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Tag: Sleep

  • Warning: Poor sleep can increase risk of dementia

    Warning: Poor sleep can increase risk of dementia

    Judy George reports for MedPage Today on new findings published in Neurology showing that women in their 80’s with poor sleep patterns are at increased risk for dementia. In fact, older women, who had no cognitive issues but whose sleep changed over five years and became increasingly sleepy, doubled their odds of dementia.

    The good news: The study found no link between older women who slept less at night and dementia.

    The bad news: The study found a link between changing sleep patterns of older women and dementia, as compared with women who had steady sleep patterns.

    The researchers found that for women in their 80’s, sleep patterns can change dramatically over the course of just five years. They looked at nighttime sleep, as well as circadian rhythms and napping.

    Pay attention to your sleep patterns. The researchers say that “Initiatives focusing on improving sleep efficiency, encouraging lifestyle changes, and implementing cognitive interventions may be essential in mitigating dementia risk in the aging population.”

    When older people’s sleep is disturbed, it can seriously affect their risk of dementia. The more sleepy older women become, the more at-risk they are. We need good sleep for our mental health.

    What can you do to improve your sleep?

    • Develop a sleep routine. Set a daily bedtime and wake-up time and stick to it. If you have an iphone or ipad, the clock app has a helpful bedtime setting. In addition to tracking your sleep, it turns off all the sounds on the device during bedtime hours.
    • Exercise daily. Even 20 to 30 minutes a day of exercise can help you sleep soundly.
    • Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine, especially directly before you go to sleep.
    • Relax before bedtime. Do something quiet and calming–take a bath, listen to classical music, read a book.
    • Let the sun wake you up. Bright sunlight has been shown to reset your biological clock.
    • Only go to sleep when you’re ready to fall asleep. It can be anxiety-producing and cause insomnia to lay in bed awake trying to sleep if you don’t feel tired.
    • See a doctor if you continue to struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep at night.  You might have sleep apnea, which can interrupt your sleep throughout the night. There are effective cures. Here are five proven interventions for sleeplessness or insomnia.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Six warning signs of dementia

    Six warning signs of dementia

    Dana Smith reports for the New York Times on six warning signs of dementia, memory loss included. Keep in mind that each of these signs alone should not cause concern. But, taken together, they are cause for visiting the doctor. To read more about signs of dementia on JustCare, click here.

    Financial problems: People with dementia can experience problems handling their finances long before losing their memory. In many cases, they struggle to stay on top of their bills and can’t manage their expenses. Some will spend money excessively or give money away without appreciating what they’re doing.

    Sleep problems: Again, lots of adults have sleep issues. But, people with dementia might have a change to their circadian rhythm and need to sleep at odd hours and be awake in the very early morning when it’s still dark. Some people with dementia will act out their dreams while they sleep, physically moving and talking. It’s not normal sleep walking or sleep talking; it’s more hitting and screaming.

    Changes in personality: People with dementia might withdraw from social activities, stay home more,  and become less agreeable and conscientious before they show other signs of mental decline. For example, hey might struggle to finish projects. They will continue to be disagreeable and less trusting of others as their dementia progresses.

    Challenges driving: Driving  requires the driver to perform multiple mental tasks at once. When driving becomes a challenge, it’s a sign that the driver is suffering from dementia. The driver might not see a stop sign or nearly miss hitting another car or otherwise not follow the rules of driving. If that’s the case, you might want to take action to prevent the person from driving.

    Loss of smell: People with dementia often lose their ability to smell long before they experience other symptoms. Dementia can cause loss of smell.

    In addition, people with dementia might struggle for words, might misplace things, or become confused more easily.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Housekeeping is good for healthy aging, especially if you don’t sit around watching a lot of TV

    Housekeeping is good for healthy aging, especially if you don’t sit around watching a lot of TV

    New research from the Nurses’ Health Study, reported in JAMA, offers some hope for those of us who are not inclined to spend a lot of time exercising. The good news, reports Alvin Powell for the Harvard Gazette: Even the little things you do each day to move your body is good for healthy aging, including good mental and physical health.

