Balance Your Health

Tips for Better Sleep

The amount of sleep you need depends on many variables and much of it depends on your age. Infants, for example, sleep 16 hours a day. Most preschoolers need 10 or 11 hours of sleep a night as do most school-age children. Teen agers need something less, about nine hours of sleep a night. And most adults require seven to eight hours a night although some people feel rested on as few as five hours of sleep. Research is calling this low number into question.

Studies show that people who sleep as little as six or five or less hours a night do not perform as well on complex mental tasks as do those who do sleep the seven or eight hour time frame. Researchers also found that those who get less sleep have a higher mortality rate than those adults who get more sleep.

Sleep problems become nastier as you age because sleeping patterns may change. Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and awaken more frequently during the night than younger adults. So far there is no evidence that older adults need less sleep than do younger adults. Apparently, at any age, getting enough sleep is helpful to everyone's immune system and helps your nervous system work properly. The quality of sleep is also important. If your sleep is frequently interrupted you are not getting the full benefit of the hours you have tried sleeping.

Here are a few tips to help you sleep better.

Go to bed and wake up on the same schedule, even on weekends to help you reinforce your sleep-wake cycle.

Do not eat or drink large amounts before bed. Too much liquid and you will be waking up in the middle of the night to urinate. Too much heavy food and your digestive system will be working too hard to let you sleep well.

Exercise regularly because aerobic exercise can help fatigue you and prepare you for needed sleep. Some people find that exercising before bed makes it harder to fall asleep so give yourself more time between exercise and going to bed.

Keep in mind that if you have trouble sleeping on a regular basis see your doctor. You could have a sleep disorder. Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep problems can get you the rest you need.

To your success at balanced health.

Ruthan Brodsky

How Sleep Affects Your Memory

Investigating possible links between sleep and memory began 35 years ago with Carlyle Smith from Trent University, Canada. No one else was paying any attention to the topic back then but events have certainly changed. I would guess that there is at least one magazine a month which has published an article about the importance of sleep and the impact it has on your brain and your memory. Sleep and memory is now a hot research field.

One school of thought on the topic argues

More Sleep Solutions

Insomnia is getting too little or poor-quality sleep caused by :

• Having trouble falling asleep
• Waking up several times during the night and having trouble falling asleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Not feel refreshed even after 7-8 hours of sleep.

 

Insomnia can cause problems during the day such as not thinking clearly or feeling depressed or just being irritable. Many hospitals and sleep centers treat patients for insomnia and some of their techniques can be tackled on your own.

Keep a sleep diary. First thing in the morning describe your night's sleep and during the day keep a diary of activities that may impact your sleep such as sitting for long stretches or watching TV later than usual, or having coffee with dinner. This diary will help you understand your sleep behavior.

Expose yourself to sunlight. Get at least half an hour of direct sunlight. If going outdoors doesn't work, use a commercial light box.

Manipulate your body temperature by exercising briskly during early-evening hours about two hours before bedtime.

On alternate evenings, take a hot bath about two hours before you go to bed. This will also help normalize your body's core temperature and promote sleep.

Establish a comfortable sleeping environment and a relaxing bedtime routine. Find a comfortable temperature and make sure your room is quiet and dark. Try a sleeping mask.

Use a noise machine that makes relaxing sounds to blot out all other sounds that may disturb you.

If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes get up and read or do something that is not too active until you do feel sleepy. Then go back to bed.

Do you use any of these strategies? Which one works best for you. Help our readers with your success stories.

If you're looking for ways to enhance your lifestyle as you age check out my other suggestions at Upside Of Aging.

To you well balanced lifestyle,

Ruthan Brodsky

Insomnia Solutions

I've always thought of insomnia as a condition when you want to sleep but can't. After researching and writing about the topic of sleep and insomnia I realize there is a lot more to sleeping problems than staying in bed and thinking rather than sleeping.

Most of us have sleeping problems at one time which are usually for a relatively short period. Often times they're about a specific event such as planning for a wedding, getting married, passing a test, or playing golf with your boss. Older people tend to have more problems with sleep.

Long lasting sleeping problems indicate chronic insomnia and that can lead to lots of other problems. The professional advice is that if you have a sleeping problem for more than 2 weeks then it's time to seek professional help.

Long lasting insomnia may lead to other long lasting problems. It can damage your memory, change the way your brain works and often times not for the better, impair attention and problem-solving, and get you in an auto accident because you're falling asleep during the day.

Here are a few suggestions that you can do to prevent sleeping problems without taking any medication which could make matters even worse because so many do impact your cognitive ability.

