HealthyLife Articles

Tag: rest

  • Avoid Drowsy Driving

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Alert driver.

    Driving while sleepy can severely impair your driving and cause an accident. Studies have linked sleepiness and fatigue to decreases in reaction time, decision-making, and mind and body coordination. All of these factors are very important for safe driving.

    According to estimates from the National Safety Council in 2017, one out of every five deadly traffic crashes is due to drowsy driving.

    Drive when you feel alert. On long drives, plan 15-minute breaks to get out and stretch your legs every 2 hours. Avoid using food to stay alert. Closing your eyes for even a second (called microsleep) can be enough to travel blindly down the road (or off the road). If you drive while you are fatigued, you and anyone around you is at serious risk.

    Signs of Fatigue

    *  You can’t stop yawning.

    *  You have trouble keeping your head up.

    *  Your eyes close for a moment or go out of focus.

    *  You have wandering, disconnected thoughts.

    *  You have no memory of driving the last few miles.

    *  You miss seeing a sign or your exit.

    *  You slow down when you don’t mean to or brake suddenly or too late.

    *  You drift across the road or veer off onto rumble strips.

    What to do:

    *  Pull to the side of the road or go to a rest stop.

    *  Take a 15-20-minute nap. If you can, have 250-300 mg of caffeine (about 2 cups of coffee) before the nap.

    *  Get a non-drowsy person to drive or find some way of getting to your destination without driving yourself.

    *  Drive to a motel or place where you can sleep.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Exercise And Sleep

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 5

    Women sleeping.

    Physical activity can help you sleep better. After your body has worked hard, deep sleep is triggered to help your body recover, repair, and get ready for more activity. This natural drive helps you fall asleep and sleep more restfully.

    Be active outdoors, when possible. Outdoor physical activity increases exposure to sunlight. This helps to strengthen your body’s circadian rhythm (natural sleep clock). A stronger circadian rhythm helps you feel sleepy when it’s time to rest.

    Sleep Helps You Recover from Exercise

    Physical activity triggers a cycle of muscle break-down and repair. The repair process depends on sleep. Without enough sleep, repair is limited. This can increase the risk of injury and limit athletic goals (e.g., running or walking farther or lifting more weight).

    Severe sleep restriction (less than four hours per night) can cause dramatic increases in your heart rate and blood pressure. This strains your heart. Not only does this limit your ability to exercise, but your risk for heart attack and cardiovascular problems increases.

    Timing Exercise with Sleep

    Physical activity increases adrenaline in the body. This hormone increases your heart rate and alertness. Plan vigorous exercise at least four to six hours before bedtime. Light exercise and mild activities should end at least two to four hours before bedtime.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Get Enough Sleep

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 3

    Man sleeping.

    Not getting enough sleep can affect your appetite and make it harder to manage your blood sugar. A shortage of sleep also:

    *  Triggers ghrelin, a hunger hormone. Ghrelin increases appetite, especially for sweets, salty foods, and starches.

    *  Decreases another hormone, leptin. Leptin helps your body know when you are full.

    *  Increases anxiety and negative feelings, which can lead you to eat unhealthy snacks and overeat “comfort foods.”

    *  Decreases energy to exercise.

    Tips for Improving Sleep

    *  Create a comfortable place to sleep. Make sure your bed, pillows, and bedding are comfortable.

    *  Maintain a slightly cool temperature in the bedroom.

    *  Avoid looking at a screen (TV, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) 30 minutes before bed.

    *  Create a bedtime and waking routine.

    *  Reserve the bed for sleep and sex. Avoid doing other activities in bed, like work or having an argument.

    *  Have a small snack before bed if you are hungry.

    *  Avoid foods high in sugar or refined carbohydrates just before bed. The rise in blood sugar can provide a burst of energy that keeps you alert and makes it difficult to go to sleep.

    *  Avoid foods that are likely to cause acid reflux (heartburn), gas, cramping, or indigestion if you are prone to these problems. Fatty or spicy foods, beans, garlic, peanuts, and dairy foods may cause discomfort for some people.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Seek Downtime Daily

    Healthylife® Weigh

    Part 6

    Women on park bench reading and drinking coffee.

    Downtime is idle time between activities. Examples are the moments you have waiting at a red light, the time spent riding in an elevator, or the extra time you have during a lunch break.

    Idle time allows your brain to rest, process, and store information (how you learn and form memories). If you’ve ever had a great idea come to you in the shower, you know how creative your mind is during this time. Appreciate downtime to reduce feelings of boredom.

    Often, multi-tasking or a feeling that you must always be doing something steals this time away. The resulting “addiction to activity” does not let your mind rest during the day. The result can be a feeling of being busy all the time. You may feel like you need “time to think.” If you go all day without downtime, it can be harder to quiet your mind at night and go to sleep.

    Practice letting your mind rest every day. If you are used to filling   your time with multiple tasks at once, the following exercise may be  eye-opening!