    We know that people who are physically active are less likely to die early. But, these findings show that physical activity comes in a multitude of forms! You don’t have to exercise intensely to help your health as you age.

    If you do housekeeping or gardening and are moving around a bunch, you are ahead of the game. Though, you should still walk 20 minutes a day and get your heart rate up periodically! People who spend too much time sitting are more likely to pay a big price for their sedentary behavior in the form of memory loss or some heinous physical condition.

    Researchers at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, among others, studied more than 45,000 people for more than two decades. Most noteworthy, they found that each incremental two hours of additional TV that some people watched, a proxy for being inactive, reduced their likelihood of healthy aging by 12 percent. But, each incremental two hours of mopping floors or tending to gardens increased people’s likelihood of healthy aging by six percent.

    What’s so bad about sitting around the TV all day, you ask? Your skeletal muscles atrophy. And, these muscles are critical for metabolizing glucose, preventing inflammation and ensuring good blood flow to your brain. And, for reasons that are unexplained, sitting around the TV is particularly harmful. Driving is better, as is sleeping.

    In short, almost anything you do other than watching TV, which requires only the most minimal physical and mental activity, will help promote healthy aging.

    Sadly, most people do not spend a lot of time moving as they age. In the study, only about one in 12 participants were sufficiently active to be aging healthily.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Five ways to stay fit, mentally active and purposeful

    Five ways to stay fit, mentally active and purposeful

    If you focus on birthdays, we are all getting older.  But, many of us who may be “getting up there” in age find ways to stay young at heart–fit, mentally active, and purposeful.  Here are five ways to feel at your best:

    1. Be active: Walk, run, jump rope. Get your heart rate up.  Countless studies show the value of aerobic exercise for your gut, your memory, your immune system, your cardiovascular health, your strength, your stress level, your mood, your cholesterol levels. It may be the best medicine for your body and brain. Also, do balancing exercises and use weights to strengthen your muscles. That is key to good health, including bone health, lowering risk of stroke and even spousal health
    2. Eat well and keep a healthy weight: Sense of smell and taste can change as you age; it’s still important to eat healthy foods. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meats and fish. Avoid, fats, pasta and sugared drinks. And if you need help losing weight or eating better, talk to your doctor; in some cases, Medicare covers weight-loss counseling and nutrition counseling.
    3. Get the sleep you need. Here are seven tips for getting a good night’s sleep.
    4. Keep in touch with family and friends you enjoy. And make one of them your health care buddy, someone to go with you to the doctor, take notes and be a second set of eyes and ears.
    5. Perhaps, take up bowling or another new sport: Watch this video from the Atlantic on how one older adult has stayed young and met his life partner bowling.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Marijuana appears to offer several benefits…and risks

    Marijuana appears to offer several benefits…and risks

    Sanjay Gupta writes for CNN.com about his change of heart on the benefits of marijuana, notwithstanding its risks. In traveling the world, Gupta spoke directly to people for whom marijuana was the only treatment that offered relief. He also learned that the proportion of older adults using marijuana in the US is growing more rapidly than any other age cohort.

    Gupta is clear that marijuana is not a cure-all. But, for example, it sometimes can prevent seizures in children. Still, it does not work to offer relief to everyone. What’s worse, marijuana can contribute to falls, which often land older adults in the emergency room.

    Until 1996, cannabis was illegal in every state for all purposes. Today, marijuana is legal in 38 states as well as the District of Columbia. Some of the remaining states make it a crime to possess marijuana, even for medicinal purposes. The federal government still treats marijuana as a “Schedule 1 substance,” with no accepted medical use and a likely chance of abuse.

    Apparently, federal law notwithstanding, many older adults use marijuana daily to address sleep issues, pains, anxiety and depression. They tend to like it better than anti-depressants, opioids and sleeping pills.

    Marijuana could reduce the number of prescription drugs older adults take. Today, three in 10 older adults take at least five prescription drugs daily.

    Gupta says that our bodies actually produce cannabis and have cannabinols receptors. Our endocannabinoid system balances our body, but it weakens as we age. That’s why older adults tend to struggle more with sleep and pain and mood.

