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Wanna Sleep Like You Know Who?
Having touble sleeping?
A few minor adjustments to your daily routine may bring you closer to
achieving a good night’s sleep By George Halitzka
Francis Corso can’t sleep.
The 64-year-old retiree has been struggling with insomnia for about a
year, and he rarely gets a full night’s rest. But it’s not falling asleep that
gives him problems — it’s staying that way.
“I always wake up in three-and-a-half or four hours,” said Corso. “If I’m
super tired, I might make it to five.”
He’s tried a plethora of solutions to sleep through the night. He’s lain in
bed awake with his eyes closed until he can’t take it anymore. He’s gotten
up to read and watch TV; taken sleep aids; tried to get more exercise.
Nothing works. He remains, as he puts it, “sleep-starved.”
Corso knows there could be several reasons for his condition. He suffers
from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is linked to
sleep problems. He takes 15 pills per day for a variety of health
conditions. But that knowledge doesn’t help him get the seven to eight
hours of sleep that experts recommend.
“I just wish I knew an answer,” Corso said. “I wish they’d come out with a
pill that makes you sleep with no bad side effects.”
Resting Easy
Corso is in good company with his insomnia woes: according to a study in
the American Journal of Medicine, sleep problems affect half of all seniors
in this country.
But while Corso’s struggle may be linked to other health issues, recent
research suggests that insomnia does not always result from an
underlying condition. Sometimes, it just happens.
Dr. Zaka U. Khan is a physician at Jewish Hospital’s Sleep Center. “Four
or five years ago, our thinking was that insomnia was not a disorder by
itself,” he said. “But a lot of people refute that now.”
In fact, Khan says, the number one reason for sleeplessness is simple:
“People are spending too much time in bed. Use your bedroom for sex
and sleep only.” He suggests doing other activities, like reading or
watching TV, in a different room.
Khan encourages his patients to set realistic goals for their sleeping
habits. “If you’re going to bed at 9 p.m.,” he explained, “you’re [probably]
going to wake up at 4 in the morning.”
But for those who cut down on their “sack time” and still struggle to
slumber for seven to eight hours, Khan has other recommendations. “We
do a lot of teaching on sleep hygiene,” he says.
Eating and drinking near bedtime can stop sleep in its tracks — especially
if getting up to use the bathroom is disrupting your shuteye. Exercising in
the evening can also be a factor. (Aerobics during the day, though, can
help with your sleep.)
Taking naps is generally a bad idea; they often cut down on your shuteye
at night. Caffeine, of course, is a major culprit. And an irregular sleep
schedule doesn’t help. Khan recommends going to bed and getting up at
the same time every day.
“The more you focus on your sleep, the harder it gets,” Khan said. So he
suggests taking your mental emphasis off sleep and putting it on getting a
better night’s rest. (Of course, that may be easier said than done.)
Professional Help
If you spend the night tossing and turning, it can be very tempting to turn
to medication for help. And that’s not a bad idea — as long as it’s done
under a doctor’s supervision.
“The sleeping pills we have these days, they’re pretty safe,” Dr. Khan
said. “They don’t have much addiction potential.”
But he cautions against sleepless patients using drugs without consulting
a physician. Medications like Tylenol PM, a pain reliever with
antihistamine, “are not really approved for sleeping disorders,” he
warned. “It gets into off-label use.” Particularly for seniors who may suffer
from glaucoma or prostate problems, over-the-counter drugs can harm far
more than they help.
Instead of self-medicating, Khan suggested that patients with ongoing
problems see a specialist in a sleep clinic. “The most important thing we
can do is try to figure out why you’re having the sleeping problems,” he
said.
From sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome, sleep difficulties are
sometimes traceable to a specific cause. But even if the problem’s origin
is more ethereal, like increased stress, there may be help available.
“Chronic insomnia is a well-recognized medical diagnosis by itself. There
are medications available, and things we can do that will help,” explained
Dr. Khan.
In other words, there is rest for the weary. You may never go back to
slumbering peacefully for 12 hours on a Saturday morning like a
teenager. But you don’t have to live in a perpetual state of tiredness.
That’s good news for someone like Francis Corso. Perhaps there are
sweet dreams ahead, even for him.
