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FeedRest in Peace
The best ways to say goodnight to sleepless nights.
(page 1 of 3)
For at least the past 10-15 years, Mary has had trouble sleeping at night. Always a light sleeper, even in her early 40s, she’s more likely to be tuning in to some movie classic at 3 a.m. than enjoying restorative, uninterrupted rest.
Now 81, the Main Liner (who prefers not to use her real name) has tried a litany of remedies over the years, to no avail. She has a good bedtime ritual, designed to quiet her mind and body. She has a comfortable bed and an electric blanket for those bitter February nights. And when she needs it—which is most nights—she has medication designed to help her find that golden slumber, or at least slow her down a bit.
But it doesn’t always work. In fact, talk to Mary most days, and she’ll answer the question “How did you sleep?” with: “Like I always do, in fits and starts.”
Mary is resigned to the fact that a full seven-hour block of sleep, during which her body cycles through all the stages of prolonged rest, is something for others. And she’s not alone. As we age, it becomes harder to fall asleep—and extremely difficult to stay that way. A variety of causes exists to explain this. Thankfully, a collection of remedies and therapies are out there to help.
“Sleep medicine is coming into its own,” says Dr. Helena Schotland, medical director of Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Sleep Medicine Services. “There are now real sleep fellowships doctors can do. The area is getting a lot of attention. Because of the health effects of sleep disorders, we are paying more attention to it.”
As you can imagine, the medical community has been researching sleep apnea and other disorders—particularly how they relate to aging—for quite a while. A long-term study by the department of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that sleep deprivation could lead to an earlier death. Mary Amanda Dew, who administered the study, reported that a low percentage of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is vital to memory consolidation, puts older people at risk. You may not consider yourself old, but reversing bad sleep habits and managing the ability to get rest within a framework of existing medical conditions—apnea, hypertension, etc.—are vital to long-term health, no matter how young a person is when the trouble starts.
Most therapists recommend that their patients begin with what they call “sleep hygiene.” This has less to do with making sure your hands and face are washed before bed than it does with the process that leads you there. “If you have a routine that you use that gets you a good night of sleep, nobody can knock it,” Schotland says. “In a way, we’re like kids who take a bath and read a book. We need structure. When structure changes, sleep suffers.”
So the first thing to do if you’re having trouble is to review your bedtime routine. It sounds juvenile, but it’s vital. Schotland recommends ending activities that can keep your mind and body active well before your head hits the pillow. “You need a little downtime,” she says.
Read some, or take your time getting things ready for the next day. Make a to-do list; lay out your clothes—anything that signals to you that it’s time to shut it down and sleep.
Don’t smoke before going to bed, because nicotine is a stimulant. And for that matter, so are caffeinated drinks. Alcohol doesn’t help, either. It may be a depressant and make you tired, but in the long run, it will interrupt your sleep.