    If you are thinking that you’d like to try cannabis, Gupta suggests you start with a low dose and take it slowly. There are more than 100 cannabinols, so we don’t generally have a good idea of how any particular cannabis you take will affect you. All we know is that it could give you a very good night’s sleep.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Can eating the right foods improve your sleep?

    Can eating the right foods improve your sleep?

    Americans too often struggle to get the sleep they need, which can lead to all sorts of chronic diseases. Not surprisingly, all sorts of sleep aids saturate the marketplace. But, what if eating the right foods improved your sleep without having to pop a pill?

    Today, the Centers for Disease Control reports that one in three Americans say they sleep less than recommended. Adults of all ages need at least seven hours of sleep. Without that sleep, some are not able to focus at work, get into traffic accidents, or suffer other injuries.

    Consumer Reports suggests that sometimes eating the right foods–foods that are plant-based–can improve your sleep, much as it can improve your mental and physical health. Plant-based foods don’t tend to affect your blood sugar. They have less saturated fat, less added sugar and more fiber.

    For better sleep, you should try eating more avocados, olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Legumes are also extremely beneficial, including lentils, beans, peas, soybeans, peanuts and whole grains. Legumes produce melatonin, a sleep hormone. Eating these foods puts you on the Mediterranean diet.

    What foods should you avoid? Avoid red meat, white flour and foods with added sugar. And, of course, caffeine and alcohol.

    Why do plant-based foods improve sleep? They contain a lot of fiber, which benefits the gut microbiome. That in turn regulates your circadian rhythm, your sleep cycle. A healthy gut also produces serotonin to improve mood and regulate sleep.

    Is there a single food to eat that will help with sleep? There’s no good data to suggest there is. It’s best to have a healthy balanced diet throughout the day.

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  • How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    It’s getting colder outside and that means that you are more likely to get sick with a virus. The cold weather won’t make you sick. But, viruses spread more easily when it’s cold out. Hannah Seo reports for the New York Times on four ways to strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick this flu and Covid season.

    1. Believe it or not, exercise and other activities that get you moving, such as walking and dancing, help ward off sickness. One study found that people who exercise at least five times a week got sick less often from an upper respiratory tract infection than people who exercised rarely. That said, overall, people who did a little exercise were less likely to get sick than people who did not exercise at all.
    2. Enough sleep and good quality sleep also give your body what it needs to ward off viruses. You should sleep more than seven hours a night.
    3. Eating healthy, particularly different colored fruits and vegetables, gives your body flavonoids, which fight inflammation and illness.
    4. Make sure you get this year’s flu shot and the Covid-19 bivalent booster. If you have Medicare, you should pay nothing for them.

    Why is exercise helpful in warding off sickness? It stimulates immune cells to wipe out cells infected with a virus.

    Why is proper sleep helpful? It regulates stress, lowering inflammation, strengthening your immune system and allowing your body to fight off infection.

    Why is a proper diet helpful? Processed foods, cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol intake can keep your immune system from working well. Supplements also are of no help, based on the evidence, and often contain ingredients that can be harmful to your health. It’s better to eat a good diet.

    Why are vaccines helpful? They give your body the antibodies needed to fight off flus and Covid-19 infections. And, even if you catch the flu or get Covid-19, if you’ve been vaccinated, you will increase your chances of having only a mild case.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Five Proven Interventions for Insomnia

    Five Proven Interventions for Insomnia

    With age, the total amount of time we sleep decreases, and sleep becomes more fragmented. So, we shouldn’t expect the same sleep patterns we had when we were younger. Many people’s body clocks seem to advance, so that they go to sleep earlier and awaken earlier. Most people need about 7-9 hours of sleep each night, though the right amount for any individual leaves them awakening refreshed and allows them to remain alert throughout the day (without resorting to stimulants like caffeine.)

    If insomnia is a problem, the first things to address are medical problems that may be interfering with sleep. These include sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn, heart failure, pain, frequent urination, and medication. Alcohol too interferes with good, restorative sleep.

