MS PERSPECTIVES |
By Ed Lash
Sleep is a necessary part of our natural rhythm and while the amount of sleep varies with the individual, regular sleep is important together with exercise and a healthy diet to give our bodies the essentials to stay in good physical and mental shape. Several large scale studies from all over the world have reported a link between short sleep times and obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and other diseases. In my own case, as I reported in the last Action, my poor sleep habits resulted in a severe multiple sclerosis (MS) exacerbation, and I did well after getting back to regular 8 hours sleep.
While the amount of sleep needed varies with the individual, regular sleep is important. The average adult gets 8 hours sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, illness can occur as well as poor response to learning, memory and other mental processes. If you have problems with any of these, get to bed earlier to get extra sleep. Extra sleep is believed to improve the mind and behavior since we do depend on rest to interact efficiently and favorably with our environment.
Do you sleep well? If not, there are things you should consider. For example, it’s important to avoid alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine near bedtime. Long daytime naps can also interfere with nighttime sleep. And being more physically active can also help with sleep, but not just before bedtime.
Lack of sleep can prevent you from doing your best and can even be dangerous. It’s also the best way to catch a cold or develop another kind of disease. If you have trouble falling asleep, you’re not alone. National Institutes of Health estimates that one in three Americans have insomnia. Dr. Atul Malhotra of the Harvard Sleep disorders Research Center offers these tips:
- Eliminate caffeine for two weeks, including minor sources such as decaffeinated coffee and chocolate. If this helps, make the change permanent. Some people are acutely caffeine sensitive.
- Don’t eat spicy foods or eat too fast, to avoid indigestion.
- Eat a light supper, especially a late supper. Make lunch your large meal.
- Have a small bedtime snack to quiet a growling stomach.
- Skip the pre-bed nightcap. Wine with dinner is OK, but alcohol before bed can disrupt REM sleep.
Find what works for you and get a good night’s sleep.
What is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep? It’s the stage of sleep following relaxation. In deep sleep, REM sleep is also the stage of sleep when people dream, although they may not remember the dreams upon waking. REM sleep has been shown to have links to memory consolidation and learning. People who are deprived of REM sleep might have problems remembering and have trouble learning new things.
For relaxing in bed to fall asleep faster, I usually use this method which I had once seen demonstrated on TV by Deepak Chopra, MD:
- Lie comfortably in your favorite sleeping position with your eyes closed. Relax, and with mouth closed, take a deep, slow inhale while counting very rapidly until the lungs are overly full. (I originally started my count to about 15, then over a few weeks built it up to 36 which works very well for me.)
- Hold for just a second or two, then begin exhaling slowly, again with mouth closed and counting very rapidly again until the lungs are completely empty. The inhale-exhale count should be just about the same.
- Do this three times, then start breathing slowly and normally, and meditate, concentrating on the words of a prayer, song or poem; or imagine yourself at a pleasant location like a beach, forest, patio, golf course, etc., and concentrate on the details of your selection for a few minutes.
- Repeat steps 1, 2, 3. If you lose your count or your place, you must go back to step 1.
I usually need to do this cycle only two or three times before falling asleep. The philosophy of this method is that the human brain can easily concentrate on two or three things, but not much more. This method encourages the brain to concentrate on breathing, counting, meditating, and relaxing and ignores other problems or irritations which would keep a person from falling asleep. It works very well for me.
Since we’re all different, however, it may take some experimentation before you find the one method that works well for you. Just don’t give up!
Note: Self-help is not intended to replace medical treatment, but should be used together with the help of all appropriate professionals in a team effort.
Ed Lash is a United Spinal member who lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. For more information, or to order his book (Multiple Sclerosis – A Patient’s View) call 203-445-0118 or by e-mail: elash@unitedspinal.org.
