another, experiences challenges in life, good or bad. These challenges can sometimes wreak havoc on our emotional well-being. Some emotions can be the normal reaction to some unavoidable incident such as grief, while others are in our control. Everyone wants to feel joy, happiness, confident and love all the time, but sometimes destructive emotions such as jealousy, anger or greed enter our lives. We can achieve a better quality of life with positive influences with Aromatherapy. It’s very healthy to express our emotions, but more often than not, we suppress our emotions, particularly the negative ones. Bottled up emotions often cause poor health, physical illness and weaken the immune system. Aromatherapy can play a role in uncovering and dealing with emotional issues with the ability of soothing emotional upsets, aid us in getting through tough times and speed up recovery. Aromatherapy can help in releasing undesirable emotions and increase the more desirable ones for a positive outlook in life.

The many ways Aromatherapy can help are by creating a positive emotional environment, help you in managing your emotions and change the way you feel thus improving your life. Aromatherapy also helps you deal with your issues, lifts your spirit and maintain or improve your outlook with more positive thoughts and feelings. Aromatherapy helps prevent the unwelcome effects of emotional unbalance and encourages relaxation, returning you to a more balanced emotional state.

Listed below are just a few essential oils to try that will help put balance back into your life:

Peace/Serenity: Lavender (Lavendula officinalis). Cleanses and soothes the spirit relieving anger and exhaustion, resulting in a calmer approach to life. Brings health and harmony to the body and mind.

Relieve Stress Related Anxiety: Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea). Uplifting, relaxing, helps relieve depression, anxiety, mental fatigue and tension.

Lift Depression: Sandalwood (Santalum album). Very relaxing oil soothes nervous tension and anxiety. Helpful in dealing with obsessional attitudes and has been said to aid in cutting ties to the past. A good remedy for insomnia.

The following is a general outline for incorporating the above noted essential oils into your life:

Personal Blends/Inhalations:In a clean container, add 8 to 12 drops essential oil to 1/8 oz. carrier oil (jojoba or sweet almond). Mix oils gently by turning container upside down (cap on please!) a few times. Do not shake vigorously. Use the blend as a fragrance or simply inhale directly from the container as needed.

Baths: Add 3 to 10 drops of essential oil to a tub filled with warm water. Soak for at least 20 minutes. Repeat as required.

Diffuser/Lamp Ring:For diffuser use, please follow manufacturer’s recommendations. For lamp ring use, place 15 to 20 drops of essential oil into the lamp bowl. Place lamp ring carefully over a light bulb. Run the diffuser or lamp ring as needed.

The information contained in this article is presented for health education and information only. This article is not intending to diagnose, prescribe or treat any condition or illness. Any application or use of the information contained in this article is at the reader’s discretion and sole risk. Consult your Physician, a qualified Aromatherapist or Herbalist if you have questions or concerns about health conditions.