image 1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#fb3_img_img_438cefd3-dd7c-5276-b66f-82300d29e1f3.jpg"/> It takes longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep
You wake several times during the night
You wake up feeling muddled and tired
You fall asleep during meetings and daytime events
You are forgetful.
Dr Peter Hauri, Director of the Mayo Clinic Insomnia Program, suggests that answers to the following questions may help determine why you have sleep problems:
Do you feel anxious when you are getting ready for bed?
Do you argue with your spouse or partner in bed?
Do you worry about the next day’s tasks when you are trying to fall asleep?
Do you keep checking the time on a bedside clock?
Do you sleep better on holiday, or at a friend’s house, than when you are in your own bed at home?
Do you try to force yourself to go to sleep?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions you should take action.
Dr John W. Shepard Jr, M.D., Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, has offered the following tips on how to get the full eight hours of sleep we all need each night. Remember, however, that what works for one person may not work for another. Try one or two of the following suggestions at a time until you find the combination that is right for you.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Both are addictive stimulants that can interfere with sleep. (Remember that on the
Eat to Beat Arthritis Diet, neither caffeine nor cigarettes are permitted.)
Exercise, preferably in the afternoon.
Watch what you eat and drink. Fatty and spicy foods may cause heartburn that disturbs sleep.
Avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed; it may cause you to snore or get up during the night. (You should be avoiding it anyway while on the
Eat to Beat Arthritis Diet.)
If you must have a midnight snack, eat foods rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan, which triggers the release of serotonin in the brain. Good snacks include a glass of milk (warm or cold, as you prefer) or a tuna or turkey sandwich.
Make sure the room is cool before going to bed, but have enough bedding to keep your body warm. Warm hands and feet encourage sleep.
Avoid naps. Save your sleep for night-time.
Enjoy stillness. Leave the radio and television off. If external noises disturb you use earplugs.
Use your bed only for sleeping and sex. Watch television somewhere else.
Set a sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Remember that a lazy Sunday morning in bed after a night out can mean a restless night ahead.
Do not fret if you cannot go to sleep immediately. After a time, get up and do something else, like reading a good book. Then try again.
Learn to relax
Learn to unwind and let the world pass by. Use techniques like yoga and meditation to help release you from internal tension.
A hot bath or shower will relax you. Gently massage the area around inflamed joints. Try using herbal bath products that make you relax.
Many people who are disabled or slowed in their daily activities by pain become obsessive about what they cannot do. If this sounds familiar, then concentrate on what you can do, and do not be afraid to ask others for help to take care of the rest. It isn’t easy, but it is necessary. If, for example, you are used to keeping your home and garden immaculate and can no longer do so, you need to admit that this is the case and take steps to reduce or spread the load. Decide which chores can be reduced in frequency, which can be turned over to someone else and which can simply be ignored. You may have ironed your bed linen – even your underwear – for many years but is it really necessary?
Have a good laugh
Laughter and a positive attitude are powerful medicines to be taken in large and frequent doses. When someone is in pain or discomfort they have a tendency to turn emotionally inwards. Before they know what has happened, the pain is worse. And as the pain gets worse, they withdraw into themselves. Laughter brings out the best in people. Let it lift you when those aching joints are getting you down.
To brighten your spirit:
Enjoy films and videos that you know will make you laugh, even if you have seen them before. Read a book with a positive message. Better still, read a book of jokes or amusing short stories. I know a lovely elderly gentleman who reads Harry Potter to forget his gouty feet.
Call a friend who makes you laugh. Avoid all talk of illness and pain; just enjoy a good chat.
Write a letter to someone you love. Tell them about all the funny and happy things that you can remember happening during the past week.
