The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/856300
B-12 Health And Wellness Wednesday, August 2, 2017 The Press-Dispatch Want Convenient & Compassionate Care? Centered Around You. Meet some of your neighbors. Just like a neighbor, the healthcare providers at Gibson General Hospital are close and here to help! ey know that you want to be treated with support and compassion, welcomed by warm and friendly faces, and be able to visit when you need access to timely healthcare. Kwabena Owusu-Dekyi, MD Family Medicine 1808 Sherman Drive, Suite 2209 Princeton, Indiana 812-385-9420 William Wells, MD Family Medicine 510 N. Main Street Princeton, Indiana 812-386-7001 Angela Turner-Brown, RN, MSN, FNP-BC Family Medicine 7851 S. Professional Drive Fort Branch, Indiana 812-615-5071 Phillip Rosett, MD, FACS General Surgery 1808 Sherman Drive, Suite 2209 Princeton, Indiana 812-385-9420 R. Michael Clark, DO Family Medicine 510 N. Main Street Princeton, Indiana 812-386-7001 Solutions for a better night's sleep The importance of a good night's sleep is well- documented. Numerous studies have found that the effects of a good night's sleep go beyond boosting energy levels and improv- ing alertness. A better sex life, less chronic pain and an improved mood are just a handful of the document- ed benefits that a good night's sleep can provide. As important and benefi- cial as sleep is, many adults in the United States simply aren't getting enough rest. A 2016 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention found that more than one-third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. Those find- ings are based on guide- lines from the American Academy of Sleep Med- icine and the Sleep Re- search Society that rec- ommend adults between the ages of 18 and 60 sleep at least seven hours each night. Getting a more restful night's sleep requires con- certed efforts on the part of adults who are falling short of seven hours each night. But the following are some simple ways for adults to start getting more rest. • Stick to a routine sev- en days a week. People tend to alter their sleep routines based on the day of the week, with many go- ing to bed later at night and sleeping in later in the morning on weekends. But the National Sleep Founda- tion notes that going to bed at the same time each day, including weekends, helps people feel more sleepy at bedtime and fall asleep quickly. • Avoid alcohol in the hours before going to bed. Alcohol can make people feel sleepy, but that effect is short-lived. The sleepiness many people feel after con- suming alcohol wears off quickly, and that can lead to interruptions in sleep. • Avoid stimulants in the late afternoon and at night. Alcohol is a depressant that can affect the quality of sleep a person gets. But stimulants can also make it hard to get a good night's sleep. Nicotine acts as a stimulant in small doses, so smokers should stop smok- ing that last cigarette be- fore bedtime if they're not getting decent or adequate sleep. Caffeinated beverag- es also should be avoided in the late afternoon and at night because caffeine stimulates the nervous sys- tem and can make it diffi- cult to fall asleep, even if it's been several hours since that last cup of coffee. • Take short daytime naps. Some people find that daytime naps improve the quality of their nighttime sleep. That might be due to the link between naps and stress. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinolo- gy & Metabolism found that short naps can reduce stress. Reduced stress lev- els can make it easier to fall asleep at night. Limit naps to between 20 and 30 min- utes, as naps that stretch on too long may interfere with nighttime sleep. Sufficient sleep can have a dramatic, positive im- pact on a person's quality of life. Developing a good sleep routine and employ- ing additional strategies can help sleep-deprived men and women get more restful nights' sleep. Strategies to keep weight off once it's gone Losing weight requires hard work and determi- nation. Oftentimes, men and women hoping to lose weight must commit to healthier lifestyles than the ones they've grown ac- customed to. That can be a big adjustment, and it's im- portant that men and wom- en about to embark on their weight loss journeys rec- ognize that keeping lost weight off can sometimes be as challenging as losing the weight. Some people are inspired to lose weight before their weddings, while others may want to shed some pounds before beach season. While there's no wrong reason for people who are overweight or obese to lose weight, peo- ple who tie their weight loss efforts to something as tem- porary as beach season may overlook the long-term ben- efits of maintaining healthy weights, unknowingly in- creasing their risk of put- ting weight back on after reaching their short-term goals. According to the Har- vard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, maintain- ing a healthy weight lowers a person's risk of heart dis- ease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and vari- ous cancers. Maintaining weight loss can be an uphill battle, but men and women can employ various strate- gies to ensure the weight they lose stays lost for years to come. • Continue your weigh- ins. Weigh-ins may seem like the enemy as men and women make their initial ef- forts toward losing weight. However, weigh-ins gradu- ally become something to look forward to as pounds start to drop off. Routine- ly weigh yourself even af- ter reaching your weight loss goals, as the scale can be just as motivational for people trying to maintain healthy weights as it is for people trying to lose weight. • Stick to your diet. When trying to lose weight, adults often combine diet and exer- cise. That's a great weight loss strategy, and it's also a great way to maintain a healthy weight. Recognize that weight won't stay off if you exercise but don't eat right. Rather, maintaining a healthy weight over the long haul requires both a healthy diet and regular exercise. • Eat slowly. While it might not work for every- one, eating slowly has been linked to lower calorie con- sumption. A study from re- searchers at Texas Chris- tian University found that participants who were in- structed to take small bites, chew thoroughly and pause and put their spoons down between bites consumed, on average, 88 fewer calories per meal than participants who were told to take large bites, chew quickly and con- tinue eating without putting their spoons down. Study participants who were over- weight, however, ate just 58 fewer calories on average. • Document your efforts. Whether it's in a journal, on a blog or by emailing a loved one, documenting your ef- forts to maintain a healthy weight may provide the mo- tivation you need to stay on course. Maintaining a healthy weight after substantial weight loss is a challenge that men and women can overcome by staying as vig- ilant in their efforts to keep weight off as they were while working to lose weight. ASSISTED LIVING AND SO MUCH MORE :(&28/':5,7($'6$// '$