I don’t need no stinking sleep
Damon Leiss, Special to The Gazette
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
“Here it is, 3 a.m. Wow, it was only 2 a.m. a second ago and 1 a.m. two seconds before that. Let’s see, maybe if I roll over and then roll back — bingo — 4 a.m. I can’t believe this, am I ever going to fall asleep? Well, why waste any more time, I’ll go work out.”
Ladies and gentlemen, you just read what at times really does happen to me. What causes this?
Maybe it is because of the dreaded dissertation I am working on, classes I teach at ESU, the way the defense is playing at Northern Heights or a number of other things — the list goes on. That list is life. If that is the case then, hey, I don’t need no stinking sleep.
Or, do I?
I found this while surfing the internet late one night (yawn), “Importance of Sleep: Six Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep.” It is by the Harvard Women’s Health Watch — and if written by women it must have some good stuff, because my wife, Jodie, is a woman and she is always right, and she’s asleep (yawn). Wow, who knew that there were more and more people sleeping less than (yawn) six hours and that (yawn) 75 percent of people have this problem a few (that is more than one) nights a week.
Oh my, the concern here is that chronic sleep loss contributes to weight gain (yawn), high blood pressure (yawn), decrease in the immune system (sneeze, hope it isn’t H1N1), and safety — don’t want to fall asleep at the wheel (yawn).
Okay, so I can become a sickly, stressed out, overweight, asleep at the wheel guy — what’s the answer? Hmmmm? I’m not an insomniac. I get some good sleep most nights out of the week. Let’s see, ahhhh, here we go, “How to Fall Asleep Easily” found at: http://www.howtodothings.com/health-fitness/how-to-fall-asleep-easily, http://www.howtodothings.com/health-fitness/how-to-fall-asleep-easily
This has (yawn) some good points:
• Turn off the television and computer. Too much screen time makes your eyes tired and sensitive. It also makes it difficult to fall asleep. Turn the television off and step away from the computer at least one hour before you go to bed. Let your mind relax from stimulation — makes sense, goofy dissertation.
• Refrain from caffeine and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants. They keep you awake and alert until you crash looking for your next buzz of stimulant. If you must drink something in the evening, make it water, milk or decaffeinated tea. I guess that Coca-Cola float with chocolate ice cream wasn’t the best idea.
• Take a soothing shower. Adjust the temperature by the season. Stick with a warm (not hot) shower in the cooler months, and a cool shower in the warmer months. Let the water run over you and relax you from the day. Hmmm, wonder if I did that now?
• Adjust temperature. Whatever temperature is comfortable for your sleep, adjust the thermostat at least a half hour before you go to bed. If you need to, turn on a fan to get the bedroom comfortable. I do like a chilly room.
• Stretch to relax. Before getting in bed, lay flat on the floor and stretch. Start with your toes, then work your way up your ankles and all the way to your neck and fingertips. Tense your muscles and then relax them. I do need to stretch more (yawn).
• Listen to soothing recordings. You may know of particular sounds in nature that you find particularly relaxing — like waves crashing on the beach or wind through tree branches. I know of a few people who use this.
• Find a comfortable position. You may need to experiment with this one. Try starting on your back and relaxing your back and shoulders until it is comfortable. If that doesn’t work, try shifting to your sides. Sometimes when you are still carrying the stress of your day, it is difficult to find a comfortable position. I’ll just have to be patient and try to relax, maybe roll over to the other side?
• Practice deep breathing. Slowly inhale as your chest expands. Hold the breath to the count of three. Then let the air out as much as you can. Repeat for five to ten breaths. You should feel your body relaxing as you breathe. I think Jodie uses this.
• Get out of bed if you are still awake after an hour. It is possible to want to fall asleep so much that you become too tense to let it happen. If this is your case, get out of bed. Take a walk in the backyard or circle the living room. Try stretching again before getting back into bed. Who knew?
• Be patient (my favorite). Getting to sleep can be difficult. Try not to stress about the difficulty and just focus on relaxing your body. Eventually you will nod off, and in the meantime, your body will be physically resting. It really is my favorite.
Keep in mind sleeping cannot be forced. So, when you really need to fall asleep try these, and keep in mind it may be something more serious and if so, seek help — or write an article, because I am finally starting to fall aaaa....ZZZzzzzzzz.....
Shape Up, Emporia! is a weekly fitness and health column aimed at readers of all ages to get off the couch and get into shape. Each week will feature a fitness, health or nutrition professional from around the area who will share some friendly tips on how to improve your overall health. Our goal is to make getting in shape fun and easy to fit into your existing lifestyle and daily routine.