anxiety

Are your sleeping habits affecting your marriage?

We all know sleep is important for our health. But how many of us really take into consideration the effects that a lack of sleep can have on not only our physical health, but our mental and emotional health as well? The sleeping habits that we enlist (or don’t enlist) can actually have an affect on nearly every aspect of our lives, including relationships and marriage.

For couples dealing with sleepless nights, or nights consisting of less-than-sound sleep, life and managing a marriage can be a little more difficult. What many people don’t consider is that there are many different types of sleep disorders that can ultimately effect your well being and the well being of your spouse.

Today we’re talking with Brent Brandow, Director of Operations for the Parkway SleepHealth Center in Cary, NC. According to him, sleep—or a lack thereof—has more of an impact on our daily lives and relationships than people might think. With a little diligence though, every problem can be fixed.

The Parkway SleepHealth Center is a comprehensive sleep health center that provides sleep physician consultations, diagnostic testing and treatment services for more than 80 sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.

To find out more about the Parkway SleepHealth Center, visit their website or call (919) 462-8081 to schedule an appointment.

Take a second to stop and think… Are you maintaining mindfulness today?

You might ask, well what does that mean exactly? The idea of mindfulness is to be present to ourselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and literally in the moment. Being mindful involves focusing on your breathing and thoughts rather than projecting yourself into the future with worries and anxiety. Even though it’s natural to look to the future and worry about what might happen or what could happen, it’s not the best tactic for your mind. Doing so can often lead you to forget about, or concentrate less on the current moment. The moment you’re living in.

When life is plagued with disconnection and stress, things can get tough. Oftentimes the first things to suffer are relationships and family ties… which is why mindfulness can be so important. If couples and families learn to develop these critical skills, their communication, expression and intimacy abilities can flourish. Instead of thinking and worrying about the next fight in your relationship or the next big trip or next month’s bills, take a second to stop, breath, and focus on mindfulness.

Our guest today, Dr. Roz Heiko of Pediatric & Family Psychology P.A. in Cary, NC, is here to discuss some of her healing and coaching techniques. In helping people get back to a positive place in their lives and relationships, Roz encourages and teaches a level of discipline and mindful awareness.

To find out more about Roz and her practice, visit her website or call (919) 858-9692 to schedule an appointment.

How can you tell when your partner drinks too much? When does drinking become a problem?

Imagine meeting someone new. You start going out on romantic dates- dates that maybe include a bottle of wine, candles, roses, the whole nine yards. Initially, the alcohol acts as an intimacy and romance enhancer. It helps you both loosen up, relax, and enjoy yourselves. But what happens when down the road the alcohol becomes toxic? Sometimes stress and tension build up and eventually it’s one partner who drinks too much, too frequently.

When one partner begins to develop a drinking problem, the other might start to feel like the alcohol has taken top priority in the relationship. Any little bit of consumption could start to be a bid deal, and the partners could begin to withdraw from each other, creating an even bigger issue. With communication mishaps and increased fighting, oftentimes married partners don’t know how to go back and fix the issue.

Today, Dr. Julia Messer is talking with us about how to handle this issue if and when it arises. As a licensed psychologist with Orenstein Solutions in Cary, NC, she helps couples and individuals develop practical coping solutions for many different challenging situations.

To find out more about Julia and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 to make an appointment.