Happy Slumbering

Sleep.  Sleep seems to be a discussion at every outing in our retirement community.  Most people complain because they can’t sleep more than a few hours and as our one friend does gets up at 4 a.m.  I, on the other hand, am what is called a “long sleeper.” To feel rested I need 10-12 hours of sleep a night. I mostly have trouble falling asleep before 11 p.m. but I struggle to crawl out of bed at 10 a.m.  What’s wrong with me?

Nothing, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, “A long sleeper’s main complaint is that there is not enough time during the day to be awake. The disorder begins in childhood and is a life-long. It is not caused by a sudden change in medical or mental conditions. It is a very stable, consistent pattern of sleep.”

It’s true I’ve needed a lot of sleep all of my life. When I worked I was forced to get up early and was even stopped by a police officer once for erratic driving on my early morning drive to work.  Someone reported me as drunk…I was just drunk tired.

Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.  According to Dr. J.E. Williams, “six hours of sleep is too low, even if your head hits the pillow at the optimal hour of night—which is generally by 10 p.m. at the latest. But six hours, starting at midnight on a continual basis—especially while raising a young family that wakes at the crack of dawn—is a recipe for disaster.”

“The vicious cycle of “stress causing poor sleep, which leads to more stress, which leads to more poor sleep” is a well-documented conundrum that affects many,” according to Founder of The Sacred Science Nick Polizzi. “When a stressful event happens in your life, whether real or perceived, your body’s built-in fight-or-flight system, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), is activated.”

This response might be great if you’re running from a bear, but if it happens on a daily basis, your health will suffer. In fact, not getting enough sleep can lead to serious physical and mental health risks, including cognitive impairments, mood disorders and increased risk of chronic diseases.

If you struggle to sleep, here are a few proven tips:

                Turn off all blue light screens one hour before you want to sleep. That includes TV, phones and electronic books.

                Play a meditation or relaxation music.  A few great meditation apps are Calm, Hallow or .The Insight Timer.

                Try melatonin or the OLLY Brand called SLEEP.

                Read a real book (not electronic.)

Happy slumbering.