    Try This: Sit in a room or outside for 15 minutes and do nothing. Don’t look at your phone or seek any other distractions. Let thoughts enter your mind.

    Reflect: How did you feel at the end of 15 minutes?

    Ways to Include Downtime Daily

    *  Turn off notifications on your phone. Set aside time for social media during the day-and avoid it at other times.

    *  Listen to music instead of the news or talk radio while driving. Or, sit in silence and let your mind wander.

    *  Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take at least five minutes of “blank space” time during your day.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Caregivers: Take Time For Yourself

    FAMILY LIFE

    Image of elderly female in wheechair with two caregivers.

    There’s no doubt: caregiving is a stressful job. If you help take care of an aging, ill, or disabled loved one, you are a caregiver. And although caregiving may take up a lot of your time, you need to make time for yourself too, says the Family Caregiving Alliance.

    If you’ve been trying to juggle caregiving with your other commitments, it’s time to take a moment and think about your own needs. If you keep doing things for others without taking time for yourself, your health and entire life could suffer. Caregivers of all ages can be prone to the following problems:

    *  Depression or anxiety

    *  High stress levels

    *  Poor quality sleep or not sleeping enough

    *  Unhealthy diet choices

    *  Lack of exercise

    *  Not getting needed health care for themselves

    *  Financial problems

    *  Feeling isolated and alone

    These factors together can create health and personal problems. Before you reach the point of burnout, try to find a way to get a break from caregiving. Think about what would relax you and help you recharge. Is it a lunch date with a friend? An aerobics or yoga class? A walk through the park? A soak in the tub? Whatever it is, you deserve the time to do it.

    How to find the time

    Not sure how to find time for yourself? Talk to others who can help out. Ask friends, neighbors, or family members to step in for just an hour or two so you can have a break. Or, if you can, have your loved one spend some time at an adult day care or respite center. If others have offered to help in any way, learn how to say, “Yes, that would be great,” and accept their offer. Many caregivers mistakenly think they need to do it all themselves – don’t!

    Many people feel guilty leaving their loved one for even a short while. But remember, you need to recharge yourself so you can be the best caregiver possible. You’re doing it for others just as much as for yourself.

    Talk to others

    Many caregiver support groups are available online and in local communities. Connecting with others who understand can go a long way in helping you feel better. The local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is a good place to start. Some support groups are online, while others offer in-person meetings. Choose what is right for you.

    Remember:Taking time for you is not being selfish. It’s a necessity. You deserve some time to take care of your own needs. It will allow you to be the best you can be in all areas of your life.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • If You Have A Cold, Should You Exercise?

    BE FIT

    Image of women sick in bed.

    Yes and no. Moderate exercise (30 minutes a day, on most, if not all, days of the week) actually lowers your risk for respiratory infections, said David C. Nieman from the American College of Sports Medicine. But prolonged, intense exercise, on the other hand, can weaken your immune system and allow viruses to gain a foothold and spread. If you’re already sick with a respiratory infection (common cold or flu), approach exercise cautiously during your illness. To help you decide whether to hit the gym or stay in bed, Dr. Nieman says this:

    DOexercise moderately if your cold symptoms are confined to your head. If you’re dealing with a runny nose or sore throat, moderate exercise is okay. Intense exercise can be continued a few days after symptoms go away (in cases of the common cold).

    DON’tsweat out your illness. Exercise during an illness does NOT help cure it.

    DOstay in bed if your illness has spread beyond your head. Respiratory infections, fever, swollen glands, and extreme aches and pains all indicate that you should rest up, not work out.

    DON’tjump back in too soon. If you’re recovering from a more serious bout of cold or flu, gradually ease back into exercise after at least 2 weeks of rest.

    “In general, if your symptoms are from the neck up, go ahead and take a walk,” said Dr. Nieman. “But if you have a fever or general aches and pains, rest up and let your body get over the illness.”

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Sick Kid?

    FAMILY LIFE

    Image of mother and child at the doctor's office.

    For many reasons, a child being home from school while sick can be stressful. Parents worry about the severity of their child’s illness and about the child missing school, all while trying to shuffle work schedules to be home.

    But when should kids stay home from school? Dr. Hannah Chow-Johnson, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System, gives some guidelines to help parents make that decision.

    Pinkeye.

    Extremely contagious and is usually caused by a virus. One of the first signs of pinkeye is discomfort. Other symptoms include a sticky discharge that can cause the eyelids to stick together, and the area around the eye can look red and swollen. Stay home until the redness is gone.

    Stomach problems.

    Gastroenteritis or the stomach flu can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Most often, it is caused by a virus. A child needs to rest and take gradual fluids to recover. Stay home until the vomiting and diarrhea are gone for 24 hours.

    Fevers.

    Most schools have a policy that a child can’t attend if they have a fever higher than 100 degrees F and the child needs to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. Stay home and rest.

    Coughing.

    If a child has a steady cough, a hacking cough, or coughing fits, he or she should stay home. It’s also important for children and adults to be vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough). Go back to school with a minor cough, but practice good coughing skills such as coughing into a tissue or elbow and washing hands often.

