Tag Archives: sleep

Tranquility Labs – Natural Mood Support Supplements

11/10/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Are you someone who gets anxiety thinking about something in the future or spending too much time in the past? Maybe you just have trouble enjoying and living in the moment. Well, you’re not alone, and Tranquility Labs has safe, all natural supplements to help you just like they’re helping me.

That’s right, yours truly easily find himself worrying about petty things like what to make for dinner or how to fit in my next workout, and even whether I should use a fork or spoon! Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I always use a spork for that reason, by the way.

Since I’m not a fan of most OTC drugs out there, I was excited when Tranquility Labs agreed to send me their Tranquilene Total Calm, Sleep Fast Nighttime Spray, Focusene, and CogniDHA Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements to review.

My “worst offender” areas are not sleeping enough and being irritable from stressing over little things. No matter how many times I tell myself those things are not that big of a deal, stress seems to creep its way back into my mind. I’ve even shared my stress issues in past posts including how it hindered our attempts at getting pregnant.

Tranquilene Total Calm

It’s been about 3 weeks since I started taking Tranquilene, and from the first day I noticed a marked difference in my mood. Nothing super powerful, but I felt it, a slight easing of the tension I normally feel. I found I was able to calm my mind and not worry so much shortly (around 30 minutes) after taking two capsules in the afternoon, when my stress/anxiety is at its peak.

The blend all natural ingredients that have shown to battle anxiety in men and women are designed to work synergistically over time. Having taken Tranquilene consistently every day for a weeks now, I notice that my overall levels of stress have decreased a good amount and I am even able to stop and just enjoy the moment more often.

This is extremely important as someone who stays at home with his precious daughter all day and needs to be there for her with a big smile on my face. Same for my hardworking, beautiful, and deserving wife, she needs a husband who is supportive and not a drag to be around. Tranquilene has helped in both areas.

Of course, I still have stress, and Going Mom will attest to my irritability still popping up every now and then, but this is a supplement, not a panacea, and for that, I love it. For the decreased feeling of stress and anxiety, I feel Tranquilene is well worth it and plan on continuing my daily use. Knowing that the ingredients safe and non-addictive is more than perfect for the health-minded person such as myself, just one less thing to stress over!

Sleep Fast Melatonin Spray

Sleep Fast Melatonin Spray with B6, Valerian Root, Chamomile, Lemon Balm and 5-HTP is the natural answer to my insomniac ways . Some days are worse than others, so I love the fact that I can control the dose with each spray.

I always avoided flavored liquids because that meant sugar or artificial sweeteners were added, but this is free from any nasty stuff and full of good, all natural and proven herbs that help calm and relax a racing mind. As I already revealed, I’m known to be a worrier about what’s to come, which always affects my sleep. Now, with 6 – 10 sprays of Sleep Fast 30 minutes before bed, I’m better able to relax and fall into a good night’s sleep.

I’ve had zero side effects besides waking up feeling refreshed and energetic. As a stay-at-home dad to a very active toddler, this is a MUST! The flavor is pleasing, it’s convenient for travel, and best of all, there’s no artificial ingredients to be concerned about like most OTC sleep aids. It also compliments Tranquilene extremely well.

We all need/deserve a good sleep, but shouldn’t become lab rats to get it. Try Sleep Fast and avoid all worries while getting to sleep….fast. See what I did there? 🙂

Focusene

I’d love to go back in time and give this to my younger self while in college. An awesome alternative to prescription drugs, sadly all too commonly used by college students, Focusene is safe, non-addictive, and packed with scientifically formulated, all natural ingredients designed to increase concentration, support mental performance, memory, and clarity.

This stuff is great! Some days I feel completely out of it with my mind in another world as I try to cook 4 different meals while keeping Avery entertained, but since taking Focusene, I find that I’m better able to maintain my sanity and get everything done. Even better, it’s helped me manage time during the day a little better so that I can still fit in a workout on really busy days.

Speaking of, I use Focusene as a good pre-workout supplement on heavy lifting days. You never want to lose focus when you have heavy weight over your head or on your back, and Focusene helps ensure that doesn’t happen. Even when Avery yells the color of each passing car out from behind me when I’m doing heavy squats, I somehow manage to keep my focus on the task at hand.

Again, is it the answer to all my issues? No, I still struggle on some days, but my mental clarity is much improved after having taken this for several weeks now. This is another supplement I feel offers enough noticeable benefits that will have me keeping it on hand.

