Solving Common Sleep Problems

How many of you have sleep problems of any kind? Waking up in the middle of the night? Tossing and turning? I know many college students (and I’m guessing some professors too!) that stay up very late trying to finish homework or hanging out with friends. The amount of sleep that all of us are getting is not nearly enough. Add sleeping problems along with that, and there is a low chance of anyone getting any type of good sleep that everyone needs. The article that sparked my interest discusses different types of sleep problems as well as the expert advice that we need to change some of these problems.

First of all, there are nine different sleep problems including:

1. The night waker

2. The early bird

3. The chronic insomniac

4. The hormone sufferer

5. The worrier

6. The night owl

7. The overstimulated sleeper

8. The downtime seeker

9. The slow riser

I have decided to focus on three of these problems. You can read about every type on the website.

The early bird sleeper is one that goes to bed quite early in the evening (example: 7PM) and then wakes up in the middle of the night around 2AM and not be able to go back to sleep. This leads to not falling back to sleep and having such a long day that has strange hours. Expert advice says that someone with this problem should gradually change their sleep schedule so that they can go to bed at a decent time in order to get up at the time they plan to.

The worrier has constant stress that causes the individual to wake up multiple times during the night, and he/she also can’t fall back asleep because of the thoughts about work or making mental to-do lists. Insomnia just starts building up and the brain is very active during sleep for these people. Techniques for reducing these occurrences include distraction by relaxation, keep the sleep environment quieter, and wearing earplugs.

The night owl is probably a very common type of sleeper for college students. These types of sleepers stay up extremely late and end up waking up early as well. These individuals wake up feeling exhausted, drowsy, and irritated. Expert advice for these problems include reducing the amount of light exposure at night, getting to bed earlier, and also not consuming caffeine.

All of these problems can be solved by changing a few things about sleeping habits, organization, and relaxation techniques.

Keeping the Mind Healthy

According to an article I found on the health page CNN’s website, the number of people with dementia is estimated to double every 20 years. These estimates have been made because of studies that show how people are living longer and the population growth is increasing. Developing countries are especially important here, and they have the highest estimated level of increase for dementia cases. The article stated that the number of people with dementia in Europe is expected to rise by 40 percent, and an estimated 63 percent in North America. The increases for Latin America and developed Asia Pacific countries are supposed to be about 77 and 89 percent, respectively. Other countries have much higher numbers. Certain areas such as East and South Asia, Latin America, North Africa, and the Middle East will have percentage increases ranging from 117 percent to 146 percent. These numbers were astounding to me.

According to the report discussed in this article, about 35.6 million people around the world will be living with dementia by 2010. The numbers estimated for 2030 and 2050 are even larger and more astounding.

The National Institutes of Health have found that one in seven Americans age 71 and older have dementia. According to Mayo Clinic, dementia is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Keeping the mind healthy is similar to keeping the heart healthy. Exercise is a huge part of keeping our minds healthy. Just like physical exercise helps the heart and body, cognitive exercise can help out when it comes to the brain and memory. Other methods of prevention involve Vitamins A,C, and E which are antioxidants as well as supplements such as fish oil. Studies show that people who eat curry once a week have been found to have better memory. These types of mental stimulation, antioxidants, and supplements can help delay the start of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

I found this article extremely interesting because younger people don’t seem to think about the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It occurs in so many people, and I don’t think that anyone considers the actions they could take in order to prevent this type of disease from occurring.

Brianna's Story of Blogging

Brianna Karp, 24, has a surprising story to tell about how blogging has affected her life significantly. In July 2008, Brianna was laid off from her job as an executive assistant. She lived off her savings and unemployment as well as working temp jobs until her money began to run out. All she had left was an old trailer that was left when her father committed suicide. She took what she had left and began camping in a Walmart parking lot in Los Angeles.

Brianna still had her laptop computer which helped her pump out resumes as well as getting her started in the blogging industry. She used the free connection at coffee shops in order to help her find work. This is where she began to write her blog, the Girl’s Guide to Homelessness. This blog holds the stories that make up her new life. She mainly wrote the blog just for fun, not knowing that anyone would read it. To her surprise, Matt Barnes, a formerly homeless man now running his own website, asked her to write for his website about homelessness.

She also auditioned for a shot on a reality television show that would give contestants the chance to work with Elle magazine and their advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. Brianna did receive the opportunity to get an interview, but that did not go well on her part. Then, Brianna wrote to E. Jean Carroll asking for advice on how to get another shot after totally failing in a job interview. Carroll found Brianna’s story very interesting, and decided to offer her an internship for the fashion blog in the magazine.

"She's a voice we haven't heard, and I'm excited for her future."

This statement by Carroll describes Brianna in a wonderful way. She works so hard and is happy to be able to spread the word of homelessness and her story to other people. Brianna is still looking for a full-time job and somewhere else to stay, but things are looking up for her.

Trauma and Violence

The article that I found this week was very moving and quite emotional to read. The article from CNN.com discusses the violence and trauma and people in Complexo do Alemao, a small, poor favela in Rio de Janeiro. The police and ruling groups in this area are fighting constantly, forcing the citizens to live a life full of violence. Because of all the violence they experience, the majority of people suffer psychological trauma. One of the most surprising things I found was that the people in this country have a silent code that everyone follows. They don't speak about any of the atrocities that go on in their area of the country.

An important aspect of this article was to point out the lack of healthcare that they receive. Douglas Khayat, a psychologist with Doctors Without Borders, is one of doctors that work in these regions to help those that deal with depression, anxiety disorders, and learning and behavior problems in children. Many of these individuals lose family members due to the killings that occur. One of the stories in the article talked about a man who happened to be walking with a girlfriend when she was shot and wounded. He ran for help, but she died before someone could help her. He felt so guilty and responsible. It began to affect his life in serious ways such as nightmares, problems in his marriage, and he started to drink a lot. He has been able to get better through the help from the doctors with Doctors Without Borders.

Hopefully, these doctors can help so many more people so they are not left alone to deal with the violence and trauma on their own.