This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Swanson Health Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

In today’s world we spend a lot of our time working and playing in front of computer screens, smartphones and TVs. While these digital devices have improved and simplified the way we do things, it also has increased our exposure to blue light. What’s blue light? Blue light refers to the short wavelength, high energy light rays that are omitted by those digital devices. The physical properties of the blue light can damage your eyes, especially your retinas.

Eye damage isn’t necessarily something most of us are concerned with until our later years, but the average American today spends nearly 11 hours each day in front of an electronic device! That’s 77 hours a week and that leads to sore, tired, fatigued and strained eyes.

With all of that exposure, it’s time to be proactive about your eye health! Because these devices are fairly new, we don’t really know what the long-term effects can be so it’s important to take action now.

At our house, my husband and I both run businesses that require us to be at the computer most of the day. To unwind in the evening we often sit down in front of the TV and watch a show together. Some nights we choose to read on our Kindles. We really aren’t giving our eyes a break at all until we turn in for the night, which is not good.

Swanson Health now offers the perfect way to help you support your eye health with Vision Defense!

Swanson Vision Defense Eye Health eye health formula helps fight the negative effects blue light can have on your eyes. This dietary supplement features important ingredients like lutein, zeaxanthin, and an innovative antioxidant blend that includes broccoli extract, bilberry extract and astaxanthin that support healthy retinas.

This supplement can easily be incorporated into your daily routine and can even be taken with your vitamin in the morning. I love that Vision Defense is available in an easy to swallow softgel form too! That makes it so easy to take!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

https://www.facebook.com/swansonhealth/videos/10155698267084336/

Now that I am aware of how much my eyes are exposed to blue light each day, I am taking steps to support my eye health. After all, sight is something you should never take for granted. Share the important facts about Blue Light and Eye Health with your family and friends today.

To get started on your own eye health journey, you can also start incorporating Foods that Promote Eye Health, become aware of your daily electronic device usage and be sure to include Vision Defense dietary supplement in your day as an important addition to help you reach your overall health goals.

Vision Defense is a breakthrough formula that is ONLY available at Swanson.com!

 Right now, take an exclusive 15% off Swanson Health Product + Free shipping on orders over $50 Use code COZY (expires 5/1)

The bonus?  You can also enter for your chance to win a bottle of Swanson Health Vision Defense!

Cozy Country Living + Vision Defense Giveaway

Swanson Health started in 1969 with a mission to offer pure and potent health products at a great value. It’s a mission that continues to this day and one that the company prides itself on. Our family confidently shops exclusively at Swanson.com for science-backed vitamins and supplements that are important for our family’s health and wellness.

Swanson Health is passionate about helping people with health, no matter where they are on their wellness journey. They have ton of amazing health & wellness information to help you combat the perils of modern wellness.

Check out their A-Z Guide to Modern Wellness on their blog for more tips and tricks at swanson.com/atozwellness and join the conversation today with #mymodernwellness.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Promote Eye Health & Be Aware of Blue Light Damage + GIVEAWAY appeared first on Cozy Country Living.

Over the past few months I’ve challenged myself to Get a Better Night’s Sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep was something I really didn’t take time to think about and I thought I was sleeping just fine. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that I could do better. There had been days when I had felt sluggish, tired and unable to focus. I no longer wanted to feel that way, even if it was only for a few days a week. With my children back at school and everyone nicely settling into a good routine again, I’ve really been able to focus on a good night time routine for myself too.

One of the biggest challenges for me at night was to “unplug”. Because my business is my blog, I have to stay connected here at Cozy Country Living and up to date with all social media as well. I love responding to emails and having conversations with the really great people I’ve met through this awesome job of mine. If someone has a recipe question, I like to get back to them right away. I want all of you to feel like you matter, because you do!

To make getting back to people easier, I am able to access my email and of course all social media accounts on my phone. It’s so convenient, but that poses a problem as well. It can easily get out of control. Even at the end of the day, picking up that phone and checking my email had become second nature. I wasn’t even thinking about doing it, it had just become a habit every time I touched my phone. A very distracting habit. Can you relate? Not only was my mind not able to relax and unwind in the evening, preparing me for a restful night’s sleep, but I was distracted from conversations with my husband too.  Not good! It had to stop.

Over the past month I set a time to put my phone away and it stays away. I handle my emails and all other correspondence until a certain time and that’s it. The rest has to wait until the next day. I do take my phone with me upstairs at night, but I turn it over on my nightstand and forget about it. I’ve even forgot about it a few mornings as I was headed out the door. To be completely honest, that’s not such a bad thing either! Just making that one change in my night time routine has completely changed the sleep I get at night. I can’t believe how rested I feel and how nice it is to feel focused. I think it’s just a decision you have to make and stick to it. Phones today are addicting…just look around you. If you’ve got a sleep problem, and you can’t put that darn phone down, try it. It will be hard, but you can do it and your body will thank you!

