Insomnia and other sleepdisturbance s take toll on health

April Civilian Employee Assistance Program (CEAP) message

Whether you routinely get by on four hours a night or require a full 10, sleep is an important function in determining how you feel.

Feeling well-rested makes all the difference in how we face our day. In fact, research shows that reducing nighttime sleep by as little as an hour and a half reduces daytime alertness by as much as 32 percent.

A poll in 2004 by the National Sleep Foundation found that most of us work too hard, stay out late and try to get too much done in a day, and as a result we go to sleep later and get up earlier.

The same poll says 60 percent of youth between the ages of 4-17 complained of feeling tired during the day.

Even minimal sleep loss takes a toll on your mood, energy, efficiency and ability to handle stress. If you want to feel your best, stay healthy, and perform up to your potential, sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.

The clinical consequences of untreated sleep disorders are associated with numerous serious medical illnesses. These include high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, psychiatric problems including depression and other mood disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADD), mental impairments, fetal and childhood growth retardation, injury from accidents, and poor quality of life.

Persons who have a history of rape or sexual molestation or other traumatic events may actively try to avoid sleep, fearing the intrusion of nightmares and the experience of reliving the event, and may require ongoing counseling to explore these traumatic events in a safe controlled environment.

Others may sleep too many hours and never feel rested, and they should be tested for sleep apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing frequently during their sleep. They also need to be monitored for depression, as sleep allows the avoidance of uncomfortable events, but being un-rested doesn’t produce the energy to deal effectively with stressful events.

Some tips to improve restfulness include:

* Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
* Go to bed at same time each night.
* Wake up same time each morning.
* Do not drink caffeinated drinks or do vigorous exercises in the evening.
* Try to spend time in bed actually sleeping, so you mind will associate bed with sleeping. *If you cannot fall asleep within a short time get out of bed and read;
* Do not study or watch TV in bed
* Get your brain calmed rather than revved-up.
* Monitor foods and don’t eat large meals or a high fat content before bedtime, as the sleep will be disrupted when the digestive process causes frequent waking and poor quality sleep.
* Foods high in carbohydrates and calcium make ideal sleep inducing bedtime snacks. Warfighter and Family Services (WFS) classes are free to Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees. WFS course offerings can be found on the Quality of Life Navy Hawaii website at http://www.greatlifehawaii.com. Call the Customer Service Desk at 474-1999 to register for any class.

Some FFSC classes scheduled in April are: stress management from 8to11a.m.April12;effective communication for couples from 9 to 11 a.m. April 12; career choices: do what you are from 9 to 11 a.m. April 13; and anger management from 8 to 11 a.m. April 26.

The Civilian Employee Assistance Program (CEAP) provides free, confidential, professional assessment, short-term counseling to explore options and provide referral services to civilian employees. Call 474-1999, ext. 6206 to reach Susan Bierman or ext. 6204 for Andrea Hantman, between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for CEAP information and to inquire about no cost at-your-site training.