CogniDHA Omega-3 Fish Oil

CogniDHA is now my go to fish oil both for what it has and does not have. Too many pills are filled with things that do zero good for the body, but not this one. No unnecessary fillers, the fact you don’t get fish breath (the pills are odorless), and how much better my brain and body feels since taking these has me giving two thumbs (and cerebral hemispheres) up!

I am taking one pill each morning and felt better after just a few days of taking them. If you don’t take a fish oil now, start with these, and if you do, replace them to see for yourself

Not that I think taking any supplement will solve everything, but after using the quality products from Tranquility Labs, I can confidently say they help. And well, whether we like to admit it or not, I know we could all use a little help, right?

Check out Tranquility Labs to see what they’re all about and learn more about their full line of all natural supplements. Which supplement do you think you would benefit from the most?

Tranquility Labs agreed to reimburse me for my honest review, i have not been compensated in any other way. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Life, Parenting

3 Signs of Toddler Regression

10/03/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Going from baby to toddler is big step for our kids. They start talking, eating, and sleeping (usually) better. For us, things were going good and Avery was doing better with the big three, but then, something happened, she began to regress!

After looking into it a bit (i.e. Googling), it’s apparent that toddler regression is a thing. As a matter of fact, our little crazy clones go through many regressions from birth to, well, uh….we have some years…..

Seeing as to how we are just under 2 years into the parenting game, I’m sure there are plenty more signs we have yet to experience, but until then, here’s the 3 we have dealt/are dealing with.

Sleep

Sleep was the first thing that started to wane for Avery. We had a good thing going. She’d move around and talk to herself when we put her down for the daily nap and nighttime, but never really make a big fuss. But now, starting a couple weeks ago, she gets upset and will scream and cry for what seems like forever before entering a slumber state.

When she’s not crying, she’ll give her chill-inducing demon stare directly into the monitor camera.

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Sometimes I think the crying is better…

The Baby Sleep Site describes sleep regression as:

… a baby or toddler, who’s been sleeping well, suddenly (often without any warning) begins waking frequently at night and/or refusing to nap during the day. These regressions usually last for a period of time (anywhere from 2 – 6 weeks); then, your baby or toddler’s sleep should return to its normal patterns.

I’d put major emphasis on the “should” part of this explanation! Here’s a list of symptoms/reasons our kids regress around the 2 year mark:

Growing sense of independence (18 month olds are learning to exert their own wills, and are likely to resist doing something they don’t want to do — like going to bed)
Awake time is getting longer (this explains why your 2 year old’s sleep schedule may suddenly start falling apart)
Separation anxiety may resurface (separation anxiety tends to improve after 18 months, but it may suddenly re-appear when your toddler is about 2)
Naps may suddenly stop (we usually advise parents to treat their 2 year old’s naptime resistance as a phase, and to avoid eliminating naps altogether)
Big transitions may be happening at home (many 2 year olds are facing transitions like moving to a big kid bed, awaiting the birth of a new sibling, or potty training — and all of these transitions disrupt sleep)
Nighttime fears appear at this age (your imaginative 2 year old may suddenly feel afraid of the dark, or of monsters in the closet, and that can affect naps and bedtime)

For us, I’m thinking the nighttime fears from a growing mind and separation anxiety are high on Avery’s list. We need to keep that naptime just as much as Avery, so hope that doesn’t go quite yet!

2. Eating

Next to go was our accepting eater. We would give her a book to read and most days she’d accept whatever we had for dinner that night. And *gasp* Going Mom and I could even hold a real conversation some of the time!

But that’s gone now. We have to change our eating game plan several times for each meal, even bite, since she simply refuses the same food she used to happily consume. Avery is even back to throwing food on the ground, which hadn’t happened in a while.

Much along the same lines for sleeping, I blame that darn sense of growing independence as the major culprit for her acting out when eating.

I'm eating this now because I WANT to! — I’m eating this now because I WANT to!

Yeah, I didn’t ask her to eat the apple, she wanted it right then and there. But if were were at the dinner table and that same apple was on her high chair tray, it’d be on the ground. #firstworldproblems

3. Back talk

When they know “no”, it feels as if everything falls apart, true? Kelley and I paused and grew silent the first time we hear that small, but oh so powerful word escape our sweet girl’s mouth. We tried so hard to avoid using the word, but somehow, some way, it must’ve slipped….a lot.

