HEALTH & WELLNESS by Peter Semchism We All Need Sleep For Good Health by Peter Semchism Get the sleep you need Many adults are sleeping less than six hours a night. That’s bad news because the benefits of adequate sleep range from better heart health and less stress to improved memory and weight loss. Here are some top tips to help get the shut-eye you need to manage your health. Dementia Could Happen to Anyone… Because Everyone Ages. The Facts Develop a sleep routine: It might seem tempting, but sleeping until noon on Saturday will only disrupt your biological clock and cause more sleep problems. Going to bed at the same time every night even on weekends, holidays, and other days off helps to establish your internal sleep/wake clock and reduces the amount of tossing and turning required to fall asleep. Move it!: Previously sedentary adults who got aerobic exer- cise four times a week improved their sleep quality from poor to good. These former couch potatoes also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality, and less sleepiness during the daytime. Just be sure to wrap up your workout session several hours before bedtime so that you’re not too revved up to get a good night’s sleep. Dementia is not a specific disease, but a general term that describes a gradual decline of mental ability that affects your intellectual and social skills to the point where daily life becomes difficult. Dementia can affect your memory, language skills and decision-making ability; impair your judgment and make you feel disoriented; and it may also affect your personality. Dementia can be caused by many diseases that affect the brain. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Others in- clude vascular, Lewy body, frontotemporal and mixed dementia. Types of dementia differ based on underlying causes and can affect specific symptoms and how it progresses. Symptoms and Complications Many of us often experience forgetfulness. We may forget where we put the car keys or repeat the same story to a friend or family member. These behaviours are usually caused by the information overload of our busy, stressful lives – it doesn’t mean that we’re developing dementia. As people age, they may experience memory changes such as slowing of information processing. This type of change is normal and doesn’t interfere with day-to-day functioning. By contrast, dementia is disabling and not a normal part of aging. Although dementia often presents itself differently from person to per- son, common symptoms include: gradual loss of memory of recent events and lack of ability to learn new things increasing tendency to repeat oneself, misplacing objects, becoming confused and lost in familiar places slow disintegration of judgment and reasoning abilities increasing irritability, anxiety, depression, confusion, and restlessness increasing communication and language difficulties (forgetting words or substituting incorrect words) changes in personality, behaviour, or mood decreasing ability to focus and pay attention inability to plan and carry out tasks that require multiple steps (e.g. pay - ing bills). To be diagnosed with dementia, the symptoms must be severe enough to affect a person’s independence and their ability to perform everyday activities. Symptoms of dementia can vary depending on the cause. For example, people with Lewy body dementia often have long-lasting visual hallu- cinations. Some forms of dementia also tend to affect people younger than others and progress faster. Treatment and Prevention Become a Luddite an hour before bedtime: A National Sleep Foundation (NSF) survey found that nearly all participants used some type of electronics, like a television, computer, video game, or cell phone, within the last hour before going to bed. That’s a bad idea. Light from these devices stimulates the brain, making it harder to wind down. Put your gadgets away an hour before bedtime to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. Hog the bed: A study found that 53 percent of pet owners who sleep with their pets experience sleep disruption every night. Treatment of dementia may depend on the specific cause. Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease usually involves treating the declining memory and gradually worsening behavioural symptoms with a range of medications (which may also be used in other forms of dementia), including: cognitive enhancing agents tranquilizers antidepressants antianxiety medications anticonvulsants Change your diet: Cut out the food and drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate, by mid-afternoon. Finish dinner a few hours before bedtime. Skip spicy or heavy foods, which can keep you awake with heartburn or indigestion. Don’t smoke: Smokers are four times more likely to not feel as well rested after a full night’s sleep than nonsmokers. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine attribute this to the stimulative effect of nicotine and the nighttime withdrawal from it. Smoking also exacerbates sleep apnea and other breathing disorders such as asthma, which can make it difficult to get restful sleep. Say no to a nightcap: Alcohol disrupts the pattern of sleep and brainwaves that help you feel refreshed in the morning. A martini may help you doze off initially, but once it wears off, you’re likely to wake up and have a hard time getting back to sleep. Peter Semchism
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There is no treatment that can “cure” Alzheimer’s disease, nor are there medication that can halt or reverse the brain damage caused by it. How- ever, there are medications that can relieve symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Medications such as donepezil*, riv- astigmine, and galantamine may be used to slow down memory loss. Prevention of stroke is important for vascular dementia. If you have high blood pressure or cholesterol, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), or have had a stroke, you should seek continued treatment for these conditions to prevent future strokes. The key to caring for and helping people with dementia is to focus on the many activities the person can still do safely. Encourage a person with dementia to continue daily routines and maintain social relationships as much as possible. Help them maintain a healthy lifestyle through exer- cise, proper nutrition, and fluid intake. Special diets and supplements are generally unnecessary. If you are caring for someone with dementia, the following may be help- ful: reminders: Provide written lists of things to do including times, places, and phone numbers to help the person complete the task. structure and stability: Minimize undue noise and disturbances to re- duce anxiety. establish routines: Daily and bedtime routines can reduce disorientation and anxiety. speaking slowly and calmly: Present one thought or instruction at a time. Use your bed for sleeping only: Your bed should be asso- ciated with sleeping, not working, eating, or watching TV. If you wake up during the night, skip turning on your laptop or TV and do something soothing like meditating or reading until you feel sleepy again. information card: Reduce the risk of wandering and getting lost by pro- viding a pocket card with the person’s name, address, and phone num- ber. safety: Make your home environment as safe as possible by keeping furniture in the same place, removing clutter, installing locks on medi- cine cabinets, and setting the water heater at a low temperature to avoid scalding. driving: Don’t allow someone with dementia to drive a vehicle. Drive them or arrange for rides wherever they need to go. Caring for someone with dementia can be difficult. It requires under - standing, patience, and compassion. Joining an Alzheimer’s disease caregiver’s support group in your community may be helpful. Always keep in mind that we are here for you and your needs. Please feel free to give us a call. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your health or medications. You can reach us at 519-652-9066 Peter Semchism is a Pharmacist at Greenhills Pharmacy in Lambeth. Be prepared for the eventuality that your loved one’s condition will dete- riorate over time and additional full-time personal care may be needed. In some situations, placement in a nursing home is in the best interests of the individual and their family. Peter Semchism is a Pharmacist at Greenhills Pharmacy in Lambeth. Sleep is a beautiful thing. If you feel you’re not getting enough sleep, or not enjoying quality sleep, these simple adjustments can help contribute to a more restful night. And more than 80 percent of adults who sleep with children have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Dogs and kids can be some of the biggest bed hogs, and some of the worst sleepers. Everyone deserves their own sleeping space, so keep dogs and kids out of your bed. Keep it temperate, not tropical: Eighty degrees Fahrenheit may be great for the beach, but it’s lousy for the bedroom at night. A temperate room is more conducive to sleeping than a tropical one. A temperature somewhere around 65 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended. Striking a balance between the thermostat, the bed covers, and your sleeping attire will reduce your core body temperature and help you drift off to sleep faster and more deeply. Black it out: Light tells your brain that it’s time to wake up, so make your room as dark as possible for sleep. Even a small amount of ambient light from your cell phone or computer can disrupt the production of melatonin (a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles) and overall sleep.
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Lambeth Villager
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