We hear it all the time…getting a good night’s sleep is GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN. Thus, when The Mayo Clinic sent me a Special Report about sleep, I read it, eager to share aspects of it with you.
So…FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND: Sleep is NOT a luxury, it is a POWERFUL HUMAN DRIVE that can provide us with multiple health benefits.
Sleep gives your body a break from being in full operational mode. It provides time for faulty cell repair and establishes new memory and learning processes. So…if you don’t get the sleep you need, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES: daytime drowsiness and irritability. Your concentration will be impaired, and your ability to perform simple tasks will be hindered.
Also, your memory, your physical performance and reaction time will be affected. Reading this is not comforting. Plus, the situation gets worse if you are interrupted or short sleep accumulates over a number of nights.
THE BIG QUESTIONS: Why does a good night’s sleep become more difficult to come by as we age? What can we do about this?
SOME ANSWERS: Though sleep patterns can change over time, know that POOR SLEEP is not a consequence of getting older. So no matter your age, we now know more about the effects of sleeping and aging, plus there are things we can begin to do immediately, and the good news, these things do not require drugs.
SOME BACKGROUND
As we age, many people report sleep complaints. The most common? Not being able to fall asleep and stay asleep. Scientists and researchers report that over time, our biological clocks tend to reset a little earlier.
We start to feel sleepy earlier in the evening than we used to. We also wake up earlier in the morning. Scientists also state that our biological clocks are now sending weaker signals to keep us awake during the day or to allow us to sleep during the night.
So maybe you have headed to bed feeling tired, but then found yourself staring at the ceiling. Sleep also becomes fragmented throughout the night, as we spend less time in deep sleep and more time in periods of wakefulness. But why attach all of this to aging? Well, it is complicated, various factors affecting the relationship between aging and sleeping.
HERE ARE SOME FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT YOUR SLEEP:
- Medical conditions that require the use of medications.
- Medical conditions causing: increased insomnia because of heart conditions, musculoskeletal pain, breathing problems, depression, anxiety, acid reflux.
- Drugs that are used to treat the above conditions causing sleep-disturbing side effects.
When all of the above are taken into consideration, the number of healthy adults with insomnia, but no other problems, is quite low, between 1% and 7%.
In healthy adults, the difference in the time it takes to initially fall asleep becomes obvious only when you compare very young adults with elderly individuals. And even then, it takes less than 10 minutes longer for an 80-year old to fall asleep compared with a 20-year old.
STILL CANNOT SLEEP?
Regardless of your overall health, insomnia is a problem that should be taken seriously, given the harmful effects it can have on your life. Checking to see if the medications you are taking might be causing your inability to fall asleep is one step you can take. But the Mayo Clinic wants you to go further than that, as your insomnia might persist even if the timing of medications is changed.
TAKE A PILL?
There are many sleep-aids on the market encouraging you to do just that. An easy solution???
Not if you are already taking other medications. And unless your insomnia is short-lived or unique to a particular set of circumstances, most sleeping pills aren’t a good solution. And this is something I did not know and wish I had when my mother was alive: sleeping pills are not meant for use beyond 4-8 weeks, yet older adults report using them for months, even years. Like my Mom.
There are side effects: residual sleepiness; dizziness, impaired mental functioning and muscle coordination. Also, sleep walking, eating, making phone calls…that they cannot recollect.
Think about fractures from falling when on sleep meds that make you groggy. Not a good idea!
INSTEAD: SLEEP-FRIENDLY HABITS
- Create sleep-friendly rituals. Go to bed at the same time; have a ritual that alerts your body that it is time to rest: warm bath, reading, soothing music. Write down things you will deal with tomorrow. This will help your ability to pray, meditate, read or listen to soothing music. These activities can become a ritual to alert your body to rest and then sleep.
- Make your bedroom your sleeping room or your room for sex. Other activities like watching TV, eating, being on your phone…will change the peacefulness of your bedroom. Your body desires sleep. Your body needs cool, dark and quiet. Also comfortable bedding that allows you to stretch out.
- You have done the above and still cannot sleep? Leave your bedroom. Do something relaxing until you feel drowsy…reading in dim light; sitting quieting or meditating. THE POINT: don’t link your bed to the difficulty of falling asleep.
- Relax. It’s best to go to bed when you are feeling sleepy. Try to relax at bedtime and avoid worrying that you might not sleep. Practice relaxation techniques by slowly tensing, then stretching and relaxing your muscle groups.Work from your toes to your neck and head.
- Note that the things you do during the day can set the stage for how you sleep. Thus, consider including the following that might impact the quality of your sleep: regular exercise that expends energy and increases endorphins. Activities such as aerobic exercises or walking, running and endurance training, done daily, but not too close to your bedtime.
- Avoiding caffeine that can keep you awake. Limit caffeine intake and reserve it only for the morning.
- Watch how you use alcohol. Consuming it before bed might help you fall asleep, but it tends to produce a fragmented sleep. Also, a heavy meal before bedtime can increase your risk of digestive discomfort, which can keep you awake.
Finally, develop sleep-friendly habits, so that when nighttime comes around, you are giving your body the proper signals and the environment that will lead to a good night’s rest.
Thanks to Special Report: Good Night, Sleep Tight Mayo Clinic Health Letter
