Notes from the Dark Side...PODay 137

I discussed my apparent insomnia with my doctor recently. In the past when  I couldn't sleep I never thought of it as insomnia. I just thought that I wasn't sleepy. Semantics, I know.. I have been frequenting too many doctor's offices lately. Before I looked at sleeplessness as a bonus, some extra time to accomplish some little job I didn't get to in the waking hours. I could balance the checkbook, write a letter or two (before email), bake cookies, or iron the shirts that tended to live in the bottom of the basket. The only "problem" lay in the fact that I had to get up and go to work in the morning. Now, being retired, I can sleep late or take a catnap as needed.

So why does my being awake in the night have to have a name and a cause and a solution?

We each have a "basic sleep need" which is different for everyone. People like Bill Clintom and Martha Stewart claim to need very little sleep, perhaps three or four hours a night. That explains how they can get so much accomplished in a 24 hour day. If we don't get enough sleep we create a "sleep debt," the accumulated loss of sleep that our body wants us to catch up on occasionally. Add to that the natural circadian rhythm, that primeval tendency to get sleepy after lunch and in the "wee, small hours of the morning," and, even if we think we've had adequate rest, we find ourselves nodding off at our desk or, heaven forbid, falling asleep at the wheel.

Sleep experts say sleeping too little, say fewer than seven hours a night, can cause depression, weight gain, even increased morbidity.  But they also say sleeping too much, say more than nine hours a night, can cause depression, weight gain, even increased morbidity.  What is a person to do?

Recommendations include:

• Establish consistent sleep and wake schedules, even on weekends 
• Create a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or listening to soothing music – begin an hour or more before the time you expect to fall asleep 
• Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool 
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows 
• Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex (keep "sleep stealers" out of the bedroom – avoid watching TV, using a computer or reading in bed) 
• Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime 
• Exercise regularly. 
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol products close to bedtime and give up smoking

Or, get up and catch up on those little jobs you've been avoiding, like writing a post for your blog.

http://youtu.be/3uEPDEJbJu0