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The INDEPENDENT, June 1, 2006
Health Notes
SLEEP - ARE YOU GETTING
ENOUGH?
Recent research in the area
of sleep has determined that as
many as two-thirds of Ameri-
cans lack enough sleep. Over
time, inadequate sleep can
lead to stress, depression,
mental and physical exhaus-
tion. We know that when we
are not well rested, we do not
perform at our best. Most
adults need seven to eight
hours of sleep each night, al-
though many may need as few
as five hours or as much as 10
hours of sleep daily. Children
need even more sleep per 24
hour day. Both children and
adults can use naps to get the
total number of hours of rest
they need. The focus here is for
adults to meet their need for
rest.
Lack of sleep can be caused
by many factors. Some are
within our control while others
are not. Life changes such as
moving, taking a new job or as-
signment at work, going on va-
cation, marriage, and pregnan-
cy cause us to worry rather
than sleep when we go to bed.
Parents of young children know
that, until the children sleep
soundly through the night, the
parents will not be able to ei-
ther.
As we age, our sleep habits
can change, causing less rest-
ful sleep. Some medications al-
ter sleep patterns and depres-
sion can lead to sleep rhythms
being
disturbed.
Medical
providers should be consulted
when sleep problems begin to
interfere with functions of daily
living.
Is your sleep account over-
drawn? Consider your sleep
habits. Your body has a regular
rhythm. Your body and your
brain will tell you when they
need rest. Use this information
to set a regular going-to-bed-
time and a regular getting-up-
time. Keeping this simple rou-
tine helps your body have the
energy it needs every day.
Sleep cannot be stored. Bodies
need rest on a regular basis.
Most people find that the
conditions of the room are im-
portant to sleeping well. Usual-
ly, people want the room dark,
cool and quiet. Window cover-
ings, fans, and noise blockers
can be used to achieve these
requirements when needed.
Some people use naps to
get the extra sleep they need.
Experts in the field of sleep
suggest limiting an adult nap to
less than 45 minutes and taking
it before 4:00 p.m. to be able to
get a full night’s sleep.
Watch what you eat and
drink in the evening. High pro-
tein, caffeine, and high sugar
foods can keep you awake. Liq-
uids can cause you to have to
get up in the night.
Exercise earlier in the day
can help you rest at night. Gen-
erally, people find that they
need to complete the exercise
from three to six hours before
trying to go to sleep.
Avoid excitement before
bedtime. This is not the time to
begin thinking about the big
project at work or open the
statement from your stock bro-
ker. Instead, try reading, taking
a warm bath or shower, or oth-
er routines to relax before bed-
time.
When traveling, try to keep
your normal eating and sleep-
ing routine. You may find it eas-
ier to adjust to a different time
zone by adjusting going-to-bed-
times and waking-times before
you leave home, to be the
same as your destination.
Some people plan for a day of
rest after a long trip to let their
bodies adjust to the changes.
Rest is the reward for good
sleep habits. All work, at home
and on the job, is easier when a
person is rested. Are you get-
ting enough sleep? If these
suggestions do not help im-
prove the quality of rest, it may
be time to schedule an appoint-
ment with your family doctor to
examine other options for get-
ting the rest you need.
Source: Jinny Hopp, Human
Development Specialist, Jasper
County University of Missouri Ex-
tension
M-B Health Fair in Mist serves 100
Mary Crawford, left, a Mist resident and R.N. at St. John’s
Hospital in Longview, spent several hours providing choles-
terol and glucose level screenings for attendees at the Mist-
Birkenfeld Health Fair.
Banks
Pharmacy
New Ownership
Come meet M ar k S argeant, RP H
Full-service pharmacy
with hometown service!
10 am to 6 pm Monday - Friday
10 am to 2 pm Saturday
Most major insurance plans accepted
Located at Oak Village Center
in Jim’s Thriftway
503-324-5780
503-324-5410 (fax)
bankspharmacy@yahoo.com
040506
Approximately 100 people
took advantage of a free health
fair in Mist last month, to have
their cholesterol, glucose lev-
els and blood pressure
checked. They also enjoyed
chair massages and gathered
information from a variety of
providers.
The fair was arranged by the
Please see page 25