|
Mary RockwellLong Term Care Specialist Licensed in AK, AZ, CA #0135724, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, KY, MI, MN, NC, NJ, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WY
|
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” ~Ben Franklin
Dear Mary, Taking a cue from Ben Franklin, I’m going to keep it short this month. My wish is that, where ever you are and whatever you are doing, you are with the ones you love. My intention is to stay in touch and I’ll be making some changes to my newsletter in the upcoming months. I want to continue providing relevant and interesting information that you enjoy as part of my service. Do you have questions or suggestions on what you’d like to see in the future? If so, please let me know. Your input is always appreciated! It’s my honor to be your go-to person in the industry. Please remember that I’m always available for you and welcome the chance to stay in touch! I hope you find the articles I’ve included to be interesting and that you’ll feel free to share them with your family and friends who might enjoy them. In the meantime, be well. Warmest regards, Mary Rockwell The highest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my service to your friends and associates Improve the flavor of your morning coffee If you are looking for more flavor in your morning cup of coffee, try chilling the roasted coffee beans before grinding them, suggest scientists from the University of Bath in London. A team of scientists studied the effect of grinding beans at different temperatures and they found that the colder the beans were, the more uniform and finer the particles were. The small uniform coffee grounds provide for a much better extraction of the flavor compound. According to Christopher Hendon, “The subtle changes in particle size distributions make a huge difference in the rate of extraction.” Hendon was with University of Bath at the time of the study, and is now working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The findings of this study were published in the journal Scientific Reports. Dog walking improves your health The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults of all ages should engage in 150 or more minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Among adults 60 years of age or more, walking is the most common form of leisure-time physical activity because it is self-paced, low impact and does not require equipment. Researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that older adults who also are pet owners benefit from the bonds they form with their canine companions. Dog walking is associated with lower body mass index, fewer doctor visits, more frequent exercise and an increase in social benefits for seniors.
Sleep and Aging From the National Institute of Health We all look forward to a good night’s sleep. Sleep allows our body to rest and to restore its energy levels. Without enough restful sleep, not only can we become grumpy and irritable, but also inattentive and more prone to accidents. Like food and water, adequate sleep is essential to good health and quality of life. Two Types of Sleep There are two types of sleep: non-rapid eye movement — or NREM sleep — and rapid eye movement — or REM sleep. NREM sleep includes four stages, ranging from light to deep sleep. Then we go into REM sleep, the most active stage of sleep when dreaming often occurs. During REM sleep, the eyes move back and forth beneath the eyelids and muscles become immobile. We cycle through the NREM-REM stages of sleep approximately every 90 minutes. How Sleep is Regulated Researchers believe that two body systems — the sleep-wake process and our circadian biologic clock — regulate our sleep. They program our bodies to feel sleepy at night and awake during the day. The sleep-wake process works by balancing the amount of sleep a person needs based on the time spent awake. Our circadian biologic clock is a 24-hour body rhythm affected by sunlight. It regulates hormones such as melatonin, which is secreted during the night and promotes sleep, and other processes like body temperature. Sleeping at a time that is in sync with this rhythm is important for healthy sleep. Sleep Needs, Patterns Change With Age Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults. Interestingly, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than they need. One reason is that they often have more trouble falling asleep. A study of adults over 65 found that 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. Also, older people often sleep less deeply and wake up more often throughout the night, which may be why they may nap more often during the daytime. Nighttime sleep schedules may change with age too. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in the evening and awaken earlier in the morning. Why These Changes There are many possible explanations for these changes. Older adults may produce and secrete less melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. They may also be more sensitive to — and may awaken because of — changes in their environment, such as noise. Older adults may also have other medical and psychiatric problems that can affect their nighttime sleep. Researchers have noted that people without major medical or psychiatric illnesses report better sleep. Poor Sleep Can Lead to Problems Not sleeping well can lead to a number of problems. Older adults who have poor nighttime sleep are more likely to have depressed mood, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, more nighttime falls, and use more over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids. Poor sleep is also associated with a poorer quality of life. If You Have Trouble Sleeping Many people believe that poor sleep is a normal part of aging, but it is not. In fact, many healthy older adults report few or no sleep problems. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging. If you are having trouble sleeping, see your doctor or a sleep specialist. There are treatments that can help. Source: NIHSeniorHealth.gov ♦♦♦ “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Wayne Dyer
|