Along with unplugging each night, I’ve got rid of the nightlight that was in our room and I’ve been sleeping with the windows open so I can hear the crickets and feel the cool breeze at night. It helps me relax and unwind and I haven’t tossed and turned or had a sleepless night in over a month. I am so glad that I set some boundaries for myself. It’s the best thing I have done for myself in a long time and it makes me a better wife and mother too. I pretty sure I’m a little more pleasant to be around as well!

There are however some circumstances where even practicing a healthy good night routine and shut-eye strategies to make a change in your sleeping pattern just may not work. Sometimes you need help. Sleep is so important! While most of us know how important a good night’s sleep is, I don’t think many of us are taking an active role in trying to achieve a good night’s sleep! Not getting enough rest for an extended period of time is unhealthy and can even be dangerous. If you have given it your all and you still can’t manage to get a good night’s sleep, please talk to your doctor. You can get help!

The good news is, is that there are effective treatment options available for those suffering with insomnia, including SILENOR®, a prescription sleep aid that is used to treat people with insomnia who have trouble staying asleep. While most sleep medications work on the “sleep-promoting system” to help people fall asleep, SILENOR® works with the “wake-promoting mechanism” of the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, which helps people stay asleep throughout the night and early morning giving their mind and body the rest they need.

You owe it to yourself to feel rested and be the best you can be! Start this week out with a sleep plan and stick to it! You might be surprised with your results! Come back and let me know what you did this week to get a Good Night’s Sleep!

Full SILENOR® ISI: SILENOR® is a prescription sleep medicine that is used to treat people with insomnia who have trouble staying asleep. Call your doctor if your insomnia worsens or is not better within 7 to 10 days. This may mean that there is another condition causing your sleep problem. Be sure that you are able to devote 7 to 8 hours to sleep before being active again. SILENOR® should be taken within 30 minutes of bedtime. Do not take with alcohol or with other medicines that can make you sleepy. If you are on a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have taken a MAOI within the past two weeks, you should not take SILENOR®. You should not take SILENOR® if you have an eye problem called narrow angle glaucoma that is not being treated, if you have severe urinary retention, or if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in SILENOR®. You should not drive or operate machinery at night after taking SILENOR®. Until you know how you will react to SILENOR®, you should be careful in performing such activities during the day following taking SILENOR®. Before you take SILENOR®, tell your doctor if you have a history of depression, mental illness or suicidal thoughts. You should call your doctor right away if after taking SILENOR® you walk, drive, eat or engage in other activities while asleep. Drowsiness is the most common adverse event observed in clinical trials. For more information, please see the complete Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide, at https://www.silenor.com/Content/pdf/prescribing-information.pdf. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

To learn more about how to achieve a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep visit Wanttosleepmore.com

The post Results From My “Get A Better Night’s Sleep Challenge” appeared first on Cozy Country Living.

With summer coming to end and my 4 children heading back to school in a few weeks, I seem to have a lot on my mind. I tend to stay up a little later, trying to get in a few more minutes of “quiet” time and I toss and turn at night because I have to do lists running through my head. With the busy Back To School season ahead, I want to continue trying to get on a better sleep schedule. Today, I am sharing 5 Tips & Tricks you can use to get A Better Night’s Sleep Tonight!

A few weeks ago, I shared some information with you in my post Are You Getting A Good Night’s Sleep? about the huge sleep problem we have here in the U.S. The good news is, is that by making a few simple changes to your daily routine, you may have the power to help yourself get a better night’s sleep. You deserve it! If you are having trouble sleeping, make an effort to help your body and mind’s well being. After all, a good night’s sleep affects us all day long!

Here’s 5 Ways You Can

Get A Better Night’s Sleep TONIGHT!

1. Get Active In The Morning. Getting a good night’s sleep has a lot to do with what you do all day. Getting in some exercise early in the day can strengthen your circadian rhythm that helps bring on that nice feeling of sleepiness at night when we are trying to go to bed. Even a 20-30 minute walk or bike ride first thing in the morning can help you fall asleep several hours later.

2. Make Yourself Really Comfortable. Sometimes when our minds are busy at work, we have to remind our body that it’s time to wind down. Relaxing activities such as taking a warm bath, reading a book or even listening to some music can help your mind and body transition from daytime to bedtime. Invest in a comfortable pillow instead of tossing, turning and fluffing an old one. Maybe even purchase a new sheet set. Your bedroom needs to feel like a place that you can relax and escape to.

