Plymouth Family Physicians

MAY NEWSLETTER

MAY IS BETTER SLEEP MONTH

One of the most important things you can do for your health is get a good night’s sleep every night. The quality and quantity of sleep can make all the difference in how productive your day will be. We spend 33% of our lives asleep. Consequences of a poor night’s sleep can be: higher stress, increased mistakes, and difficulty concentrating.

Adults who sleep with a partner should select a queen or king mattress to allow room for movement. Most people move 40-60 times a night including some full body turns of up to 12 per night.

Here are ten tips from the Better Sleep Council and the National Sleep Foundation. For more information about your mattress go to www.bettersleep.org. Another good source for sleep information is www.sleepfoundation.org.

Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including weekends.
Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Use your bedroom only for sleep. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment.
Finish eating at least two to three hours before your regular bedtime.
Avoid nicotine (tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.
Avoid caffeine (e.g., coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime.
Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.

Studies have found a relationship between the quantity and quality of one's sleep and many health problems. For example, insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity; as the amount of hormone secretion decreases, the chance for weight gain increases. Blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle, however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research has also shown that insufficient sleep impairs the body's ability to use insulin, which can lead to the onset of diabetes. More and more scientific studies are showing correlations between poor and insufficient sleep and disease.

Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep is a symptom of insomnia. Relaxing imagery or thoughts may help to induce sleep more than counting sheep, which some research suggests may be more distracting than relaxing. Whichever technique is used, most experts agree that if you do not fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, you should get out of bed, go to another room and engage in a relaxing activity such as listening to music or reading. Return to bed when you feel sleepy. Avoid watching the clock.

Important Sleep Information and Experiences to Share with Your Doctor

You snore most nights — and how loudly
You experience or have been told that you gasp for breath or stop breathing during sleep
You feel sleepy during the day or fall asleep when reading, watching TV or are engaged in daily activities
You fell asleep or dozed off when driving or while at work or school
You have difficulty falling or staying asleep — and how often
You wake up often feeling tired and not rested
The number of hours you usually sleep each night
Whether you keep a regular bed and wake time
You often have disruptions to your sleep — due to any cause
You are taking any sleeping pills or other treatments to help you sleep better
List of medications or supplements you are taking
You use alcohol or smoke regularly
The time of day you use caffeine products, exercise and eat your last meal
You experience nighttime heartburn, pain or the need to urinate
Your level of stress and whether you have experienced lifestyle changes recently
You are a night or rotating shiftworker

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THE NEW FOOD PYRAMID

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has revised the food pyramid. You can now go to a web site and customize your food pyramid. At www.mypyramid.gov, you are able to enter personalized information such as your age, sex and the amount of activity you get during the week. The web site will then bring up a food pyramid just for you.

At the left side of the pyramid will be a person climbing steps. This will remind you how important regular exercise is.

There are six differently colored bands, representing the 5 food groups and oils. The widest bands are the grains, vegetables and milk. The oils are the smallest band, meaning that we should limit our oil intake, (butter, oil, margarine, shortening and lard).

One of the biggest changes is that foods like pinto, kidney beans and lentils used to be considered a grain and now are considered a vegetable.

So check out the new pyramid, it’s kind of fun.

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A note about Valley View Medical Center

Just a reminder that inpatient services are closed at Valley View and the Emergency Room is now a 24-hour Urgent Care Center. This means that the ambulances will not be transporting patients to Valley View any longer but for non-life threatening emergencies they are open 24 hours as a walk in clinic. If you feel you or a family member are having a medical emergency such as heart attack or stroke, or are unresponsive, it is best to call 911 and have an ambulance come. DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF ANYWHERE IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY SYPMTOMS THAT MIGHT BE SIGNS OF A HEARTATTACK OR STROKE! You are putting yourself and other motorists in danger should you pass out while your at the wheel.

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Past Newsletters

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