    Sore throat.

    Many parents think sore throat means strep throat, but in 70% of the cases the pain is caused by a virus. Symptoms of strep also include headache, stomachache, and fever. Sometimes there is a sunburn-like rash on the throat. Stay home if the doctor has given an antibiotic and the child has been on it for 24 hours. If the sore throat is viral, return to school when the child feels better.

    Lice.

    Unfortunately those stubborn bugs mean no school for kids. They can quickly spread through a classroom. Children need lice treatment and combing to remove all nits.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Sleep, But How?

    MEDICAL NEWS

    Image of man awake in bed.

    “We know that how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep can have a tremendous impact on your overall health,” said Dr. David J. Earnest, professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, who studies circadian rhythms-the human body’s master clock.

    “We’re starting to recognize that sleep deprivation and disorders are more prevalent than any other health disorder that affects Americans,” he said.

    If you feel like there’s a deeper cause to your sleep woes, you may be like 1 in 10 Americans who suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, including these:

    Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD)-a tendency to go to bed later (around 2 or 4 in the morning) and to sleep until the early afternoon. This kind of disorder can interfere with a normal work or school schedule.

    Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD)-the tendency to go to bed earlier (6 or 8 in the evening) and to wake earlier than most people (around 3 or 5 in the morning). While this kind of disorder doesn’t typically interfere with a normal work or school schedule, it can pose a challenge for social activities or events that occur later in the evening.

    Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome-a circadian rhythm that is 25 hours or longer, which leads to sleep and wake times becoming gradually later.

    Jet Lag-one of the most common and usually occasional sleep disorders that occurs when your internal clock is out of synch with a new time zone. After traveling to a new time zone, you may find it difficult to fall and stay asleep during suitable times.

    Shift Work-with constantly changing shifts, it can be difficult for workers to adjust to their new sleep schedules. Shift work has been linked with a higher risk of developing metabolic or cardiovascular diseases.

    Sleep Apnea-breathing temporarily stops due to a blockage of the upper airways during sleep. Most people with sleep apnea do not know that they have it. Symptoms include daytime sleepiness, irritability, depression, and fatigue the next day, because their sleep lacks quality.

    Narcolepsy-extreme sleepiness during the day, usually resulting in suddenly falling asleep. It’s caused by a dysfunction in the brain mechanism that controls sleeping and waking.

    Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)-itching, tingling, or burning in the lower legs, that makes it difficult to get comfortable and fall asleep.

    If you think you might have a sleep disorder, discuss your symptoms with your doctor or a sleep specialist.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Smartphone Break Aids Well-Being

    WELL-BEING

    Image of a smart phone.

    Want to be more productive and happier during the workday? Try taking a short break to text a friend, play Angry Birds, or check Facebook on your smartphone, according to Kansas State University research.

    Allowing employees to take smartphone microbreaks may be a benefit-rather than a disruption-for businesses. Microbreaks are nonworking-related behaviors during working hours.

    “A smartphone microbreak can be beneficial for both the employee and the organization,” said the lead researcher. “For example, if I would play a game for an hour during my working hours, it would definitely hurt my work performance. But if I take short breaks of one or two minutes throughout the day, it could provide me with refreshment to do my job.”

    Taking a break throughout the workday is important because it is difficult, and nearly impossible, for an employee to concentrate for 8 straight hours a day without a break, was the thinking. So the smartphone microbreaks were thought to be similar to other microbreaks throughout the workday: chatting with coworkers, walking around the hallway, or getting a cup of coffee. Such breaks are important because they can help employees cope with the demands of the workplace.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Tips To Survive The Workweek

    WORK LIFE

    Image of the days of the week on paper with emotion faces.

    When the workweek seems long, there are some things you can do to get through to the weekend. Try these tips to stay positive when you’re stressed or tired:

    *  Have something to look forward to. You can make your own “bright spot” each day that will help keep you motivated. For instance, take a walk at a favorite park. Find a quiet place to curl up with your book and a cup of herbal tea for 30 minutes. Keep this mini-goal in mind throughout your day.

    *  Do something nice for someone each day. It can be something as small as giving a compliment or letting someone go ahead of you in the lunch line. Studies show that doing nice things for others makes us feel good. And, it’ll make you want to continue that pattern. Over time, this can build better relationships at work and help you look forward to your job.

    *  Keep a routine. Plan your day with what you want to get done. Break the day into one or two-hour chunks devoted to each project. Schedule your breaks. This can help the day seem to go by faster. It’s more manageable than thinking of eight hours at a time.

    Finding meaning at work

    When you think about your job, it may be helpful to think about the bigger picture. For example, a janitor isn’t just cleaning; but is making sure the building is safe and enjoyable for the people in it. In other words, your job isn’t just day-to-day tasks. It’s about something more important. Keep that perspective when you go to work each day.

    Source: American Psychological Association

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine