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Solving your Insomnia

In Health, Healthcare, Medicine on November 26, 2012 at 10:19 am

Sleep is something you normally look forward to. A time to rest and recharge your batteries, to take you into the next day alert and full of energy. However, sometimes the process of sleeping may be arduous and less than restful.

Most people experience periods when they find it difficult to sleep. Perhaps you’re stressed, or travelling from a different time zone, or just don’t know why you can’t sleep. These times are transitory and are little more than an inconvenience.

However, your periods of sleeplessness may become more than transitory and develop into a recurring pattern when you are trying to get to sleep.

There are basically three types of insomnia:

Initial sleep difficulties:

You have difficulty falling asleep when you first go to bed.

Intermediate sleep difficulties:

You fall asleep when you first go to bed, but awaken in the middle of the night. Once you awaken you find it difficult to return to sleep.

Early morning awakening:

You sleep throughout the night, but awaken much earlier than you normally would, feeling unrefreshed and sleepy. Typically you’re not able to return to sleep.

There could be many reasons why you are experiencing insomnia, but eventually the insomnia becomes a habit – a faulty sleeping strategy, as it were.

Develop a healthy sleeping strategy

Deal with any underlying issues contributing to your insomnia.

What was happening in your life when the insomnia first started?

Was there a trigger point for the insomnia, and is this still an issue for you?

Do you eat a meal too close to your bedtime?

Going to sleep on a full stomach is not a good idea. You can feel uncomfortable and the process of digestion may interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Ideally, you should not eat for two to three hours prior to going to bed.

Do you drink a caffeine drink before bed?

This may seem so obvious, but you may be surprised by the number of people who come for therapy for insomnia who drink coffee or some other caffeinated drink just before going to bed. Remember – caffeine is a stimulant that keeps you awake. If you have a drink before going to bed, make sure that you look at the label of what you are drinking to ensure that it is caffeine free.

Do you nap during the day?

If you do, you could be using up your quota of sleep before you get to bed. Try cutting out the napping and see what happens to your sleep.

Do you drink alcohol close to your bedtime?

You may think that a little night-time tipple helps you to sleep. Wrong! Even though alcohol is basically an anesthetic, it can act as a stimulant in small doses. So have your last alcoholic drink a couple of hours before going to sleep. Oh, and don’t think that you can drink more alcohol so that you are anaesthetized into sleep! Alcohol-induced sleep is not the same as natural sleep and you still wake up unrefreshed in the morning.

Are you overestimating the amount of sleep you think you need?

Try going to bed a little later. See what happens.

Banning anything except sleep from the bedroom.

That means no eating, drinking, watching TV, reading, or sex when in bed. You want tore-associate the bed with sleep and only sleep. Any other activity can be done elsewhere – and that includes sex, so why not spice up your relationship and get amorous in the kitchen or the living room? And don’t worry, once you’re sleeping well then all these activities can once again return to the boudoir.

Going to bed at the same time each night.

Develop a regular pattern.

Getting up and doing something else if you can’t sleep.

If you awaken and aren’t able to get to sleep again, get out of bed and go and do some-thing else. The great hypnotherapist Milton Erickson had his insomnia patients polish their kitchen floor over and over again, no matter what the time of night it was! When you’re feeling sleepy again, return to your bed. By doing this you associate your bed with sleepiness and eventually sleep.

Writing down any worries or concerns before you go to bed.

This is called externalizing. Writing down any worries or concerns helps to remove them from your mind, increasing your chance of focusing on sleep, rather than stress.

 

 

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How can I add more movement to my daily routine?

In Health, Healthcare, Medicine on October 19, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Aim to move more for 30 minutes a day

Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity on most or all days of the week. Moderately intense activities, like brisk walking or dancing, speed up your heart rate and breathing. Getting 150 total minutes spread over the week is suggested. But even 60 total minutes a week of activity that is moderately intense may bring you health benefits.

Start with 10

Fitting in physical activity is not as hard as you may think. You don’t have to do the whole 30 minutes at one time. Start with a 10-minute session three times a day, then move to 15 minutes twice a day.

Strengthen your muscles

Also try to do activities to strengthen your muscles at least two times a week. If you have weights or a rubber exercise band, they are good options to use. You can also lift canned food as weights for strengthening your arms and back. These activities are important because older adults—especially women—tend to lose muscle and bone every year. Activities to strengthen your muscles may help prevent or reduce this loss.

Battle your barriers

Several reasons may occur to you about why you find being physically active difficult. If some of the thoughts below sound familiar to you, try the tips after each comment to overcome things that may keep you from being active.

“It’s too late for me to get physically active.”

It is never too late to start moving more! Physical activity may help you manage your arthritis and osteoporosis (bone loss). Being more active may also help you do the following:

  • Keep your body flexible.
  • Help you to improve your balance.
  • Control high blood sugar, especially if you lose weight.
  • Let you keep living in your own home without help.

“Physical activity is a chore.”

  • Physical activity can be fun once you figure out what you like to do. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely you are to stick with it. Walk or take an exercise class with a friend or a group. That way, you can cheer each other on, have company, and feel safer when you are outdoors.
  • Start a small garden in your yard or in a community space.
  • Break physical activity into short blocks of time. Taking three 10-minute walks during your day may be easier than taking one 30-minute walk.
  • Vary what you do from day to day so you can stay interested.
  • You may not like being active outdoors because of safety concerns. If this is true for you, join your local recreation or fitness center or go to a relative’s neighborhood to walk.

“I spend time and money on my hair and don’t want to mess it up.”

  • Talk with your stylist about hairstyles that fit your budget and your activity level.
  • Try a natural hairstyle.
  • Wrap or pull hair away from your face when you exercise.
  • Get a short or easy-care hairstyle.
  • Try braids, twists, weaves, or locs.
  • To remove salt that builds up in hair from day-to-day activities, shampoo with a mild, PH-balanced product at least once a week.

“It’s too expensive.”

There are lots of ways to be physically active that are free or low cost.

  • Find a local park or school track where you can walk.
  • Walk around a mall.
  • Be active with your grandchildren— take a walk, toss a softball, or ride bikes (don’t forget the helmets).

“I don’t have enough time.”

No matter how busy you are, there are ways to fit in 30 minutes or more of physical activity each day:

  • Spread exercise throughout the day, rather than doing it all at once.
  • Set aside time to be active. For instance, make it part of your daily routine to walk after breakfast or dinner.
  • Get up and move. Take breaks from sitting at the computer or watching TV.
  • If you have a job that requires a lot of sitting, walk around the block when you take your break. Send computer files to the printer farthest from your desk so you can move around a little more.

“I’m not an athlete, so why strength train?”

Activities to build strength are good for everyone, including older adults. For example, lifting weights may help protect your bones. Strength training may also help you perform your daily activities with more ease. In addition to weight lifting, there are many ways to become stronger.

  • Use canned foods or filled water bottles as weights to work your arms, shoulders, and back.
  • If you are able to, walk up stairs—lifting your body weight strengthens your legs and hips.
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