In Praise of Naps

I knew it all along, but now the Boston Globe has verified it. Naps are good for you.

And it seems with our recent article here on Battling Cancer about sleep that tells us insomnia is considered one of the most serious side effects of cancer–

45% to 50% of all cancer patients deal with disturbances of sleep–that naps are a great idea for cancer patients.

A study released by the Harvard School of Public Health and in Athens reported that Greeks who took regular 30-minute siestas were 37 percent less likely to die of heart disease over a six-year period than those who never napped. The scientists tracked more than 23,000 adults, finding that the benefits of napping were most pronounced for working men. Source: Boston Globe

The National Sleep Foundation lists three types of naps:

• Planned napping-preparatory napping-taking a nap before an event or when you know you must stay up late
• Emergency napping-when you are suddenly very tired and cannot keep your eyes open
• Habitual napping-occurs at the same time every day (my cat or your toddler)

How To Nap?

Check out this graphic by Josua Schwimmer MD:

The chart explains how to nap for the napping challenged.

Since Da Vinci, Einstein and Edison all were known nappers it might be a good idea to take this seriously.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends napping at:

• The right length: A short nap is usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.
• The right environment: Your surroundings can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep. Make sure that you have a restful place to lie down and that the temperature in the room is comfortable. Try to limit the amount of noise heard and the extent of the light filtering in. While some studies have shown that just spending time in bed can be beneficial, it is better to try to catch some zzz’s.
• The right time: If you take a nap too late in the day, it might affect your nighttime sleep patterns and make it difficult to fall asleep at your regular bedtime. If you try to take it too early in the day, your body may not be ready for more sleep.”

So what are we waiting for? Got your blanket? Ipod?

Let’s zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

               

Sleep and the Cancer Patient

Insomnia is considered one of the most serious side effects of cancer.

45% to 50% of all cancer patients deal with disturbances of sleep.

The sleep cycle consists of four stages, going from light to deep sleep and finally REM (Rapid Eye Movement). The sleep cycle takes about 90 minutes. Per SleepDex, “infants spend almost 50% of their time in REM sleep. Adults spend nearly half of sleep time in stage 2, about 20% in REM and the other 30% is divided between the other three stages . ”

Are you getting enough sleep? A typical adult needs about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Many people say they only need five hours of sleep a night, but researchers have found that this is true of only about 10% of the adult population.

The typical cancer patient has many valid reasons why their sleep is being disturbed.

Causes of sleep disturbances in cancer patients:

• Chemotherapy and other medication side effects
• Pain
• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Lower GI problems such as constipation or diarrhea
• Depression
• Interruptions of sleep in the hospital
• General fatigue
• Stress

Are you sleep deprived? Find out. Test your reaction time at Sheep Dash.

Read more

               

How NOT To Deal With Stress

There are several techniques for dealing with the physical and emotional causes and consequences of stress. Short-term symptom relief and long-term cures for chronic stress are possible. But there are many common strategies employed that are counter-productive. There are a million ways to go wrong. Here are some of the more typical errors.

In an attempt to alleviate the tension and worry that accompany stress, some individuals will unwittingly engage in self-destructive behavior.

The stress that can lead to being short-tempered can urge someone to lash out angrily at a trusted friend or loved one. It can incline some to excessive alcohol drinking or coffee drinking with the result of high caffeine intake, leading to more stress symptoms. It can lead to aggressive or violent behavior.

One of the most common results of stress is insomnia. When something is troubling you, and you are physically uncomfortable, it’s difficult to relax enough to sleep. When you do manage to fall asleep, it’s often interrupted during the night, or not the type of deep sleep that is genuinely restful.

Taking a sleeping medication may be helpful in some situations, but long term dependence on any kind of drug to deal with life’s problems is self-defeating. Instead, learn and use some simple meditation techniques to focus the mind and induce a relaxing state.

A heightened focus on problem solving is natural for some types of individuals. But obsessing, even in the face of serious issues, is counter-productive. Try to see the problem as you would if it were being experienced by a friend. You would be concerned, of course. We’re often much better at maintaining objectivity when the problem belongs to someone else.

