If you struggle with the quantity and quality of your sleep, you may want to incorporate more of these nutrients into your diet. In general, avoid a diet high in sugar and refined carbs as it can negatively impact the quality of your sleep.

In order for your body to produce the melatonin needed to get ready for sleep, you have to follow some simple steps. These include establishing a bedtime routine by setting the mood and practising good sleep hygiene.

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses various modalities to support people with their health goals, including helping them get better sleep. These include acupuncture, cupping, herbs and spices, meditation, and much more.

Our current cultural landscape of high stress, anxiety and the widespread use of smart phones and other technologies, has made sleep even more elusive. The statistics are sobering. According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 2 adults have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep. This may negatively affect their relationships, their ability to perform tasks and make sound decisions.

Trauma is often misunderstood in our society. Most of us have heard of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). We may think of veterans or survivors of natural disasters. However, trauma can be much more complex than experiencing one or many stressful events. Many people are affected by something called Developmental Trauma. This kind of trauma can affect people even if the traumatic experience happened before they could remember.

Motherhood is still seen as a defining and expected role for women in most cultures. When a couple experiences infertility, it can cause a strain on the marriage and create an enormous amount of grief. The grief associated with infertility is a lot more complex and difficult than most people realize. As a Thanatologist, I classify infertility as a non-death loss filled with chronic sorrow, often unsupported and/or stigmatized by society.