Do You Get Enough Sleep? Do Your Children?

The hours we spend sleeping are vital to our well being... this is when our bodies can turn their attention away from activity and work on repairing themselves.

In kids, sleep is when hormones that help them grow are released and when tissues not only repair themselves, but grow. Without sufficient sleep time, they can suffer serious long term damage.

Studies now show that kids between 5 and 12 years of age need 11 hours of sleep each night and teens need 8 1/2 to 9 hours.

Parents are right to be concerned about kids not getting sufficient rest, but wrong when they think that as adults they don't need to pay attention to their own sleep patterns.

The average adult needs about about 8 hours – and we should take it, no matter how many tasks and obligations demand our time. Our bodies also need time to repair, and without adequate rest, we aren't very efficient at taking care of all those obligations that keep us awake.

But it isn't always demands on our time that rob us of sleep. Sometimes it's our minds and emotions that keep us awake long after we've turned out the lights.

Because this is so common, Feel Bach! has created 4 different Sweet Dreams blends to help you break the "sleepless" pattern and begin getting the rest you need.

Because they're Bach Flower Essences, they won't leave you drugged and groggy in the morning - and you need have no fear of side effects. Unlike pharmaceuticals, they won't cause you to get up and go driving while you're asleep!

Sweet Dreams #1 is for people who can't let go of the day, but instead lay in bed thinking about unfinished work and what needs to be done tomorrow. This one can turn into a chronic habit that's difficult to break - I know, because I did this for years.

In fact, during an especially busy period of my life, I actually stored things away to think about after I went to bed, because I just didn't have enough quiet time earlier in the day. Talk about a wrong approach!

Sweet Dreams #2 is for those who can't relax enough to ignore the little noises of the night, or when you're worried about waking up on time in the morning. The very night when you should get plenty of rest to be sharp for a morning presentation turns into the night when you lay awake until an hour before the alarm rings.

Sweet Dreams #3 helps calm the fears that keep you awake. If you lay there and worry about something that may happen, or re-live something that did happen, this is the blend for you.

Sweet Dreams #4 is for folks who fall asleep easily, but then awaken far earlier than necessary.

If you're not getting enough sleep because you simply aren't going to bed when you should, change your habits. Your health is at stake and it's worth more than that TV show or last chapter of a good book.

If your lack of rest is because you agree to do too many things, begin saying "No" when it means you'll lose out on sleep.

But if the problem is that you just "can't sleep," try one of the Sweet Dreams formulas.

You'll feel better physically and mentally - and you'll probably accomplish more every day as well.

Bach Flower Essences for Birds

Many years ago, when my firstborn son was small, he wanted baby chicks. So... we got baby chicks. They were cute and little and were living in a paper towel box in my office.

Then they started to grow, and the day the insurance man came to visit, one got out of the box and started running around the house, with my small son in hot pursuit. That night I told my husband that he really did have to fix up a chicken house outdoors.

Eventually the chicks got big enough to lay eggs and we enjoyed the fresh supply, but it didn't take too many months for mom to tire of cleaning a chicken house, so I gave them to a neighbor who had lots of chickens. I know, most people would have eaten them, but that wasn't an option for me.

That was my first and only experience with owning a bird, so the fact that they can suffer from emotional turmoil had never entered my mind. That is, not until today when I started looking around the web to see what different people had to say about Bach Flower Essences.

It turns out that since flower essences are natural and it isn't possible to overdose, they're a perfect remedy for pet birds. Who knew?

The blog posts I read didn't mention it, but I would guess that the same pet questionaire that serves for cats and dogs would allow bird owners to identify the specific combination of flower essences needed to ease their birds' maladies.

If you've used flower essences for your birds, why not write and tell us about your experiences...

More ways to ensure your health

You know that Bach Flower Essences can help you feel good by rebalancing your body's energies, but what else can you do to promote your own health?

Start by making a concerted effort to avoid toxins.

One good step in the right direction is to drink water from a safe source. Just this week, the Society of Toxicology is meeting to discuss the problem of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water of 41 million Americans. Your body doesn't need all that, so find a company that bottles pure water and spend the extra to be safe.

Next, cut down on chemicals in your household - including chemicals in your cookware.

Third, whenever you can, eat organically grown fruits, vegetables, and meats. If you can't find organic produce, be sure to wash everything thoroughly, or remove the outer skins.

Bach Flower Essences from Feel Bach! are a natural and safe alternative to using prescription drugs. Now add some natural and safe alternatives to eating and drinking toxins.