Sleep is an interesting, necessary, and sought after function of everyday life. Most people will tell you, they don’t get enough. It could be due to work stress, uncomfortable conditions, or even a new baby crying. Whatever the case, its a commodity everyone seems to be running short of. This week, we want to focus on a few ideas to help you get some good quality zzz’s. Here are a few tips from our experts: -Keep the lights low. Light signals to the brain that it needs to stay alert. Keep your lights low in the hour before bedtime. This means staying off the computer, cell phones, and watching tv. Try reading a book, meditating, or doing some other relaxing activity. If you must be on the computer for work, dim the computer lights -Everyone needs to exercise, but not … Continue reading
Sleep Hygiene
*This post is from the Consumer Reports Health Blog. We felt it fit well as a follow up to our weekly post for May 1st, 2010. “The idea that people need and want less sleep as they get older is a myth,” says Harrison Bloom, M.D., a senior associate with the International Longevity Center USA in New York. But it is true that the type of sleep they get often changes. “People may not sleep as deeply as they did when they were young, and they may awaken more frequently,” Bloom says. That disturbed sleep increases the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and hypertension. Unfortunately, even many physicians ignore complaints about poor sleep from older people, assuming it’s just part of aging. But health conditions that impair sleep, such as sleep apnea, are often independent problems that respond to treatment. … Continue reading