Having touble sleeping?
A few minor adjustments to your daily routine may bring you closer to
achieving a good night’s sleep By George Halitzka
Francis Corso can’t sleep.
The 64-year-old retiree has been struggling with insomnia for about a
year, and he rarely gets a full night’s rest. But it’s not falling asleep that
gives him problems — it’s staying that way.
“I always wake up in three-and-a-half or four hours,” said Corso. “If I’m
super tired, I might make it to five.”
He’s tried a plethora of solutions to sleep through the night. He’s lain in
bed awake with his eyes closed until he can’t take it anymore. He’s gotten
up to read and watch TV; taken sleep aids; tried to get more exercise.
Nothing works. He remains, as he puts it, “sleep-starved.”
Corso knows there could be several reasons for his condition. He suffers
from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is linked to
sleep problems. He takes 15 pills per day for a variety of health
conditions. But that knowledge doesn’t help him get the seven to eight
hours of sleep that experts recommend.
“I just wish I knew an answer,” Corso said. “I wish they’d come out with a
pill that makes you sleep with no bad side effects.”
Resting Easy
Corso is in good company with his insomnia woes: according to a study in
the American Journal of Medicine, sleep problems affect half of all seniors
in this country.
But while Corso’s struggle may be linked to other health issues, recent
research suggests that insomnia does not always result from an
underlying condition. Sometimes, it just happens.
Dr. Zaka U. Khan is a physician at Jewish Hospital’s Sleep Center. “Four
or five years ago, our thinking was that insomnia was not a disorder by
itself,” he said. “But a lot of people refute that now.”
In fact, Khan says, the number one reason for sleeplessness is simple:
“People are spending too much time in bed. Use your bedroom for sex
and sleep only.” He suggests doing other activities, like reading or
watching TV, in a different room.
Khan encourages his patients to set realistic goals for their sleeping
habits. “If you’re going to bed at 9 p.m.,” he explained, “you’re [probably]
going to wake up at 4 in the morning.”
But for those who cut down on their “sack time” and still struggle to
slumber for seven to eight hours, Khan has other recommendations. “We
do a lot of teaching on sleep hygiene,” he says.
Eating and drinking near bedtime can stop sleep in its tracks — especially
if getting up to use the bathroom is disrupting your shuteye. Exercising in
the evening can also be a factor. (Aerobics during the day, though, can
help with your sleep.)
Taking naps is generally a bad idea; they often cut down on your shuteye
at night. Caffeine, of course, is a major culprit. And an irregular sleep
schedule doesn’t help. Khan recommends going to bed and getting up at
the same time every day.
“The more you focus on your sleep, the harder it gets,” Khan said. So he
suggests taking your mental emphasis off sleep and putting it on getting a
better night’s rest. (Of course, that may be easier said than done.)
Professional Help
If you spend the night tossing and turning, it can be very tempting to turn
to medication for help. And that’s not a bad idea — as long as it’s done
under a doctor’s supervision.
“The sleeping pills we have these days, they’re pretty safe,” Dr. Khan
said. “They don’t have much addiction potential.”
But he cautions against sleepless patients using drugs without consulting
a physician. Medications like Tylenol PM, a pain reliever with
antihistamine, “are not really approved for sleeping disorders,” he
warned. “It gets into off-label use.” Particularly for seniors who may suffer
from glaucoma or prostate problems, over-the-counter drugs can harm far
more than they help.
Instead of self-medicating, Khan suggested that patients with ongoing
problems see a specialist in a sleep clinic. “The most important thing we
can do is try to figure out why you’re having the sleeping problems,” he
said.
From sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome, sleep difficulties are
sometimes traceable to a specific cause. But even if the problem’s origin
is more ethereal, like increased stress, there may be help available.
“Chronic insomnia is a well-recognized medical diagnosis by itself. There
are medications available, and things we can do that will help,” explained
Dr. Khan.
In other words, there is rest for the weary. You may never go back to
slumbering peacefully for 12 hours on a Saturday morning like a
teenager. But you don’t have to live in a perpetual state of tiredness.
That’s good news for someone like Francis Corso. Perhaps there are
sweet dreams ahead, even for him.