This blog is dedicated to all of my BlogHer friends who have been making my mornings lately so filled with laughter.  With laughter comes JOY. THANK YOU, ladies for that gift!!

My day begins with me making my way into the kitchen so I can switch on my coffee pot that magically grinds the beans for a fresh cup of home brewed java.  (Thanks again to my daughter and wonderful son-in-law for that gift 3 years ago, when I wasn’t expecting anything.)

As there is no one around, most mornings, except for my large dog Max, who loudly snarls to warn me not to eat his food (I call him Cujo when he does that), I look for company by sitting at my computer and checking email, Facebook, BlogHer, and news sites, amongst other places I usually peruse.

My BlogHer reads are the very best.  I get updates on what is going on with my friends, followers and followwees.  Maybe because I am getting to know people and connect regularly with some co-bloggers, reading their posts is making them more than just a remote name for me.  They are real people and I like them a lot.  I view their posts to get an update into what is happening to women I have begun to care about.  For example, I know who is moving, who slept, who didn’t, who agonized, whose kids are ill, who is ticked, who is resolved, who cooked and who is preparing her spring garden.  It seems though, that through it all, everyone I read regularly has found a place in her life drama for humor.  This week, for example, at least 3 times, I almost blew coffee out of my nose laughing at the funny commentaries (sorry for the visual).  But I was surprised by the humor imbedded into some topics that were really quite serious.  What a healthy thing to do.

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.”  Woody Allen

Laughter is contagious.  From beinggirl.com:   “A wise man once said, “Laughter is the best medicine,” and he was right. When you’re happy and laughing, it’s contagious, so don’t be afraid of showing off your sense of humor.”

“Laughter is the most healthful exertion.” Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland

Yep, laughter is so good for us.  According to a video on WebMD titled, Laughter Can Improve Your Health, compiled by Damon Meharg:  “It helps reduce stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenalin, and pumps up immune system activity by increasing interferon, T cells and white blood cells. A hearty guffaw or belly laugh can also boost heart rate, improves blood flow, and stabilizes blood pressure.”

Now if that doesn’t make you want to belly laugh it up, there is more:

“In study after study, findings on this most cherished of human traits are giving us all something to smile about: Diabetic patients saw their blood sugar levels rise less after eating a meal at a comedy show; laughing improves digestion and speeds up respiration and blood circulation; in fact, laughing 100 or more times a day may have the same health benefits as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise!”

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. Yiddish Proverb

Please know that you don’t have to make me laugh every time I read your posts, as I am not expecting a daily Vegas comedy shtick.  The point is that I have gotten so much out of sharing experiences and learning from all of you. Whether there is humor, drama, sadness despair or whatever I will visit you every day that I am able in order to keep in touch and support you when I can.

This post is to thank you again for all that you have brought to my life and for the JOY that reigns when we laugh together.

“My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.” Mayo Angelou

 

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” ~Irish Proverb

There has been a lot written lately about sleep or the lack of it more specifically.   Most of what I have read, on blog postings, center around hilarious middle-of-the-night wake-ups because of ill or restless children.  My theory is that sleeplessness results in an awakening of some inner sense of humor that serves as the coping mechanism for the inability to sleep while kids need attention.  While I totally enjoy the read, there is nothing funny the underlying reason.   Also, I have read about teens who actually need more than 8 hours of sleep but seem to get far less.  So, when they say they I can’t get out of bed for school because they are too tired, they probably are.  Lastly, how much sleep does a woman over the age of 70 years really need and what kind of games is her body playing on her that makes her awaken after a few hours.  I went searching for some answers.

To get the info for this post, of course I went to the National Sleep Foundation’s website.  They describe themselves this way:  “The National Sleep Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable, educational, and scientific not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving sleep health and safety through education, public awareness, and advocacy.”   Additionally, I went to the National Institute of Health (NIH) content on sleep and beinggirl.com, as there are several research-based articles there that focus on teens and their sleep needs (see links to the sites below).

Here are some facts that I learned about sleeping.  Some you may know and others that are kind of surprising:

Sleeping is NOT a passive sport.  Sleeping is as important to our well-being as eating.  Animals need sleep to survive.  It impacts our nerve-signaling chemicals or neurotransmitters, and impacts our psychological and physical health, as well as how we metabolize food.

