How much sleep you got the night before is often a topic of conversation if you and your friends are over 50 and, of course, if you are much younger and there is an infant living with you. You are not alone. The National Sleep Foundation reports that one half of older adults have at least one symptom of insomnia. Whether you are up because you have to go to the bathroom, which happens more frequently as you age, or something is bothering you about your adult children or at the office, interrupted sleep decreases your sleep quality and increases daytime sleepiness.

Interestingly, sleep has only come into its own as an active process necessary for good health since well into the twentieth century. That is when the key discoveries about the neurological and physiological activity associated with sleep debunked this long held perspective that sleep is passive.  Once science and medicine realized that sleep was not passive it opened a new era in sleep research.

Sleep is now characterized as a dynamic state controlled by specific and complex mechanisms. Even with all these advancements there is still no clear consensus about why sleep is necessary. One theory is that sleep allows the body time to repair itself on the cellular level. Other theories focus on what happens when people are sleep deprived. The fact is sleep loss affects how we think, our mood, hormone balance, and our immune system.

Here are a couple of changes you can make to improve your sleep.

• First use your bed and bedroom only for sleep and sex.

• Take relaxation training classes to help reduce tension and give you techniques for relaxing your muscles.

• Avoid caffeine at least 3 or 4 hours before bed.

• Avoid alcohol late in the evening because it increases waking later in the night.

Share your suggestions for good sleep.  We’ll make a list and pass them on.

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan

Ads for over-the-counter products and prescription medications to help you fall asleep and stay asleep are in all the media including TV, radio, online, and on the backs of buses. Most of us, however, prefer to find a way in which we do not have to take any more medications even if they just come from the drugstore shelf. We would be much happier if we could figure out how to deal with our sleeping problems more naturally.

One of the problems is that as we age we tend to have more medical problems, many of which are chronic. In general, people with poor health or chronic medical conditions do have more sleep problems. For instance, hypertension is associated with snoring, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and heart failure because OSA is associated with heart failure.

Then there is menopause and all the hot flashes that go with it plus the changes in breathing. Of course the decreasing hormone levels are also a factor for many sleepless nights. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or what we commonly call acid reflux is another common cause of sleep problems because the pain makes it difficult to sleep. Diabetes and asthma are other sources of sleep problems.

Here are a few changes you can make to help you get a good night’s sleep:

• Exercise in the afternoon.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine for at least 4 hours before bed.
• Establish a schedule for your sleep going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time.
• Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only.
• Avoid alcohol later in the evening because it increases your chances of waking up in the middle of the night.

Try taking naps but remember that sleep during the day affects sleep at night. For instance, a 30-minute nap may give you more energy in the afternoon but it may take you longer to fall asleep at night.

If you are still experiencing difficulty sleeping, first think whether a particular event or problem may be the cause of your sleep problem. If so, sleeping well will return when the problem is resolved or managed. If not, then it is time to talk to your doctor. You may want to keep a record of your sleep and fatigue levels during the day and a list of any other symptoms to give to your doctor to help with the diagnosis.

In the meantime if you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes, do as the National Sleep Foundation suggests: Get out of bed and do something quiet and relaxing like reading a book or listening to music. Do not turn on old war movie on TV. When you feel sleepy, get back in bed and try again. If not successful in 20 minutes, repeat.

Try some of these lifestyle changes before you start taking meds even if they are non prescription. They may help you get the sleep you want and with no side effects.

To your healthy aging,

Ruthan Brodsky