Some people try to cope with stress by doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Throwing oneself into projects at work is one way of shifting focus away from problems at home. But avoidance can only be partially successful, and only temporarily at that.

Some problems do go away on their own and ignoring them can be a viable strategy. But circumstances combined with evaluations that lead to chronic stress do not disappear simply because we’re not thinking about them. A temporary break to gain perspective and get the emotions under control is healthy. Hiding one’s head in the sand is not.

Fundamentally, all these incorrect and unhelpful methods have a common root. Reality doesn’t go away when some aspects of it are inconvenient or unpleasant. Life is filled with obstacles placed in the way of achieving values. The existence of those hurdles and the need to overcome them - when combined with doubts about our ability to do so - leads to stress.

               

Six Types of Insomnia

By Christopher Ruane

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is the experience of inadequate sleep or of poor quality sleep often typified by one or more of the following insomnia symptoms:

Difficulty getting off to sleep
Difficulty staying asleep or frequent night waking
Early morning waking, or
Sleep that doesn’t have a refreshing affect

With the daytime consequences being

Tiredness
Low energy levels
Irritability, and
Lack of concentration

Around 30 to 40 percent of adults experience some level of insomnia within any year, and of these around 10 to 15 percent suffer from severe or chronic insomnia. As we have already seen, insomnia increases with age but is also more commonly experienced by women.

Sleeping disorders occur from infancy through to old age with a significant rise in incidence in old age. Most people don’t consult a doctor about their problem or resort to sleeping pills or tranquilizers to help. Lack of sleep accumulates into what is known as a sleep debt, with many people carrying a huge sleep debt without realizing. People with greater sleep debts are slower to recover from illness and are more vulnerable to catching infections, viruses and other illnesses.

How is insomnia diagnosed?

If you have disturbed sleep and think you have insomnia it is important to see a doctor. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary for a week or two, noting the patterns of your sleep (or lack of them) and your daily routines.

You will need to discuss your sleep diary with your doctor. It may be necessary for your doctor to do a physical examination as well as taking notes of your medical history. In some cases, you may be referred to a specialist sleep center.

Types of Insomnia

Acute Insomnia

This is defined as periods of sleep loss that last from between one night and a few weeks. Acute insomnia can often be caused by emotional worries and anxiety or physical discomfort. Some common examples include:

Significant life stress, such as bereavement or marital breakdown Acute illness, or Environmental disturbances such as noise, light or temperature

Jet lag also counts as acute insomnia.

Chronic insomnia

This is defined as periods of sleep loss that occur for at least three nights per week for one month or longer. Chronic insomnia can be caused by various different factors acting on their own or in combinations. These factors may occur along with other health problems.

Insomnia associated with psychiatric, medical or neurological disorders

Psychiatric disorders are a common source of chronic insomnia, however they account for less than 50 percent of cases. Anxiety and mood disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions that are associated with insomnia. Insomnia is also associated with a wide range of medical and neurological disorders.

Factors that cause problems throughout the day such as pain, immobility, breathing difficulties, dementia, and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy or menopause can also cause insomnia. Many medical disorders worsen at night such as asthma or acid reflux which is worsened by lying down.

Insomnia associated with medication and substance use

A variety of prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs can lead to wakefulness and poor-quality sleep. Some drugs, legal and non-legal, that are commonly related to insomnia include:

Caffeine
Nicotine
Alcohol
Stimulating antidepressants
Steroids
Some over the counter cold and flu remedies
Beta blockers, and
Recreational drugs such as ecstasy, amphetamines and cocaine

Insomnia associated with specific sleep disorders

Insomnia can be associated with specific sleep disorders including:

Sleep apnea
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders such as jet lag

Primary Insomnia

When other causes of insomnia have been investigated and ruled out, difficulty with sleep may be classified as primary insomnia. Factors such as chronic stress, hyper-arousal and behavioral conditioning may be contributors to Primary Insomnia.

Sleep patterns do alter as we get older with older, people tending to sleep more lightly. As our bodies age our quality of sleep becomes poorer and becomes lighter, less efficient and less restful.Your physician or other practitioner may prescribe insomnia medication to help you get to sleep, commonly known as sleeping tablets.

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Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Ruane