• First, establish a regular sleep schedule. Avoid daytime naps and stick to your schedule even o weekends. That means going to sleep and setting your alarm to wake up at the same time.

• Use your bed for sleeping. With the exception of sex, your bed should not be used to watch TV, read, or tweet your friends.

• Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine at least 4 hours before going to bed. All of these can interfere with your sleep. Many people I know stop drinking coffee after lunch.

If you have other tips for preventing insomnia share your ideas with us. Scroll down to Comments and type your tips in the blank window.  Thanks.

And if you are interested in living a positive lifestyle as you get older, check out what I write at From Retirement to Career Change.

To your well balanced lifestyle

Ruthan Brodsky

Stop Stress From Interrupting Your Sleep

Even healthy people find themselves waking up in the middle of the night because of left over stress from the day. There is now research to show that sleeping 3 to 5 hours, waking up for an hour or so, and then going back to sleep is normal for some people.

Even so waking up every night can be frustrating and lead to a day when not much gets done because you are tired. One way to get better rest is to develop good sleep hygiene. That means improving your behavior so that you do fall asleep and stay asleep.

Something as simple as exercising more will give you a better night sleep. Lots of research done on this aspect and what was found is not only the hours of sleep are longer after exercise but the quality of the time spent sleeping is improved.

You can also learn relaxation techniques such as meditation and part of Yoga. If worries are still bothering you and you're wide a wake, get up and distract yourself for an hour and then go back to bed.

Also consider establishing a good sleep routine. Try going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time each morning. Go to bed only when you're tired. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark and the temperature is right for sleeping for you.

Love to hear your tips about how to have a good night's sleep. Scroll down to Comments and type your ideas in the blank window. You may be able to help someone else.

To your well balance life.

Ruthan Brodsky

Help for Sleeping Problems

It's impossible to watch more than an hour of TV before you see an ad for some pill that will help you sleep, or help you stay asleep, and you won't wake up groggy. It's no wonder because doctors have identified more than 70 different sleep disorders. The good news is that most of them can be managed effectively once they are correctly diagnosed.

Some people have trouble falling asleep. Their thoughts are going a mile a minute and not shutting down. This is called sleep-onset insomnia.

Other people have sleep-maintenance insomnia. They fall asleep easy enough but they awake several hours later or early in the morning and aren't able to go back to sleep again. This type of problem is more common in older adults but it can happen at any age.

Sometimes a sleeping problem has an underlying reason. Insomnia is often related to depression so that treating just the sleeping problem isn't going to work. Often a low dose of an antidepressant will have a sedating effect when taken at bedtime.

What is important is to know that chronic, long=term sleep disorders can cause serious problems. Sleep deprivation may interfere with work, driving and social activities.

Working with your physician is a must if you're considering taking any sleep medication. First, you don't want the new medication to interfere with any of your other medications. Second, if there's a family history of liver or kidney disease or even respiratory problems sleep aids may make it worse.

Barbituates were once used as sleep aids. They are no longer used because of their risk for addiction.  In the 1960s another class of drugs entered the scene – benzodiazepines such as Valium – but these tended to make people sleepy.

Today the non-benzodiazephine hypnotics such as Ambien, is now available in generic form. Another member of this class is Zaleplon or Sonata, a short acting drug. Its effects wear off quickly so it can be taken while you're awake.

The drug ramelteon or Rozerem is part of a new class of hypnotic agents that are related to the natural hormone, melatonin. Ramelton tries to mimic the body's natural mechanisms that stimulate sleep. It's not habit-forming but it's also not as strong as traditional medications.

If you're taking prescription drugs or over-the-counter remedies, it always is important to call your doctor if your sleep doesn't improve or you are always feeling tired.  For all you know it could be your medication causing you problems.

To your well balanced health

Ruthan Brodsky

Sleeping Pills Are Risky Business

This may come as a bit of a shock, but the health stories the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) publishes are very good. They take a slightly different perspective on a health issues and are fun to read.

"Health Journal" is one of their weekly columns. The column for May 6 (p. D1) focused on side effects of sleeping pills.

Based on my conversations with others, it seems that after people try natural remedies for getting to sleep, they fall back on pills. For some people, sleeping pills induce amnesia of sorts. Patients report they’ve been sleep walking, driving, making phone calls after taking sleeping pills and have absolutely no recall of any events other than taking the pills and going to bed. Examples described were a woman who crashed her cars into trees and a man who phoned his boss and swore at him all while in a sleepy haze. My favorite story is the woman who thought someone else must be roaming her house because the box of chocolates next to her bed was emptied several times and she didn’t recall eating them.