Dr. Julie Silver, an expert in the field of physiatry, author of Super Healing, After Cancer Treatment, and the soon to be released What Helped Get Me Through, and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, tells readers that about one-third of the general population says that they feel tired. The latest statistics from the National Sleep Foundation's poll show that approximately 60% of American women only get a good night's sleep a few nights per week or less.  67% say they frequently experience a sleep problem.  43% state that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities.  

Chronic fatigue, often underreported to physicians, will create a negative impact on the ability to heal.  Fatigue leads to inactivity, progressing toward physical unfitness.  This situation is especially difficult for a cancer survivor.  Dr. Silver, herself a breast cancer survivor, says, "Fatigue is a symptom that plagued me and was by far the most debilitating symptom during my recovery."

Causes of fatigue in the general population range from anemia, anxiety, chronic illness to respiratory disorders (asthma, emphysema, etc...), hormonal imbalances, and sleep disorders (apnea, insomnia, etc..).

Sleep deprivation whether purposely lost or not, negatively affects the cardiovascular system, elevating the risk of disease, could add to weight gain, impair the immune system, create mood changes, raise the risk of diabetes, and increase stress.

Just one night without enough sleep can reduce hand-eye coordination (think driving).  Further deprivation can increase drinking and smoking in teens, lower their abilities to perform in the classroom and on the field, take them down the road of obesity.

Another recent study reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Aug, '08) reports that "Children and teens who get less sleep, especially those who spend less time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, may be more likely to be overweight."

Adults who are too tired are more likely to purchase fast food and pass on preparing home-cooked meals.  Young children without enough sleep show deficits in cognitive and linguistic development (reading and language comprehension).

What happens when we sleep?  During sleep our bodies regenerate, causing muscles, bones, and skin to grow and fix injuries.  Sleep encourages our bodies to fight sickness.  Better rest helps us to remember what we learn, pay attention, improve concentration, solve problems, and create new ideas.  The typical adult needs seven to eight good hours of sleep.

So before bedtime, turn off that cell phone, TV, and computer. Exercise during the day.  Pass on caffeine, alcohol, heavy meals, drinking extra fluids, and nicotine.  Sleeping pills, initially effective, can actually make a sleep problem worse. 

Dr. Silver's best bets for a good night's rest:    

Take a hot bath.

Have a light bedtime snack--glass of milk or bowl of cereal.

Unwind for an hour before bed--read a book, listen to music.

Practice relaxation techniques--biofeedback, meditation, deep breathing, imagery.

Go to bed early when tired.

Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only--no TV.

Arrange the bedroom so that it's quiet and dark, moderate temperature.

Establish regular sleeping and rising times.

Get rid of the clock, or hide it.

Get up and go to another room for 20-30 minutes if you're unable to sleep.

You'll spend one-third of your life sleeping.  How you sleep directly affects the other two-thirds of your life.

Sleep Better And Lose Weight

Update on Aug 7, 2008 by At Basil & Spice

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