SLEEPING WELL TO MAINTAIN HEALTH AND FIGHT ILLNESS — PART ONE

Sleep is rejuvenating.  When we sleep well, we have more energy.  Our health is also better.  For many, having a good nightly experience is an elusive goal.

Patterns are the nature of life.  Both structural and functional similarities pervade all that we observe.  Human physiology and biochemistry are established patterns.  How we live our lives affects those patterns.  The resultant changes can enhance or diminish health.

If you are not sleeping well, one possible culprit can be caffeine.  This highly addictive drug alters patterns.  Someone may have been a caffeine user for decades before a problem develops.  Most medical problems have a long preclinical asymptomatic period, so this is not unusual.  Altering patterns by an addictive drug may require years of regular exposure.  It is not surprising that reversing such tendencies also takes time. 

The only way to know for sure if caffeine is affecting your sleep would be to stop it.  Some people have sleep improvement if they merely reduce their intake.  Others notice better sleep if they refrain from imbibing caffeine 4-8 hours before going to bed.  But many users have to cease intake completely to benefit significantly. 

Because of the nature of habit-forming drugs, stopping caffeine intake could be difficult if done abruptly.  There is an uncomfortable withdrawal syndrome.  Many patients describe intractable headaches that have even put them in bed.   Most people have to gradually taper their caffeine intake.  Just getting off the drug could take many weeks.  Once stopped, it may take several months of abstinence for the metabolic pattern to heal.  This is a challenging effort for the caffeine lover. 

There are many sources of caffeine.  It is rare to find coffee that is caffeine-free.  There are many types of tea without this drug in it.  Soda pop and energy drinks may have a lot of caffeine.  You have to check the label.  Numerous over-the-counter pain medicines have caffeine as one of their ingredients.  Again, check the label.

Another common problem that lessens the quality and quantity of sleep is musculoskeletal problems.  The joints, ligaments and tendons tighten up when immobilized.  This discomfort which may interrupt sleep or reduce the depth of sleep.  Even if you are not feeling joint or soft tissue pain during the day, it could be impacting you at night.

Stretching is a major component of countering this problem.  Stretch every morning and every evening.  This is a healthy pattern to develop that resists some destructive patterns.  Its benefits go way beyond less pain in life.

The keys to stretching involve several essentials.  Move into a stretch very slowly.  Do not cause yourself pain.  Hold the stretch position at least 30 seconds.  Focus mentally on what part of your body you are affecting.  Repeat the exercise.  Yoga is generally a god model for how to stretch.  I discuss specifics in another blog.

I will discuss other options to self-treat benign sleep disorders in subsequent installments.  Anyone who is having trouble sleeping should consult with a physician to be sure that their problem is benign.