Balance in all aspects of life vital for good night's sleep

By Clare E. Urwin

SURABAYA (JP): Are you tired? Have you ever spent several hours at night, tossing and turning in your bed, trying not to think, willing yourself to relax; almost desperate for the soothing total oblivion of sleep?

Deep breathing, counting sheep, even counting your money doesn't work. With mind wide awake and brain active, any attempt at a proper rest is doomed. You would give anything to be able to sleep, but you just can't. Don't despair, you're not alone!

Being unable to sleep is a common problem. Almost everybody suffers from it at some stage. In fact, because it is so familiar, most people think of having a bad night's sleep in the same terms as having a headache. It's an ordinary, treatable condition.

So it is, when occasional and temporary. The problems arise when not sleeping and not sleeping well, is prolonged and disregarded. Adequate sleep is vital to your mind, body, spirit and energy. In fact, a constant lack of sleep can slowly destroy your personality, your physical stamina and your ability to work.

The average amount of sleep that an adult needs every night is between seven and eight hours. Some people happily get by on six or less, others only function properly on nine or more. However, as long as you sleep well through the night and wake up refreshed, you are probably getting enough.

There really are night and morning types too. A morning person sleeps lighter as the night turns into morning and, much to the horror of some, can bound out of bed full of instant energy and good humor at sunrise.

Alternatively, night people sleep deeper as the daylight comes and literally have to drag themselves out of bed in the mornings. Thankfully, they gradually recover during the day and are at their most productive and energetic in the evenings.

Each one of us requires a fixed amount of sleep. Cheating the sandman costs! At a basic level, tiredness makes us irritable, fatigued and touchy.

More dramatically, chronic lack of sleep (insomnia), can reduce our life expectancy and is one of the leading causes of industrial and motor accidents.

A lack of sleep dampens the immune system too. Any gain in hours from giving up sleep will probably be lost to sore throats, stomach upsets and colds. Worst of all, a poor sleep pattern is very aging.

Of course, we all do get tired sometimes. Real tiredness is healthy and normal, especially following a day well spent and properly balanced. It's the natural way our body and brain tells us that we need sleep to repair and re-energize ourselves.

Good quality sleep contains two main types, both being necessary for waking up feeling refreshed. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is light and this is when we almost constantly dream, even if we can't remember doing so in the morning.

Alternatively, non-REM sleep is a deep, slow wave type. Our body repairs itself during this time by releasing growth and sex hormones. These act at a cellular level and are much like our own personal giant repair kit. Far more effective than any expensive night cream!

To ensure a good night's sleep, there are a number of things you can do. A well timed body clock is the best guarantee of high quality rest. We all have one to time our bodily functions, and they work most efficient with a regular routine.

Doing predictable usual activities like eating, working and exercising will strengthen your "awake" system during the day. Equally, relaxing rituals and habits in the evening will help calm you down when it's time for the "sleep" system.

Most importantly, wake up every morning at the same time. Yes, even at weekends and even after a very late night! If you don't, you will suffer from an earth bound jet-lag. For every extra hour you sleep, your body clock needs twenty-four hours to reset.

Getting up at 6 o'clock on weekday mornings, then not waking up until 9 o'clock on a Sunday is bad news. That's why Mondays are sometimes so awful! In fact, it will be Wednesday before you feel completely normal.

Going to sleep at the same time every night isn't so important. But, even a short afternoon nap following a late night, is better than sleeping in!

Stress and anxiety will rob you of a good night's sleep, but using drugs of any sort to calm down, is futile. The biggest villains are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and sleeping pills. A late night drink might act as a sedative at first, but later it disturbs sleep by producing adrenaline-like substances which retard the REM state.

With caffeine, it depends on the individual. Some people can't drink coffee after noon, because it means they are awake till midnight. Others can drink a cup before they go to bed and still sleep well. Trial and error is the easiest way to find out if caffeine affects you. Also, remember that tea, colas and some medicines contain it as well.

Smoking interferes with the quality of your sleep. A recent study in England found that the more you smoke, the less you sleep. Smoking one pack a day reduces sleeping by about thirty minutes a night.

Prescription sleeping pills are not a good idea either, unless used only for a short time and under exceptional circumstances. They all seem to have detrimental side effects with prolonged use, usually by suppressing REM sleep and often becoming addictive.

Alternatively, some herbal sleeping tablets help. Those based on valerian are particularly good, but they must be taken for at least two weeks before its mild sedative effect is felt. Be warned though, valerian smells terrible!

Calcium and tryptophan-rich foods such as milk are ideal just before bedtime. A small high carbohydrate meal of rice or pasta in the evening followed later by a snack of whole-wheat bread and a banana will also aid quality sleep. However, avoid a heavy high protein late supper. You will certainly regret it in the early hours.

Any relaxation therapy that reduces tension in your body and calms your brain, will aid good sleep. Habitual, moderate- intensity exercise during the day can definitely make your nights more restful. Massage is worth trying, so is a warm bath, so is sex.

Don't be too concerned by an occasional period of sleeplessness. In fact it's better to get up, enjoy the peace and do something productive, instead of lying there worrying about it. A good sleep pattern will eventually return.

Nevertheless, sleep is like a barometer or measurement for your health in general. Habitual insomnia is a warning sign. A better balance in all aspects of your life may be the real answer. Good luck.

The writer (clareu@attglobal.net) is a nutritionist and health consultant based in Surabaya.