Blog Posts by Redbook

by Jessica Smith, REDBOOK

You eat right, you exercise, you take vitamins, but you still aren't losing weight or feeling that great. So what's missing? It could be something more important to your body than food: SLEEP!


According to recent studies, sleep may be as crucial to your health as diet and exercise. And while insomnia sufferers know that they are missing sleep, many disrupted sleepers may not even realize that they aren't getting a full night's rest. So what can you do to make sure this isn't happening to you?


Try these 3 ways to improve the quality of your sleep tonight:
 


Related: The 10 Least Helpful, Most Irritating Parenting Tips Ever

1) Cut off caffeine after 11:00 a.m.
 Sure, you know too much java can keep you awake, but did you know that caffeine can stay in your system for up to 14 hours? And we aren't just talking coffee here - that includes chocolate, Diet Coke, iced tea - even Midol. The Mayo Clinic recommends healthy adults consume at or under 300mg per

Read More »from 3 Surprising Ways to Sleep More Soundly

I haven't dated much since my divorce over a year ago. I've noticed a man a few times at a restaurant I frequent; we've made eye contact, but that's all. My brother - a single dad - suggested I write the man a note asking if he'd like to meet for coffee and include my number or email. What do you think? I lack self-confidence, but I'm also ready to date. - A.C., 42, Yuma, AZ

Related: How to Handle a Mompetitor


Everyone from The Rules ladies to the considerably hipper author of Screw Cupid: The Sassy Girl's Guide to Picking Up Hot Guys feels the same about this issue: Don't do it. There's a whiff of desperation, the least sexy odor in all of dating, that inevitably comes with the lady issuing the invitation.

Related: The 18 Most Annoying Male Habits Explained

But you've got to find out what works for you, and do so in a way that builds your confidence rather than prompts you to resign yourself to spending the rest of your life watching romantic comedies.

If you feel a powerful urge

Read More »from It's Complicated Advice Q&A: Is it Desperate to Ask a Guy Out?

By Gizem Ozcelik, REDBOOK

Let's face it: A lot of us are plagued with fine or thinning hair. No matter how much mousse you use or how much you tease your locks, by the end of the day, they just fall flat again. Women actually make up forty percent of American hair loss sufferers-that means hair loss affects 21 million women in the US alone! And that's because there are so many reasons for hair loss or thin/fragile hair: genetics, stress, poor nutrition, pregnancy and side effects of medication among many other things.
Related: 51 Days of New Outfits for Under $200

The reason for my fine hair? Definitely genetics; although my mother gave me gorgeous skin, I am stuck with her lifeless brown strands. And believe me, being a beauty girl, I have tried everything in the book: shampoos, conditioners, volumizing mousses and powders, even clip-on extensions (Salon-extensions are just way too expensive!). But nothing seemed to work for me until I tried the new at-home treatment by Phyto Read More »from My Secret Product for Thicker, Sexier Hair

My husband works from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a transportation company. We have two toddlers, and I have a 13-year-old from a previous relationship. I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I work three nights a week at a hospital, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., so our girls don't have to go to day care. My husband doesn't appreciate how hard it is for me to live like this. When I bring up how little I've slept, he takes it personally, as if I'm attacking his character. When he watches the kids, he does make comments like, "I don't know how you do it," but I think he says that because it sounds good. How do I get him to see how hard this lifestyle is for me, without him taking it as a personal attack? -D.C., 32, Boston

Related: Vote for the Hottest Husband in Hollywood


First things first: Are you, by any chance, talking about being overwhelmed in a way that sounds like a personal attack? Sometimes I think I'm just "telling" my guy something when, in fact, I'm also implying that he's somehow responsible for

Read More »from It's Complicated Advice Q&A: My Husband Takes Me for Granted

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

My boyfriend and I have been dating on and off for about a year and a half. We recently broke up again. Every time we get back together, I find myself doing things that he doesn't like, things that made us break up in the first place. For example, being too "needy" in his eyes. So here's my question: We've been texting back and forth for about two weeks now. Sometimes he responds to me, and sometimes he blows me off for days. He only responds to everyday topics and ignores anything serious or emotional. Why does he answer me sometimes and not other times? If he doesn't want to talk to me at all, then why does he still respond after a few days? I guess that's why I am so confused. I've flat out asked him numerous times if he wants me to just leave him alone, with no response. Please help!
-Redbook reader

Related: Nominate Your Hot Husband to be in Redbook

DEAR REDBOOK READER:
You gotta walk away. It's done, it's over. If someone makes you

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "My Ex is Sending Me Mixed Signals"

I've been married for 14 years to a good man. Recently our son joined a sports team and we've become friends with some of the parents - we go to dinner, play cards, etc. The problem is, one of the husbands never attends because socializing is not his thing. When we all get together, my husband always sits with this man's wife and even tickles her, walks her to her car, and asks her to call to let him know she made it home safe. I've confronted my husband about this, and he says I'm just starting trouble. Is he trying to make me jealous? What's going on here? Please help! -M.H., 34, Cincinnati

Related: Vote for the Hottest Husband in Hollywood


What's going on here is anyone's guess. Yes, your husband could be trying to make you jealous - or he could have a crush on this woman. Either way, the fact remains that the situation is making you seriously unhappy. And don't for one second think that you're the one "starting trouble." If your guy's so concerned about trouble, he ought to

Read More »from It's Complicated Advice Q&A: My Husband Flirts with Other Women

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

Why does my husband go and help everyone else when they call, but when I need help around the house, he makes up an excuse? -Redbook reader

Related: Nominate Your Hot Husband to be in Redbook

DEAR REDBOOK READER:
My wife Karel feels the same way. I do this because she knows I'm a sloth, and other folks don't know just how lazy I am. If I started doing all the things Karel needed done, I'd be done sometime around the next Presidential Inauguration. So I don't do much, and she doesn't expect much in return-it's a winning situation. But when other folks call once or twice every couple of months, it's fine to go lend a hand, and then they say things like, "Aaron is so helpful, he installed my air conditioner," and, "He shoveled my walk, what a hard worker, and so handsome," or, "He chased that mean old squirrel right off my porch, how brave."

It's nice to have that kind of positive reinforcement, especially because it ain't never gonna come

Read More »from Dear Whys Guy: "Why Does My Husband Help Everyone Else, But Not Help Me Around the House?"

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

One of the last major taboos of motherhood was broken -- loudly -- this past week when Babble.com mommy blogger Kate posted about how she loves her son more than her daughter. While all the mommies in the room cringe, I'll add that this is not just my summation of her feelings; the post is titled "Mom Confessions: I think I love my son a little bit more." In an Internet-fueled world where confessions are a dime a dozen and many earlier parenting taboos have lost their stigma -- have you been to a playgroup recently? Everything from sex to poop to mental illness is on the table -- this confession tackled something previously untouched: a mother's love for her child.

Related: Nominate Your Husband for Redbook Hot Husband of the Month

Admitting your feelings to your best girlfriends or your spouse in a fit of emotion feuled by sleep deprivation is one thing but posting on the Internet, "There are moments - in my least sane and darkest thoughts - Read More »from Is It Okay to Like One of Your Kids More Than Another?