“Fatigue is the best pillow.”  (Benjamin Franklin)  There is NO one amount of sleep that everyone needs.  Each person is different, so no matter how old or young, each individual has his/her own sleep needs.  For example, I have a colleague who requires very little sleep.  While up at 2:00 a.m., she isn’t watching cooking shows or reruns of Sex in the City, she works and creates.  As a result, I used to get emails from her timed at all kinds of sleeping hours.  When awake, she always seemed chipper and energetic.  Not me, if I was awake at 2:00 a.m. I would watch Kitchen Bitches or Two Fat Ladies and, if really fortunate, reruns of Andy Griffin and then be one fat bitch in the morning.

The majority of teens don’t get enough sleep. “Teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8 1/2 hours is enough). Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights.”  Another issue with teens is that their sleep patterns are irregular as their weekend patterns usually differ from school days and their school sleeping patterns differ depending on what is going on.  For example, less sleep may happen when studying for a test or participating in sports that require early practice.  As a result, it impacts their ability to concentrate, remember things and listen.  Not ideal when education is the key part of their life.

Consequences of not getting enough sleep are real and can result in physical or psychological issues.  Not getting enough sleep can result in acne or other skin problems in teens.  It can also lead to aggressive or other inappropriate behaviors.  Importantly, no matter the age, people who don’t get enough sleep are heavier than those that do.  That may be because they are eating high fat food and too much of it and not metabolizing it well.  Also, not getting enough sleep can lead to driving accidents, as well as accidents because equipment is not being used safely.

Sleep Needs DON’T decline with age.   While aging doesn’t decrease the amount of sleep needed, aging messes up our sleep habits.  GREAT!  So while older adults are awakening more throughout the night and taking longer to fall asleep, they are also suffering more from sleep apnea and from a decline in their important REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.  The Mayo Clinic defines sleep apnea as: a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.  Everyone needs a certain period of time for REM sleep in order to have a complete sleep cycle.  Altering that alters ones sleep pattern negatively.  Some causes of sleep problems in adults are: GERD, due to the pain of esophageal reflux; restless leg syndrome; too much caffeine, and the urge to urinate.

What to do… What to do….

First, let’s look at how much sleep we need a night:  According the NIH, “infants generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about 9 hours on average. For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual.”

The RELAXation Method for falling asleep:

Say to yourself, you are getting sleep, you are getting sleepy…(only kidding).  Actually, beinggirl recommends the following:

When you get to bed, close your eyes and get comfy. Focus your attention on the parts of your body that feel uncomfortable. Take a deep breath, and as you breathe out, focus on relaxing each of those areas, one at a time. Take two deep breaths for every body part that you relax. Continue this deep and relaxed breathing. Deep breathing should help you sleep better.

 

Once your body is relaxed, clear your mind by focusing on pictures of numbers or letters. For example, picture the number 30 in your mind. Imagine that the number 30 is getting blown away by the wind, erased by a pencil eraser, or fades into invisibility. Then picture the number 29 appearing in a different color, size, shape, and handwriting than the number 30. Once you have the image in your mind, imagine the 29 getting erased in a different way. Continue picturing each number with lots of details, and imagining each one disappears until you get to the number 1. If you don’t fall asleep before you get to the number 1, your mind will be free of stressful thoughts and you will be able to sleep better.

Tips to Help Improve Your Sleep Patterns:

• Eat earlier and lighter.
• Take a short walk after a late meal or a very active evening to help you unwind
• Train your mind:  Keep to a regular sleep schedule, going to sleep at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every day. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and 8–10 hours of sleep if you are a teen and can. After a few weeks, you will start feeling sleepy at bedtime, and will awake ready to go before your alarm clock.
• No matter what is going on in the rest of your house, create a tranquil, comforting environment in your bedroom.  Turn on some soothing sounds and spray your sheets and room with lavender. If you need it totally dark to get your proper rest, try a sleep mask or scented eye pillow.
• Indulging in relaxing activities before bedtime can help too. Take a warm (not hot) bath or listen to soothing music.  Some people fall asleep reading.
• Keeping temperatures above 74 or below 54 degrees Fahrenheit can impact sleep.  Everyone is different, but most scientists agree that sleeping in a cooler room is better for sleep and a hot room can disrupt sleep patterns.
• Light and dark influence when we get sleepy, think night and day.  Bright light can keep you awake so turn them down!!
• Give yourself enough space to sleep.  If you are sleeping with someone, make sure you have enough room to move around and not wake the other person – or be woken up yourself due to someone else’s restlessness.

Do you get a good sleep at night??  If so, any other tips to offer??

http://www.beinggirl.com/article/sleep-better/?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NursePlummer&utm_content=link20120117&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/