FEATURES
ADWnews
This New Year, Resolve to Get More Sleep December 27, 2012 - January 2, 2013
Special to the Daily World
There are many popular New Year’s resolutions that quickly come and go: eating healthy, losing weight, managing stress and saving money. In 2013, why not focus on one health change you’ll enjoy sticking to... getting more sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American sleeps about six hours and 55 minutes per night during the week, and 15 percent of adults sleep less than six hours per night. “Lack of sleep can take a significant toll on your overall health and interfere with some of your daily activities,” said Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Almost everybody has trouble sleeping now and then, but many Americans experience significant problems getting to sleep or continually wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep. Such problems may be clinical symptoms of insomnia. According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you have trouble falling asleep at night or staying asleep, or you wake up in the morning feeling unrefreshed, you may be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia can affect people in different ways. Some sufferers have trouble initially getting to sleep, while others
wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back asleep. To help you get better sleep this year, Dr. Thorpy suggests these simple tips: • Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Establish a regular bedtime and wake time. • Set aside time at night to “wind down.” Spend some quiet time before bedtime. Such activities as watching TV, using the computer or working right before bedtime, or in the bedroom, can make it harder to fall asleep. • Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. • Exercise regularly. Just don’t exercise rigorously near bedtime and check with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen. • Don’t clock-watch. If you awaken in the middle of the night and stay in bed, don’t lie there staring at the clock. And don’t watch TV or use your laptop or cell phone, because these technologies stimulate the brain, making it tougher to fall back to sleep.
If these tips don’t help, speak with your healthcare professional to help determine if you are suffering from insomnia and require treatment. More information regarding insomnia is available at the National Sleep Foundation website at www.sleepfoundation.org.
Resolve to Meet Mr. or Miss Right Special to the Daily World Fear, stubbornness, ignorance, procrastination, resignation – for singles or couples longing for love, these are among the deadly sins, according to relationship expert Ernest Quansah. “These are the psychological traits which singles and many couples use as excuses,” says Quansah, author of Do’s and Don’ts of Relationships: Nine Steps to a Deeper, Richer Love Relationship, 2nd edition. “I hear it all the time; singles or married couples say they’re not rich enough, or they need to lose weight, or they just don’t think they’ll find what they want. But I say nothing is perfect, and if you think that you’ll only be good enough when you’ve lost five pounds, or have a nice car or a bigger house, then you will never be ‘good enough.’” Just as people need a plan in order to give themselves a chance with other New Year’s resolutions, such as weight loss or a career move, so too is the case with finding permanent love. Quansah says singles and couples need to answer six questions while pursuing love and true happiness: What is my goal? For each question, jot down what you are really looking for. Are you looking for a lifelong partner, just a date on Valentine’s Day, or for your marriage to work? What am I doing to achieve my goal? Striking a balance is important. Doing too much, like spending a lot of money on a new look or being too negative, can be
www.ADWnews.com
relationship killers because they are not permanent solutions and this makes achieving your goal difficult. If you’re acting like yourself, you’ll be more comfortable and self-confident – and those are attractive qualities! What might prevent me from achieving my goal? Fault finding in potential love interest or in a marriage, for example, can hinder the flow of success. What methods have not worked for me? Mistakes are to be expected – nobody’s perfect. But they should only be acceptable as long as you’ve learned something from them. Look back and do a review. If you have approached dating or relationship success in ways that keep failing, it is time to change! What methods have worked for me? Everybody has qualities that make them good at some things and not so great in other areas. Focus on your strengths; if you have used methods that brought you success in dating or in your marriage, you should use those methods because they will yield results. But do not be afraid to test the waters with new ideas. What will it feel like when I succeed? If you cannot envision the taste of success, you may be less motivated to go the extra mile for true love. Think about how nice it would feel to have meaningful companionship, bring someone home to meet the family, and maybe even start a family of your own.
Facebook.com/ADWnews
11