Medlin Law Firm - February 2022

The Importance of a Good Night’s Rest QUALITY SLEEP PROMOTES HEALTHY AGING

Sleep is an essential part of our lives, but it becomes evenmore important as we get older, as it’s a necessity for healthy aging and staying energized. Ideally, everyone should sleep between 7.5–9 hours a night, but as we get older, this becomes much harder to achieve. Health complaints, minor disturbances, and a decrease in melatonin levels make it difficult for seniors to get a full night of sleep, which can cause irritability and fatigue.

In order to combat these disturbances, here are a few things you can do to ensure you get enough sleep during the night. Build an active daily routine. Outdoor exercise and general movement every day is good for your body, but being outside and absorbing sunlight can balance and optimize your melatonin levels, which can help you fall asleep easier. On top of exercise, try weaving protein-rich snacks and meals into your routine. Foods like light meat and nuts can improve sleep quality, and dairy foods contain tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting chemical. Eliminate unhealthy substances. Limit your intake of caffeine and sugar throughout the day— especially right before bed — for better rest. It’s also best not to drink anything about an hour before bed, so

you don’t wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and disrupt your sleep.

Regulate your sleep schedule. Keeping the same schedule for sleeping can reap immediate benefits. You will notice increased alertness during waking hours as well as enhanced memory and attention span. You may also start to feel tired around the same time every day, ensuring that you will actually go to sleep right on schedule. It can take time and patience to adjust to new habits to improve sleep, especially for the elderly. It won’t happen overnight, but the benefits that come with a better night’s sleep will have you feeling younger and healthier than ever before. If anything, you will feel more engaged and happier throughout your daily life.

‘But I Wasn’t Drinking, Officer!’ 4 Factors That Can Skew a Breath Analysis Test

Law enforcement can give out a driving while intoxicated (DWI) test if you’re pulled over. This test determines your blood alcohol content (BAC) and is one of the most common ways to be charged with driving under the influence. However, there have been instances when the test provided false positive results. Here are some reasons why a breath analysis test could give you incorrect findings. Test Was Administered Too Quickly Police officers should wait at least 15 minutes before distributing the test. However, they sometimes do not take this precaution. Your breath analysis test could showyour BAC level as higher if they gave you the test too soon. The test could’ve picked up alcohol residue in your throat and mouth, which can skew your results. Medical Conditions If you have acid reflux, gastronomical reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, or diabetes, it can increase the acid in your mouth and throat. This can make your BAC level higher than what it actually is, which could create a false positive even if you haven’t been drinking. Use of Oral Hygiene Products Items like mouthwash, breath sprays, and oral gels can contain high levels of alcohol. If you used them before a breath analysis test, they could affect your results. This is particularly true for oral gels, as they contain anbesol, a local anesthetic.

Food Certain foods such as protein bars, pecans, energy drinks, ripe fruit, bread, and pizza can skew a breath analysis test. This is because these foods contain some amount of alcohol or yeast. Although it isn’t enough alcohol to impair your driving, it can cause a test failure. Since the alcohol from foods is in your mouth and not in your bloodstream, rinsing your mouth with water to wash away any residue could do the trick. If you or a loved one has been charged with a DWI, allowyour friends at Medlin Law firm to assist you. We can look at your case and see if any of these factors played a role in your charge.

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