Having Trouble Sleeping?

[AngieDoogles]

I work for a company specializing in many aspects of the medical care field. We are most well-known for our pharmacies, but we also do med-infusions, prescription benefit insurance, compounding, wellness programs, home health, and much more. Anyway, because I work in the administrative/hr office, a lot of interesting health information crosses my desk. I thought you guys might benefit from this article I was working with last week.



Life today moves at a nonstop pace. As a result, sleep and other basic needs are often forfeited for increased work and family responsibilities. With the busy lives we lead, sleep deprivation is something we can bring on ourselves. There are different types of sleep disorders such as Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Narcolepsy. However, most of the time, we just need to reset our internal clock. There are several things we can do to accomplish this.

Good Sleep Habits:
Maintain regular bedtimes and awakenings
Optimize amount of sleep
Create a comfortable, quiet, dark, and temperature-controlled bedroom environment
Establish a regular pattern of relaxing behaviors within an hour before bedtime
Exercise on a regular basis but not immediately before bedtime
Within five minutes of arising from bed in the morning, obtain bright light exposure by going outside or staying in an area that receives bright light for at least 30 minutes

Bad Sleep Habits:
Take a nap
Eat or drink heavily before bedtime
Keep a clock close to the bed
Lie awake for long periods of time (i.e., more than 15 to 20 minutes)
Allow disturbances (e.g., phones, pets, family)
Read or watch television in bed (unless these activities definitely make you drowsy)
Use alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine
Obtain bright light exposure a few hours before bedtime

Melatonin is a natural hormone in our brain that helps us fall asleep. The melatonin in our bodies rises to cause drowsiness and ultimately sleep as darkness falls. One important step to help reset your internal clock is to subject yourself to one hour of sunlight first thing in the morning. This will help normalize your hormone levels that govern your sleep/wake cycles.

Bad sleep habits generally start in adolescence. Once we reach adulthood these habits become harder to break. Once you fall into sleep deprivation, you could find yourself being tired, rundown, unable to concentrate, and more prone to illness. It has been proven that sleep deprivation effects our immune and nervous systems. Sleep is very important to our bodies. Our bodies replenish and repair damage to cells while we sleep. Deep sleep helps to maintain optimal emotional and social functioning while awake. Sleep also gives the brain a chance to exercise nerve cell connections that might deteriorate from lack of activity.

The amount of sleep we need is based upon age. Infants need 16 hours of sleep. Teenagers need 9 hours of sleep, and adults usually need between 7-8 hours a night. No one can adapt to a sleep deprived schedule. You will see your judgment, reaction time, immune system, and other functions are affected. So to increase your overall health, get some sleep!

*All information comes from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (www.ninds.nih.gov) and the National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org).