Live Healthy Live Well

We all have calendar dates which we can identify as “A day I will always remember!”  Well, I can say “On Friday, May 13, 2016, my life changed for the better because that is the day I began to get even more sleep!”  On May 13th, I attended the Global Brain Health and Performance Summit at The Ohio State University which was sponsored by The Ohio State University Neurological Institute.  Arianna Huffington, cofounder, president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post Media Group and author of The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time was the Keynote Speaker.  Guess what I’ve been doing lately?  Getting More Sleep!

Sleep Deprivation can be associated with:

• Injuries
• Obesity
• Mental illness.
• Poor quality of life.
• Increased healthcare costs.
• Low work productivity.

Don’t Stay Awake, Get Help Today!

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 70 million Americans face chronic sleep problems.  Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep each night.  While some sleepless nights may be the result of too much caffeine or thinking about something that’s worrying you, chronic sleep deprivation is often the result of a sleep disorder.

The Sleep Disorders Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of sleep problem conditions which include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (RLS), snoring, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder and unusual behaviors during sleep, known as parasomnias.  Remember that being involved in treatments and lifestyle adjustments will help you get the quality and restful sleep you need.

Arianna Huffington’s 12 Tips for Better Sleep!  (A Condensed Version)*

• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool (between 60 and 67 degrees).
• No electronic devices starting 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Don’t charge your phone next to your bed.
• No caffeine after 2:00 p.m.
• Your bed is for sleep- no work.
• No pets on the bed.
• Take a hot bath before bed to calm your mind and body.
• Pajamas, nightdresses, and special T-shirts send a sleep-friendly message to your body.
• Do light stretching, deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to transition to sleep.
• When reading in bed, make it a real book or an e-reader that does not emit blue light.
• Ease yourself into sleep mode by drinking chamomile or lavender tea.
• Before bed, write a list of what you are grateful for.

*For a complete version of “Arianna Huffington’s 12 Tips for Better Sleep” and “The Sleep Revolution Manifesto” go to:  ariannahuffington.com

One final thought about your Health and Sleep

In the words of Thomas Dekker, “Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies together.”

Good Night!

Written by:  Janet Wasko Myers, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County, myers.31@osu.edu

Reviewed by:  Kathy Green, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Clark County, green.1405@osu.edu

Source:

The Sleep Revolution:  Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington, Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.  Sleep Disorders.  http://wexnermedical.osu.edu/sleep-disorders

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.  Mindfulness Practices – Mindfulness practices can reduce anxiety, chronic pain, depression, insomnia and stress.  http://go.osu.edu/wexnermindful

onCampus.  February 11, 2016, 16^th Annual Health and Wellness Guide, Wellness is a journey, Pages 7-18.  http://go.osu.edu/HealthWellnessGuide