I am on several email lists for news and some has come across recently that I felt that I needed to share.  There are some pretty alarming statistics.

-Only 20% of teenagers get enough sleep (8-10 hours is optimal)

-According to a study done at the University of Michigan states that children who get less than 9.75 hours of sleep are 40% more likely to be overweight by sixth grade.

-The same study shows a direct correlation between the hours of sleep a child gets and their risk for obesity.  The rate for obesity declines with more sleep.

-Adults who sleep less that 7 hours have a high risk for weight gain.

-Only 20% of teens get adequate sleep.  A survey reported that 16% of teens admit to having sleep problems and 28% admit to falling asleep in school.

-New science relates the lack of adequate sleep to increased risk for obesity, depression, alcohol and drug abuse and future cardiovascular disease.

-Adolescents with a history of sleep problems are twice as likely to have ADHD as those without.  Some ADHD medications can exacerbate the sleep quality issues.

-A good night of quality sleep is key to memory and learning.  Our brain takes information in our short term memory and moves to the long term memory during sleep.

How can you and your family get the quality and ideal amount of sleep?

-Set a sleep schedule and do your best to keep it!

-Stay away from caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, as well as alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.

-Stay physically active and exercise early in the day.

-Have a relaxing bedtime routine to get your body ready for sleep

-Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day.

-Get lots of bright light in the morning.

-Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water per day.  Even mild dehydration (1/2 cup of your body’s water) could turn into   low-grade chronic fatigue.

-Naps are ok but try to limit them to 15 minutes.

-Go to bed when you are sleepy.  If you don’t fall asleep in 15-20 minutes get up and leave the bedroom.

-Move the television out of the bedroom.

-Keep the bedroom cool and add blankets if you are chilly.

There are many products designed to help capture that sometimes elusive deep sleep.  Aromatherapy seems to be gaining popularity because the scents can be changed to address specific issues.  Lavender promotes relaxation while peppermint clears sinuses and has a calming quality.There are sleep and relaxation CDs that help the body as well as the mind to relax.  A good quality ionizer can clean the air of pollutants and impurities to ease breathing and relaxation. Dust mite bedding covers help to reduce the allergens on sheets, mattresses, and pillows.  Bed linens made with natural fibers breathe helping to maintain comfortable temperatures.    There are many things to try, but the important thing is to keep searching for the combination that is right for you and your body. Get the rejuvenating sleep that your body deserves every night.

You might be interested to know how I’m going to be using the dawn simulator I’m buying.  I don’t think I’m exactly your average customer.  I’m an aviator in the US Marine Corps, and I’m going to be headed back to Iraq in several weeks for my second deployment.  Last time I was there, I was on the night shift for several months, waking up in a dark room at 8pm, flying for several hours in the middle of the night, and landing just as the sun was coming up.  By the time I was finished with my workday and preparing for bed, it was late morning and the sun was up.  As you can imagine, my circadian rhythm was a bit confused.  I’m hoping that a gradually illuminated room will help things a bit this time around…

Zack

I just wanted to share this customer feedback with you.

“I don’t know how I would have made it through the seemingly endless Minnesota winter without my Sunbox lamp!  Each morningI spent about a half an hour in front of the lamp reading the morning newspaper before starting my work day.  Almost immediately, I noticed I was sleeping better at night and starting the day more refreshed.  More importantly, it somehow kept the winter blues away - a feat that was necessary for a much longer period than usual this year!”

 Liz, Minneapolis MN

A dawn simulator is a type of alarm clock that slowly illuminates over time to gently wake the body with light instead of a jolting alarm.  As the light increases, the light slowly brings the body from its current sleep phase to Stage 1 which is the transitional stage between waking and sleep.  In this sleep stage, most people find it easy to wake up if they are well rested.  The dawn simulators also have a sunset feature that starts the bulb fully illuminated and gradually fades over a set time.  This sunset feature helps the body relax and get ready for sleep.  The dawn simulators are very beneficial for: 

• People who have to wake up when it is still dark.
• Children who do not easily wake in the morning or have trouble winding down at night.
• Teenagers who need to conform to a schedule that is not the same as their body’s clock. 
• People who do shift work. 
• People who do not like being jolted awake by an alarm. 
• People who sleep very deeply. 

Some dawn simulators wake the person with light only.  Others have a back up alarm or radio which will turn on at the end of the light cycle. Some models have a battery back up to save your settings in the event of a power outage.

Try a dawn simulator today and you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

When we use lightboxes to treat SAD, we are “reprogramming” our body’s Circadian Rhythm.  This is the body’s 24hour clock that tells it when to sleep and when to wake up.  We need to program our Circadian Rhythm so that it better matches our day.   

Treating some sleep disorders is very much the same process.  In fact, in many cases the symptoms are the same.  Have trouble falling asleep at night and also getting up in the am?  Then you are probably sleep phase delayed and should use the bright light in the morning.  If you fall asleep too early and wake up too early, then you are probably a sleep phase advanced and should use the light in the afternoon.  Of course these are generalizations and in order to get this right, you should seek the help of a qualified professional. 

Here is a great site that is packed full of a ton of great info and links on Sleep Disorders.  http://sleepeducation.com/Treatment.aspx?id=4.  Not only is there information on sleep disorders, but a quick finder for a sleep clinic in your area.  Check it out.