Baby Boomer Sleep Issues

"To Sleep perchance to dream"

They say as people age, sleep deprivation becomes more of a problem. If you are anything like me I go through stages. There are times when I cannot sleep no matter what I do, and yet there are other times when I sleep so soundly that I can barely drag myself out of bed. In either case usually falling asleep is the hardest part.

The issues of sleep patterns certainly differ between men and women because of hormonal changes. Men do seem to have an easier time falling, and staying asleep, while women not only have problems falling asleep, they are awake because of overheating (night sweats). Oh the joy (NOT)

I have been reading that as you age you need less sleep. Is it really that we need less sleep or that we just don't enjoy it as much as we use to? In my opinion, and from many other articles I have seen, we still need the same amount, if not more, we just can't get the sleep we need. Our body needs the benefits of sleep more than ever!

So other than going to the doctor for sleep aid, what can you do? Here are some suggestions.

1. Try your best to have a bedtime ritual. As much as you can, go to bed at the same time every night. Have a bath, read a book, meditate, do what you find helps and do the same thing every night so your body and brain knows that it is time to 'shut down' - time for sleep.

2. Believe it or not physical activity helps, of course not just before you want to sleep. Go for a walk every day, rid a bike, burn up some energy so at the end of the day your body is happier to rest.

3. Avoid caffeine or stimulants before bed. Common sense I know but that cola you are about to drink probably has caffeine in it.

My personal experience - One thing that I do that I have found helps me a great deal is taking melatonin. At night melatonin is produced to help our bodies regulate our sleep-wake cycles. The amount of it produced by our body seems to lessen as we get older so taking a supplement helps - that is exactly what I do and it helps me.

I invite you to visit Baby Boomers United at http://www.babyboomersunited.com for many more interesting articles and much more!

BabyBooU

posted by Baby Boomers United Blog @ 11:00 PM