    Second, while sleeping pills work, they are best used on a short-term basis. Even in the short term, sleeping pills can have side effects, such as impairing your ability to think clearly and leading to falls. In the long-term they can be habit-forming, lose effectiveness, and some may contribute to cognitive decline.

    Third, basic sleep hygiene measures are important for just about everyone; a previous post describes them.

    If sleep continues to be a problem after getting back to these basics, working with a therapist or even on your own on a program of cognitive-behavioral measures specially designed to help with insomnia has proven to be very successful.

    Finally, mindfulness meditation helps with a variety of problems such as anxiety and depression, and has also been shown to be helpful for sleep. A therapist or counselor can guide a patient in learning how to do it, and again there are books and online programs that can be used by do-it-your-selfers. Of course there’s an app for that too; Headspace is a popular one.

    This post was originally published on May 31, 2018.

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  • How you sleep could turn on what you eat

    How you sleep could turn on what you eat

    Trouble sleeping? Typically, people who exercise and stay away from computer screens sleep better at night. Anahad O’Connor writes for the New York Times that recent studies show that how well you sleep could turn on what you eat.

    Research reveals that unhealthy eating habits–such as eating a lot of sugary foods, saturated fats and processed foods–might mean poor sleep. Not surprisingly, healthy eating habits–such as eating fish, plants, fiber and foods that have lots of unsaturated fat–can help to promote a good night’s sleep.

    The research is based on observational studies, which can never show causal effects. But, these studies can find relationships between diet and sleep. Some research involves asking people to eat particular foods and then measuring their sleep as compared to other people who do not eat those foods.

    Many of these studies cannot be trusted. For example, a banana company might fund a study on the value of bananas, much like Medicare Advantage plans might fund a study on the value of Medicare Advantage plans.  Whoever is being paid has an interest in pleasing the funder and delivering the results the funder is looking for.

    Some researchers studying the relationship between diet and sleep believe that the relationship might not be between eating particular foods and a good sleep but about eating a healthy diet and a good night’s sleep.

    Some researchers have found that eating a diet rich in carbohydrates can help people fall asleep more quickly than if they eat a high fat or high protein diet. In this case, the kind of carbohydrates could affect sleep. People who eat a lot of white bread and pasta tend not to sleep soundly through the night. To sleep soundly, you want to eat complex carbohydrates with fiber, which can keep your blood-sugar level stable.

    Researchers recommend a Mediterranean diet for sound sleep.

    All this said, researchers also believe that people who sleep poorly are often hungrier than people who sleep soundly. And, they might be more inclined to eat an unhealthy diet, including lots of sugary and processed foods.

    There’s more. Researchers have found that people who sleep well often have greater will power not to eat junk food. So, if you want to sleep well, try eating a healthy diet. And, if you eat a healthy diet, you might find that you sleep better. For sure, the research is not definitive, but what’s there to lose?

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  • Walk more, sleep better

    Walk more, sleep better

    Most people need about seven to nine hours of sleep each night. With anxiety and stress levels high during this pandemic, getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult. There are many ways you might improve your sleep. One of them is to walk more, reports Gretchen Reynolds reports for The New York Times.

    A variety of studies show the complex relationship between different types of exercise and sleep. It is not as simple as exercise leads to good sleep. In fact, people who work out strenuously might not sleep as well. Strenuous workouts could actually cause worse sleep.

    A recent study, published in Sleep Health, of 59 middle-aged and older people who did not have time to exercise, links incidental physical activity, such as walking, to a good night’s sleep, even for people who do not exercise. Researchers at Brandeis University et al. examined the relationship between walking and sleep. They found a tight relationship.

    Interestingly, walking more was not linked to length of sleep.

    Here are the two biggest takeaways based on a month of walking:

    1. People said they slept better the more steps they had taken.
    2. The more minutes people spent walking, the better people said they slept.

    After a day of walking, any day, people who had taken more steps than usual tended to say they slept better. The volunteers typically walked 7,000 steps a day. That’s somewhat more than three miles.

    But, even volunteers who did not walk 7,000 steps a day found that more walking improved their sleep.

    Of note, this is an observational study. It does not prove that walking more improves your sleep. It simply shows a relationship.

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