3. Say Good Night! It’s so important to put away your electronic devices at least one hour before you go to bed. It’s amazing how much more relaxed you become when you allow yourself to unwind and not be distracted by emails, social alerts and text messages. Sometimes just looking at your phone and checking it constantly becomes a habit, and you don’t even realize that you are doing it. Those bluish and bright LED lights from mobile phones and tablets can activate and stimulate your brain, keeping you from falling and staying asleep at night. If you must keep your phone on your nightstand next to you at night, turn it over.

4. Darken Your Room. Block out the light. Light and darkness are natural reminders that tell your body when it’s time to be up and when it’s time to rest. Light during the night can send messages to your brain that it’s time to wake up before you’re really ready. If you have a TV in your room, don’t leave it on. As a matter of fact, if you can watch your evening shows in your living room instead, that would be great! It may be hard to get use to (trust me I’ve been there) but making a mental note of “My bedroom is a place for relaxing and sleeping” can have a huge impact on your night’s sleep.

5. Don’t Be Hard On Yourself. Making adjustments to every routine is hard. Things become a habit and they are often hard to break, especially if they are things that you are use to doing when you want to unwind in the evening. It may take you a few nights or a few weeks to really get going on your new evening routine, but it will be worth it. Don’t get upset and frustrated. Your body needs time to adjust too. If you make commit to making a change, you can do it!

I’ve really worked hard on signing off of all electronics an hour or two before bedtime this past month. I’ve caught myself a few times, but there have been times where I really set those things aside and enjoyed my evening with my family before bed. Those nights I had a really good night’s sleep. I even told my husband that I haven’t slept that good in a while. I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that even if my body is tired, there are things I have to do to get my mind ready for bedtime too!

In the next few weeks I am going to work on going dark. I do have a small nightlight in my room, but I can probably move that into our bathroom to really darken most of my bedroom. Baby steps…

What will you do to Get A Better Night’s Sleep?

What’s the Biggest Challenge You Face?

To learn more about how to achieve a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep visit Wanttosleepmore.com

The post 5 Tips & Tricks To Get A Better Night’s Sleep appeared first on Cozy Country Living.

Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t really something I tend to think about. If you are tired at the end of a long day, you just go to sleep and stay sleeping until the morning then, right? Not always. The more I thought about my sleep patterns at night, I realized that I might not be getting a good night’s sleep after all. I get up several times each night, do you? Recent Studies show that in the United States, 4 million Americans suffer from insomnia. That’s one big sleep problem!

It’s summer time, so with all of my children home all day, we stay pretty busy. When it’s time to get everyone bathed and to bed each night, I definitely look forward to a little quiet time. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my children throughout the day, but sometimes a house full of 4 energetic children gets really noisy, really quickly and sometimes my mind just needs some quiet. It’s nice to watch a show on TV with my husband or just catch up a bit chatting with one another.

Most of the time my husband could just go right to bed after the kids are tucked in, but I can’t. I need that time to unwind. When I do head up to bed, I never fall to sleep right away. I have “mom to-do lists” going through my head! After awhile I do fall asleep, but I would say on most nights I do wake up at least once. I guess I am a light sleeper because any little noise like the blinds swinging in the window after a gust of wind wakes me up. Then the whole “getting back to sleep process” starts again.

Getting a full, comfortable and uninterrupted night’s sleep has so many benefits that help keep us going on a daily basis. Our sleep time is critical for our immune system, memory and just plain feeling good. On average, 72% of Americans are missing out on almost three weeks of sleep per year – that’s 470 hours! The good news is that there are effective treatment options available for those of us who do suffer from insomnia. If you have trouble sleeping through the night, you should have a conversation with your doctor about your routine, lifestyle and symptoms. It’s part of your health and it’s important!

I want to wake up everyday feeling great and I am going to start making my sleep routine a priority because it is important. I make sure my children get a good night’s sleep, so why shouldn’t I make sure I do as well?! I am going to try to shut off any electronics an hour before bedtime this week and make a conscious decision to improve my sleep (before sleep) habits. I may even keep a small notebook on my nightstand to keep track of when I fall asleep and awaken.

Take a look at your own sleep routine this week. Do you think there are simple things you can do to improve your sleep habits? How much better do you you think your day would go if you felt fully rested each morning?

If you would like to learn more about the importance of getting a full, uninterrupted night’s sleep please visit Wanttosleepmore.com!

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