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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2017)
14 Wednesday, April 12, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Gotta get some sleep! By Dr. Kim Hapke Correspondent Sleep is one of the foun- dations of health, along with diet, exercise, and breath. Its contributions to our health are often undervalued in our society. At different times in our lives competing needs to be entertained or productive or present for little ones take precedence over sleep. Being better-rested helps memory, mood, and weight control and lowers stress and inflammation. We are less accident-prone and tend to make better decisions when we are well-rested. Changes in our environ- ment have affected the sleep of many of us at every age. Darkness is the signal for our bodies to release mela- tonin, a hormone that signals the brain to become sleepy. Light inhibits the release of this hormone. With the invention of electric light we had an effective way to turn night into day, disrupting our normal circadian rhythms. Rather than being a time for rest, night suddenly became a time when we could be up and about. What happens when circadian rhythms are sub- stantially disrupted from the norm? Studies done on peo- ple who work the night shift have found those workers are at higher risk of cardiovascu- lar disease, weight gain, dia- betes, and mood disorders. While some people can adjust to a night schedule, for many it is a stress to which the body never fully adjusts. Recently, our exposure to blue light has increased due to exposure to computer and TV screens, handheld devices, and energy-efficient light bulbs. Different colors of light are made up of dif- ferent wavelengths, and the blue wavelength of light is more powerful at suppressing melatonin secretion than the other wavelengths. During the day this is positive and leads to improvements in attention, reaction times, and mood. In the evening, all wavelengths of light suppress the release of melatonin but blue light’s more powerful melatonin suppression lasts twice as long as that from other wavelengths of light, leading to a further delay in the onset of sleep. Blue light takes a greater toll on an already We’re here to support your total health & wellness Reiki with Diana Timmermans • Restore physical and emotional well-being through energy work • Ease tension & stress, and facilitate the body’s natural healing process Ladies Run Club • Get moving, be motivated • All ladies, all paces (includ. walkers) welcome • Meet at HOPE at 5:45 p.m. on select Thursdays. Follow us on to learn more Personalized Health & Nutrition Coaching • Create healthy and sustainable habits • Lose weight, increase energy, transform your body so you look & perform better HOPE Aesthetics & Wellness 354 W. Adams Ave., Ste. C, Sisters 541.588.6503 • HopeWellnessSisters.com ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/OCUSFOCUS Blte light from smartphones stppresses melatonin prodtction, making it harder to fall asleep. sleep-deprived population: teenagers. Many teenagers do not get enough sleep for their still-developing brains and bodies. Guidelines rec- ommend 8-1/2 to 10 hours of sleep for older teenag- ers, but about 50 percent of them get less than seven. Part of the issue is that circadian rhythms shift to a later time in the teen years, but school still starts quite early in many dis- tricts. Some states have rec- ognized this issue and have implemented later start times for middle and high schools. The teenage population is also heavily into screen time, and research has found they are substantially more sensi- tive to the effects of blue light. A study at Harvard found equal melatonin suppression in teenagers as adults at only one tenth of the exposure to blue light. As they tend to be physically resilient and unaware of being tired, sleep deprivation in teenagers can be misdiagnosed as ADHD, depression or anxiety. Some ways to decrease the effect of blue light and aid sleep — use red light for night lights which has the least effect on melatonin. Use coated bulbs that block some of the blue light. Turn screens off at least one hour (2 or 3 is better) before bed and turn the brightness setting down on screens. There are apps that can decrease the amount of blue emitted from screens and also blue-blocking glasses for those who need to work at night. Or let the house get dark as night falls and read an actual book for an old-fashioned approach. HOPE Aesthetics & Wellness HOPE Aesthetics & Wellness is expanding its services to support your total health and wellness. Whole-body health and wellness is a combination of inner health and outer beauty. Nourish your mind, body and soul — from the skin in. Reiki with Energy Intuitive and Reiki Master Diana Timmermans restores physical and emo- tional well-being through energy work. Ease ten- sion, reduce stress and facilitate the body’s natural healing process. Run Club — all ladies, all paces (including walkers) welcome. Meet at HOPE at 5:45 p.m. on select Thursdays. Follow us on Facebook to learn more @HOPE Aesthetics & Wellness, P.C. Create healthy and sustainable habits with- out being a slave to restrictive, fad diets through Personalized Health & Nutrition Coaching. Discover which foods and diet are best for you. Lose weight, increase your energy, transform your body so you look and perform better. Do something today that your future self will thank you for. Therapeutic Associates Sisters golfers are already out there hitting the links, in defiance of the occasional snow shower. Therapeutic Associates is there to help you when you go out too hard too fast and get hurt. But bet- ter still, they’re there to help you prevent that from happening in the fist place. Join Therapeutic Associates and Sisters Athletic Club for a free Golf Performance Clinic at Aspen Lakes on May 3 and at Black Butte Ranch on May 7, and learn exercises and warm-ups that can help prevent the overuse injuries that plague golfers. Call or email SAC by May 1 to sign up. And anyone can come out and “ask an expert” at Sisters Athletic Club on Wednesday, April 19, 5 to 7 p.m. Physical therapists and a chiropractor will be on hand to answer questions about coping with or preventing injuries. Therapeutic Associates and SAC offer a unique rehabilitative environment that helps Sisters Country folks get back in action when the active lifestyle catches up to them.