On getting a good night’s sleep

All over the world, more and more people are complaining of insomnia particularly women and elderly people. Contributing factors include physical pain, anxiety over persomal problems,  economic insecurity, threats of wars and many other causes. 

We all pay a steep price for going without enough sleep for very long. Sleep significantly impacts brain function. If we sleep too little, we become unable to process what we’ve learned during the day and we have more trouble remembering it in the future. 

Sleep is vital to the rest of the body too. When people don’t get enough sleep, their health risks rise. Immunity is compromised, increasing the likelihood of illness and infection. 

In the Middle Ages, communal sleeping was quite normal. Masters and their servants would share their beds as would children and visitors, not to mention various animals. Even more peculiar to modern folks was the then normal practice of having first and then second sleeps with a typical two hour “intermission” between. 

This practice of having two sleep periods tended to wane with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution and the introduction of artificial light which enabled people to  stay up later in the evening instead of retiring shortly after dinner. 

The circumstances of sleeping in the 21st century are much more comfortable than in pre-industrial times; heated and cooled rooms, excellent mattresses, pillows, warm blankets, down comforters, and more. But unlike pre- industrial people who typically followed their circadian rhythms, we have many obstacles hindering our living and sleeping in accord with these rhythms. 

An estimated one in seven Americans have long-term insomnia. Sleep difficulties become more common as we age. Approximately one in three older people regularly take some type of sleep medicine.

OTC sleep aids often contain an antihistamine. This drug treats allergies, but it can also make one drowsy. 

Prescription sleeping pills are of three main types: anti-depressants (Prozac) , benzodiazepines (Lorazepam), and Z-drugs (Ambien). Many people experience a hangover effect after taking sleeping pills and doctors usually only prescribe sleeping medicines for short term use. Nearly all have troublesome side effects and tend to become both addictive and ineffective over time.

More and more sleeping aids are being made from the cannabis plant, commonly known as marijuana. While now legal in more than half the states, it is not legal at the federal level and has thus not been through the extensive testing programs  necessary for regulatory approval. Some people take supplements of melatonin, valerian, chamomile, lemon balm, and foods such as warm milk (which contains tryptophan). Often these and other ingredients are combined in various home remedies to promote sleep.

Other than counting sheep, what can we as individuals do to make it easier for us to sleep? Health care and sleep professionals have a long list of common sense recommendations for getting a better sleep. 

These include:

• Maintaining a healthy diet, starting with an ample breakfast, lunch, and modest supper and avoiding caffeine in the PM. Although alcohol may make one feel drowsy, it often disrupts sleep later in the night.

 • Having a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time even on weekends. This reinforces one’s sleep-wake cycle.

• Spending significant time outdoors every day, getting plenty of daylight.

• Including physical activity in your daily routine, which can promote better sleep; but avoiding being active too close to bedtime. 

• Limit daytime naps. Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing so late in the day. 

 •  Make the bedroom ideal for  sleeping:at night: cool, dark, and quiet. 

•  Avoid use of light emitting screens including TV and backlit devices just before bedime.

• Relaxing activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath, listening to calming music, or using relaxation techniques might promote better sleep. Consider practicing meditation. Seasonal affective disorder, or ”the “winter blues,” affects a large portion of adults in northern climates such as New England’s and strategies for coping with it are in many respects, similar to those for dealing with insomnia. 

Most important: try to resolve your worries and concerns before bedtime if possible. Other than physical pain, nothing gets in the way of a good night’s sleep as much as worry. These recommendations may not work for everyone or be as powerful and fast-acting as sleeping medications but they seem to help most people get better sleep. 

Architect and landscape designer Mac Gordon lives in Lakeville.