| Spring 2010: |
| Wake Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, our office in North Raleigh, Go to |
Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep
Most of us can say that we have days when we feel like all we did the night before was toss and turn. But for many people this is a normal night’s sleep, and it can affect every aspect of their waking lives.
What Happens If I Don’t Get Enough Sleep On a Regular Basis?
If you are chronically tossing and turning and counting the proverbial sheep to fall asleep, you pay in many ways. Without proper sleep, it’s difficult to be productive. Your ability to concentrate is hampered, your memory is impaired, and your mood suffers. In addition to being cranky and unpleasant, your decision-making skills suffer. And you’re at increased risk of accidents. Driving while sleep deprived is as harmful as driving drunk. Perhaps most harmful are the physical effects of sleep deprivation on your body. Your immune system is compromised and that leads to vulnerability to colds, flu viruses, and other infections and diseases.
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Here are the general guidelines for people of all ages:
- Newborn-4 weeks 15-16 hours per day
- 1-12 months 14-15 hours per day
- 1-3 years 12-14 hours per day
- 3-6 years 10-12 hours per day
- 7-12 years 10-11 hours per day
- 12-18 years 8-9 hours per day
- Adults 18 and older 7-8 hours per day
Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep:
Let’s start with the basics – your bedroom. Your bed should be big enough and the mattress and pillows firm to provide adequate support. If needed, you may buy mattress toppers to put on top of your bed for minor adjustments. Next, reduce the level of noise.
Don’t sleep with the TV or radio on. Keep your room dark and use an eye mask if necessary to cut down on light. Room temperature is also very important. Most people sleep better in a slightly cooler room, but experiment to see what works best for you.
Ditch stress and anxiety at the bedroom door. Stress is one of the biggest sleep zappers of all. If you have trouble leaving the stress behind or you wake up frustrated or angry, talk to your doctor about stress management options. Many people find some of the following relaxation techniques helpful in wiping away the day’s stresses...
- Deep breathing – close your eyes and take slow deep breaths. Visualize a peaceful situation or environment.
- Muscle relaxation – start at your toes and tense all your muscles as tight as you can. Then, release…work your way up your body.
Develop a nighttime routine. Before bed, do something that relaxes you. It may be reading a book, knitting or simply making preparations for the next day. Do anything you find to be relaxing…just make sure it is not work!
Don’t panic if you wake during the night. Most people do. The key is to get back into that restorative stage of sleep. Keep yourself relaxed. It will send the signal to your body to go back to sleep. Counting sheep may sound silly but it works. Why? Because it is a repetitive and non-stimulating activity.
Don’t go to bed too early. Your body goes through cycles of alertness and sleepiness as you near bedtime. If you hit the sack too early, your body cycles get knocked out of rhythm. Also limit napping. It may be working against you. If you must nap, do it early in the afternoon and make it only 30 minutes.
Don’t eat a large meal within two hours of bedtime. However, a light snack before bedtime can promote a good night’s sleep. For example, a banana and a cup of non-caffeinated tea is a good choice. Avoid the following:
- Too much liquid. For obvious reasons, this will keep you up and moving all night.
- Alcohol – Alcohol reduces your ability to get a restorative night’s sleep by waking you late in the night when you most need that deep sleep.
- Caffeine – Stop caffeine use 10 to 12 hours before bedtime.
- Smoking – Nicotine is a stimulant. Not only will it keep you awake longer, but once you actually fall asleep your body starts nicotine withdrawal. The result is constant waking throughout the night.
- Get moving! You don’t have to be a world-class athlete to reap the benefits of exercise in relation to sleep. Thirty minutes of activity a day can greatly improve not only your ability to get to sleep, but also the quality of the sleep itself. So in addition to all of the other benefits for your health and well-being that exercise allows, peaceful and fulfilling sleep can be added to the list.
Following these steps should help you enjoy a restful and restorative night’s sleep in no time!
| Tips for Men’s Health It seems like there are endless publications touting women’s health at every turn, but the male population doesn’t seem to get the same attention. While there are many tips for wellbeing that apply to men and women alike, there also are specific things males can do at any age to ensure optimal health. |  |
Develop an exercise routine. No matter what age you are, exercise is one of the key factors to a healthy life. You need cardiovascular conditioning such as running, biking, or playing racquetball for 30 minutes a minimum of five days per week. Weight training is vital to maintaining strong bones. Work out with weights for at least 30 minutes two to three times a week to strengthen muscles.
Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Attempt to stay away from processed foods and foods made with white flour and white sugar. Not only will this help you maintain a healthy weight, but also your risks of diabetes and heart disease will be reduced.
Take a daily multi-vitamin. In a perfect world, the nutrients and vitamins we need would be met through the foods we eat. In the real world that’s not always the case. To ensure that your body gets the needed daily allowances for vitamins and minerals, take a high-quality supplement.
Watch out for trans fats. While the body needs a certain amount of fats every day, make them healthy ones such as olive oil and omega-3 rich salmon. Skip the hydrogenated oils such as margarine or shortening. All these types of fats do is raise your risk of heart disease. Be conscious of food labels. They will tell you how many trans fats are included in any food. Shoot for foods containing 0% trans fats.
Cut down on alcohol. While drinking a moderate amount of alcohol each day has been proven to cut down on heart disease, any more than two drinks per day is unhealthy. It can be very dangerous to your overall health to overindulge and it also makes it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce your prostate cancer risk. After the age of 40, the prostate gland moves front and center in importance in male health. To keep your prostate in optimum working condition, maintain a healthy diet, exercise, eat foods such as tomatoes (they have been proven to reduce prostate cancer levels) and make sure your vitamin supplement contains a high dose of selenium (200 micrograms) and vitamin E (800 IU). Both of these supplements have been proven to dramatically lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Keep your circulation moving. Another reason to exercise…it keeps the blood circulating throughout your body. As a man gets older, the lack of blood flow can cause erectile dysfunction. If you do suffer from erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor about options for restoring normal function.
Stop smoking! One of the top health hazards without dispute. Quitting smoking cuts down your cancer risk and heart disease risks.
Manage your stress. Whether you relieve stress through exercise, reading a book or doing lawnwork, it is vital to your long-term health to manage the stress levels.
Get an annual checkup. Making sure your cholesterol and blood cell counts are at healthy levels can keep you on the track to a healthy and long life. See your doctor once a year and make sure you ask any questions you may have. Men are not always forthcoming with their concerns, but it is very important to open up to your healthcare professional.
(Click image below for larger version.)
10 Tips for Avoiding Sports Injuries
As the weather brightens and spring and summer arrive, for many people there is a natural progression to the outdoors. Participation in athletic activities for every age is at an all time high, and that translates into increased risk of sports injuries. But if you follow some basic tips, you can minimize injuries and enjoy those activities.
❶ First and foremost, if you are new to athletics or are embarking on your first sports program, talk to your doctor. If you have previous injuries, they will only become worse if they have not been properly rehabilitated. A doctor can spot any weaknesses and address concerns before you hit the ground running.
❷ Attempt to get into shape before beginning a new sports program. Look for an exercise routine that will benefit any program you start…one that incorporates a balance of strength, flexibility, agility, coordination and endurance.
❸ Slowly increase the intensity of your workouts. Don’t jump in and expect to hit the top of the endurance scale. The risk of injury is much higher if you increase that intensity before your body is ready.
❹ Wear the proper gear. For all ages, protective gear is essential for avoiding injuries. For example, if you are biking, rollerblading, playing football, baseball or softball, a helmet is vital. If you are a soccer player, make sure you have those shin guards on. It’s important to wear the right shoes for your sport. While running shoes are great for track and field and marathons, they won’t do well for you in football or baseball. Once you determine the right gear, make sure it fits properly and is in good condition. For children, check to make sure the size is correct because they grow quickly and sizes often change from season to season.
❺ Warm up and stretch. Perhaps even more important than the workout or sport itself is warming up and stretching before you start. Getting the muscles warm and the blood flowing tells your body that you are ready for a workout. Start with gentle cardiovascular exercises and stretching and gradually increase the intensity. Once you have finished the workout, it is equally important to stretch those tired muscles.
❻ Technique. Many injuries can be avoided by making sure you use the proper technique and form. For example, good form can decrease back injuries from swinging that golf club or bat.
❼ Drink plenty of water. Hydrating the body will help decrease injuries and increase the efficiency of your workout.
❽ Know your pain. The old adage “no pain, no gain” has been tossed out the window. The key to a good workout is to gauge the level of pain that is normal versus that which is too much. Don’t overdo it…if you start feeling pain that is more than normal for you, stop what you are doing and take a rest.
❾ Vary your exercise. Cross train when you can so that you can avoid not only injury, but also boredom.
❿ If you are injured... STOP. If you don’t take the time to heal the initial injury, you risk it becoming a chronic condition. Take a few days off and let your body heal. For a more serious injury, see your doctor for proper guidance and rehabilitation.
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