Damn….I mean shi…I mean crap! Yeah, probably happened similar to that.

We tried to simply ignore it at first, but her use of “no” only grows more frequently each day. Just like that damn independence! I tell ya, it’s a troublemaker! It’s so bad now, that even her animal sounds all come out as “no”.

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So yeah, I think it’s safe to say we have a toddler regression on our hands. I guess, according to my Google searches, there will be more to come, so just like parenting as a whole, we’ll take it all in stride.

We’re not there yet, but I hear potty training regression is common too. Since we have yet to experience potty training, besides that one day, I kept it off the list. If you’re dealing with potty training regression, feel free to add a 4th sign to the list and do some reading!

Are you currently or do you remember going through toddler regression with your kid(s)?

If so, do you have any tips to share or did you just let it pass?

Life, Parenting

Colorado Family Vacation Day 1: Her First Flight

08/16/2015 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

There are many things I could tell you about each day of our family vacation, but that would a) take forever, b) probably bore most of you, and c) I just don’t want to.

Day 1 of our trip to visit Nana and Papa in Colorado was mostly spent just getting there. Early in the morning, after running around for last minute packing and Avery rolling around in crib NOT sleeping (we tried to tell her she had to get up in a few hours), we were at the airport thanks to a good work friend dropping us off.

babywearing, ergo, baby carrier — Can we check this?

Wearing your baby/toddler is a huge help when lugging luggage around the airport. Until, that is, they realize they had little sleep and get really cranky. Yeah, she started crying out loud while in the security line, but once on the other side, I let her down and she happily ran amok. Meanwhile, Going Mom and I sucked down black coffee at the expense of burning our tongues.

We would’ve loved to charter a private jet through Jettly since I made it clear how nervous I was about Avery’s first time flying, but she did surprisingly well on the plane as we made the 90 minute flight to Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, she was still crazy and sitting still was never an option, but she really didn’t fuss/cry as I expected. She did kick the chair in front of her and Kelley a lot, but it was just another kid, so….meh.

Despite the better-than-expected first flight, our arms were still tired (see what I did there?), but not from flying as much as from holding down our toddler. We swear she seems to have hit another major growth spurt making it that much more difficult. But nothing can keep us from a family selfie after landing to celebrate her first complete flight.

Notice our wide eyes and forced smiles. We obviously had stress, lack of sleep, coffee (I had to pee a lot), and parents to a toddler all over our face! Of course Avery had nothing to do with the picture, but she too had a lack of sleep despite our pleas to take a nap.

Kelley’s dad, Papa, met us at the airport to bring us to their beautiful home 2 hours away. Two hours turned into to more than 3 after searching for a place to eat (we wanted Snooze, but it had a 90 minute wait which was not an option for us) and sitting through the never-ending traffic of people heading to the mountains for the weekend. At least this gave Avery time for a quick nap in the car.

When we finally arrived in Silverthorne, I was anxious to get out and explore. I haven’t had to sit for so long in years, and my legs were in need of a good stretch. We unpacked and took in the lush scenery of mountains surrounding Nana and Papa’s home as Avery made use of their stairs.

We don’t have stairs in our house, and she’s only used them a handful of times, so these things were the place to go for a rambunctious kid. I soon found that after Steve/Papa told me about a nearby trail, it turned out to be my “stairs” while there.

After getting the okay from my wife, I took off to explore and fill my need to move. I was tired, weak, and hungry, but couldn’t rest until getting my heart rate up and running a bit. My first trip to the trail only lasted about 45 minutes, but it was bliss. I found a large boulder to climb where I did 2 rounds of 100 squats and 50 push-ups while staring out at the mountains and surrounding trees.

Back at the house, the rest of the family hung around outside while Avery, still with little sleep, continuously explored her new environment.

On the upstairs balcony, Avery tried out one of the chairs as she flashed her pretty blue eyes at Papa’s camera. Naturally, those eyes and her overall adorableness, Nana had to come in for some cuddles.

There were plenty more over the course of our stay, and I know Avery enjoyed every bit of it. But, for whatever reason, she did not enjoy sleeping that night! We rented a crib locally (such an awesome idea!), and had it in the room we were sleeping in.

Kelley nursed her to sleep like she always does and laid her in her crib. We were certain she’d sleep great after such a long day, but not long after, Avery woke up screaming. Crap. After trying everything under the ~~sun~~ moon for over an hour, Avery ended up co-sleeping with us.