Page 18 - HOH

A24 HEALTH
Wednesday 12 december 2018

Health and Beauty Sleep

shorter since the beginning of the century, ate a sleep-conducive environment that
from 9 hours to 7.5 hours. People who give is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. 4)
up sleep to make more time for work and Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pil-
leisure are aging must faster than they lows. 5) Use your bedroom only for sleep
should be. and sex. It is best to take work materials,
During sleep-deprivation, researchers computers and televisions out of the sleep-
found, men’s blood sugar levels took 40% ing environment. 6) Eat a healthy diet and
longer to drop, compared with the natu- finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your
ral sleep-recovery period; and their ability regular bedtime. 7) Exercise regularly. It is
to secrete and respond to the hormone best to complete your workout at least a
insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar, few hours before bedtime. 8) Avoid caf-
dropped by 30%. These changes reflect feine (e.g. coffee, tea, and soft drinks, or
the effects of insulin resistance. In addi- chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep
tion, the sleep-deprived men had higher you awake. 9) Avoid nicotine (e.g. ciga-
nighttime concentrations of the hormone rettes, tobacco products) Used close to
cortisol, which also helps regulate blood bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep. 10)
sugar, and lower levels of thyroid-stimulat- Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can
ing hormone. These raised cortisol levels lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.
are often seen in older people, and may 11) Do not run electrical wires under or
be involved in age-related insulin resis- over your bed.
tance and memory loss. Pharmaceutical drugs to get to sleep are
By: Dr. Carlos Viana Many childhood sleep problems are re- not a healthy solution. These drugs do not
lated to irregular sleep habits or to anxi- produce the deep curative sleep needed
ety. Persistent sleep problems may also to regain our health and are habit-forming.
After greeting our patient, the first question I ask is: “How be symptoms of emotional difficulties. There are natural food supplements like 5
did you sleep last night”? Sleep is a basic human need, “Separation anxiety” is a developmental – HTP and Theanine (from Green Tea) can
as important for good health as diet and exercise. Only landmark for young children. Bedtime is a help considerably if taken with a little nat-
when we are sound asleep do our bodies repair. When time of separation. Some children will do ural fruit juice thirty minutes or more before
we sleep, our bodies rest but our brains are active, lay- all they can to prevent separation at bed- you eat. If your sleep cycle has changed
ing the groundwork for healing and productivity. Most time. because of travel or work shift change the
people need eight hours of sleep nightly. Unfortunately, The average woman aged 30-60 sleeps natural supplement melatonin will help re-
for 10% to 25% of us, not being able to get to sleep or only six hours and forty-one minutes dur- set your sleep cycle. Acupuncture helps
insomnia can be a chronic condition. Approximately 98 ing the workweek. Conditions unique to balance your body and encourages rest-
million dollars a year is spent in the United States alone on women, like the menstrual cycle, preg- ful sleep. A visit to a natural physician
over-the-counter sleep aids. Not getting enough restful nancy and menopause, can affect how could help you determine the cause of
sleep results in daytime sleepiness, increased accidents, well a woman sleeps. This is because the your sleep problem and how to best help
problems concentrating and poor performance on the changing levels of hormones that a wom- it. Remember, you cannot restore your
job and in school, and increased sickness and weight an experiences throughout the month, like health without sound sleep.
gain. estrogen and progesterone, have an im- Get the Point! Getting the right amount
Lack of sleep seems to be a major stress factor. Regu- pact on sleep. Understanding the effects of sleep is vital, but just as important is the
larly catching only a few hours of sleep can hinder me- of these hormones, environmental factors quality of your sleep. An adequate amount
tabolism and hormone production in a way that is similar and lifestyle habits can help women enjoy of sleep is as important as an adequate
to the effects of aging and the early stages of diabetes. a good night’s sleep. amount of exercise. Most of us do not fully
Chronic sleep loss may speed the onset or increase the Having trouble getting to sleep? The fol- appreciate the value of a full night’s sleep.
severity of conditions such as type II diabetes, high blood lowing ten suggestions might help. 1) I believe that seven hours is an absolute
pressure, obesity, and memory loss. Medical researchers Maintain a regular bed and wake time minimum for most all of us, and most of us
have shown that just one week of sleep deprivation al- schedule including weekends. 2) Establish would benefit from closer to 9 hours. Ask
tered subject’s hormone levels and their capacity to me- a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as any woman how much better she feels
tabolize carbohydrates. Research has shown that in de- soaking in a hot bath and then reading a and looks when getting her full allotment
veloped countries, the average night’s sleep has grown book or listening to soothing music. 3) Cre- of beauty sleep.q