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BPC Monthly Newsletter Finding Your Way... Through "Sleep Problems"  Tools for Optimizing Emotional & Mental Wellness February 2005 Issue In this issue: Sound Sleep BPC Announcements Community Notes Additional Links Finding Your Way CD
Almost everyone experiences problems with sleep from time to time. It may occur when you are worried about something, before an important day, while traveling, or when you know you have to rise early. More than two-thirds of all children (69%) experience one or more sleep problems at least a few nights a week. Women become more susceptible to sleeplessness during peri-menopause. Many health problems also interfere with getting a good night of sleep. This month we are taking a look at sleep, including problems to look for if you are not feeling rested and numerous ideas on how to improve your night. The paradox of sleep is that the more effort we put forth to achieve it, the more elusive it can become. Dorothy Ashman & the entire staff of Bloomsburg Psychological Center, LLC
Did you know Did you know that before the invention of the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night, while now our average is 7 hours? Or that a lack of sleep can increase your chances of having high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or problems with your immune system? Insomnia, snoring (which may indicate sleep apnea), frequent waking, Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement (PLMS) all occur more often as we age. Sleep disturbances increase fatigue and intensify anxiety, depression, irritability and other mood problems. Yet only a small percentage of sufferers realize that these conditions can be treated. Stress and worrying can make sleep problems even worse. Here are a few ideas that may help. Remove or cover the clock Throughout the night our brains cycle from deep to light sleep about every 90 minutes. If we are worried about our sleep, our unconscious may wake us up during light sleep to check the time. When we realize how little sleep we have gotten, we can become frustrated or anxious, making it even harder to get back to sleep. Frequent waking may continue the first night that the clock is covered, but by the second, your mind will have learned that it won't get any information by waking and will sink back down into the next cycle. Worrying about tomorrow Problems falling or staying asleep are often the result of a mind that is actively planning or worrying about the next day. You can bring the mind back into the present very quickly by keeping a boring or complicated textbook nearby. Put on just enough light to read, and force your brain to try and follow what you are reading. Before you know it, your mind will have let go of tomorrow and decided it would rather sleep than try and understand what it is reading. Make a list Before heading to bed, write down all the things you want to remember to do the next day. This allows your mind to let go of the task of "reminding you" all night long. If you wake up thinking about something you forgot to write down, adding it to the list will let you drift back to sleep much more easily. Use Progressive Relaxation Much of our stress is store in our muscles and sometimes we need to relax our body as well as our mind before we can sleep. Beginning with your toes and working up your body, slowly tighten and relax each muscle group. You can listen to this technique along with soothing music on our CD Finding Your Way Back to Calm. More Sleep Tips Visit our web site for a full list of ideas for beating insomnia. Overcoming Insomnia.
Need extra support? Our area is well supplied with Free Support Groups and Services that can get you connected with other people in similar situations. Our website contains a list of all of the free groups we have heard of. If you know of any that we have missed, please call us at 570-387-1832 and give us the information. Although we confirm the information with each group once a year, we suggest checking with the contact number to make sure the time or location of the meeting has not changed.
Bloomsburg Cares (www.bloomsburgcares.org) is a newly formed non- profit regional organization to react quickly to social needs around the world. The Regional Tsunami Relief Effort is well under way. Come watch the Battle of the Bands on February 11th at the Espy Fire Hall, Tenney St., Scott Twp. (right off Rt. 11) from 7 :00 p.m. 'til 11:00 p.m. And check the website for other planned events. February Film Festival "Views of America" on Presidents' Weekend (Feb. 18-21) 2005. Films will be shown without charge, but viewers are encouraged to support another festival next year with a contribution at this festival. Films at Five & Dime Cultural Center, 10 East Main St. (Rt. 11) Bloomsburg, PA 17815 www.phillipsemporium.com/filmfestival.html Friday Films at Bloomsburg University. Foreign and independent films will now be show every Friday night at 7:30 in Centennial Hall, room #218. Admission is free and everyone is invited.
Finding Your Way Back to Calm, a CD of six relaxation tools and three tracks of soothing music, makes a wonderful gift for anyone who is emotionally or physically stressed. Each technique lasts about 10 minutes so you can fit in a relaxation break almost any time of the day. You can purchase the CD at our web store, at our office at 816 Central Road, or at As Nature Intended on Main Street in Bloomsburg.
National Sleep Foundation Teaching Kids About Sleep Sleeping Through the Rain Music and binaural beats that gently slow your mind down to help you fall asleep. |
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