Q: Things are a little rough around here. I have not been sleeping well lately and I’m tired. I have been snapping at my family, not enjoying anything that I try to do and messing up a lot in the kitchen.
I have never been able to sleep well but lately it has been worse than usual. A number of my friends are taking sleeping pills to help them rest at night but I am hesitant to do that. Do you have any suggestions that might help me?
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A: You are not alone with this problem. It is more common than we realize.
At some point in their lives one out of every eight people have problems sleeping. Apparently the problem is more common as people age with 29 percent of the men and 37 percent of the women older than 65 reporting they had sleeping disorders.
When dealing with sleep disturbances, your first stop should be for a complete physical exam at your physician’s office.
The doctor will probably try to encourage you to take sleeping pills to help you rest, but whether you choose to do so is your decision, and just knowing that you do not have anything seriously wrong with you is reassuring.
Apart from significant physical or psychological problems, sleep disorders are like bad habits and they are hard to break.
Sometimes the more you try to force yourself to sleep, the harder it is to do so.
The trick to overcoming sleep disorders is to start taking going to bed seriously and prepare yourself for it.Try turning off the television set at least half an hour before bedtime, quiet down the house and slow down your own activities. Reduce your coffee and cigarettes.
Tossing and turning in the middle of the night is generally a waste of time.
If you find yourself too restless, try getting up for a little while and read or just quietly meditate. Television is a stimulant. Watching it will not help you settle down so don’t turn it on.
Most people feel tired and irritable after a sleepless night. They survive by taking naps during the day. As refreshing as the breaks are, they work against you having a good sleep that night.
It is encouraging that with time, patience and a plan to guide you, your sleep disorder can be corrected.
The reward for doing so is nothing less than waking up from a decent rest and enjoying those first moments of the day.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan who has taught social work at two universities. Mail correspondence in care of Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or e-mail team@producer.com.
