Mothers Day Edition: Top Three Stressors for Mothers
Posted by Kayleen HIcks on Wed, May 04, 2011 @ 12:21 AM
Photo credit: Google Images
Erma Bombeck once said: “’Mother’ has always been a generic term synonymous with love, devotion and sacrifice. There's always been something mystical and reverent about them.” This Mother’s Day we should all take a few moments to reflect on the effects of that motherhood has on health. In this blog, Dr. Raymond Hall, DC outlines what he believes to be the top three physical stressors for mothers and how to avoid or remedy those stressors through the use of good sleep.
1. Lack of sleep: According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. As many mothers know, whether it is from frequent bathroom breaks during the night in pregnancy or waking up at all hours of the night to feed a baby, those crucial 7 hours are not always fulfilled. Lack of sleep increases stress, which is related to 90 percent of all illness. Active mothers cannot afford this loss in immunity, although many see lack of sleep as an inevitable consequence of motherhood.
Dr. Hall says: It is important for mothers to find restful time during the day to recharge and heal. Taking at least 10 minutes of rest out of every three hours of activity is very important for increasing productivity and functionality. These ten minutes should be spent laying down or distressing with as much lack of input as possible. Of course, the best cure to lack of sleep is a good night’s sleep in the proper sleeping position. According to a survey done by the National Sleep Foundation, the element that has the largest impact on the respondent’s ability to get a good night’s sleep was the pillow. PILLO1’s intuitive design ensures that you do not toss and turn during the night trying to find a comfortable position. With PILLO1, every position has a clever, intuitive answer of comfortable, dreamy support.
2. Multitasking: A Mother can be very busy, juggling a baby in one arm with a phone stuck under her ear or hunching over a phone while pushing a stroller. With the advent of modern technology, adults have been spending a larger majority of their time with a forward head position that puts strains on their neck and back. This forward head position is especially hard on mothers, who can suffer from the pain of bad posture.
Dr. Hall says: As much as we would like, we cannot always be in the proper posture to keep our spine in alignment. This is why spending 7 or 8 hours of the night in a proper sleeping posture is so important. Sleep in a neutral body position helps counter the ill effects of forward head position and allows the spine and all related tissues to relax and rejuvenate, which are essential to healing.
3. Carrying excess weight: Any mother knows the aches and pains that accompany carrying a child through 9 months of pregnancy. These aches can adversely affect quality of sleep. Mothers carry children around in their arms most of the day when they are young, and also have to carry around a heavy load of strollers, bags and other supplies. Mothers also lift children in and out of vehicles and cradles, putting a strain on their lower backs.
Dr Hall says: When muscles are overused and under a lot of strain, repetitive stress injuries can occur which can be very painful. A person needs at least an extra hour of quality sleep in times of injury, and this sleep must be in the proper neutral body position to counter the effects of inflammation. PILLO1 has helped mothers heal, especially pregnant women. One woman, Jennifer, had this to say about PILLO1: “I heard of PILLO1 as I started the third trimester of my fourth pregnancy; I was again not sleeping well and searching for solutions to my sleep problem. I decided to try PILLO1 and within just a day or two of using the pillow, I was back to sleeping through the night. My energy returned now that my sleep wasn’t interrupted and my back and neck pain disappeared!”
This Mother's Day send your mother Five Tips for Better Sleep
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