Children of the Night!

'True Blood' premiers September 7th at 9 pm on HBO. It is a wonderful new television series based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries books by Charlaine Harris (check out the too cool official web site at http://www.trubeverage.com/)


'Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome -- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the kind of guy she's been waiting for all her life.

But Bill has a disability of his own: he's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs out with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of -- big surprise -- murder. And when one of Sookie's co-workers is killed, she fears she's next.'

I've always had a 'thing' for vamps. Not only for the obvious, David Boreanaz and James Marsters anyone?, but an actual affinity.

I've worked midnights for over 20 years and did both neonatal and trauma, as a respiratory therapist. Roaming the halls at night, drawing blood gases to check oxygen levels, attending hundreds of 'code blues' and dealing with death. Although vamps try to create it, I tried to prevent it.

There is a great beauty to working at night. A peacefulness when all the visitors and bosses were gone. Sitting outside on the patio at 3 am for a break, looking up at the stars and appreciating the brightness of the moon. As much as it is a welcomed part of me however, it does take it's toll on the human body.

Women have a 60 % greater chance of developing breast cancer due to the decrease in the melatonin production due to sleeping during the day. Shift workers are said to have a 10 year less life expectancy. And according to The National Sleep Foundation, 'shift workers experience more stomach problems (especially heartburn and indigestion), menstrual irregularities, colds, flu, and weight gain than day workers. Heart problems are more likely too, along with higher blood pressure.'

Some of the best ways to deal with the physical aspect of sleeping during the day are-

1. Use blackout shades or curtains. Making the room as dark as possible really helps.

2. I turn off the house phone's ringer and keep my cell phone next to my bed. My family and friends know not to call before 3 pm unless it is an emergency. I've explained that calling me at 3 pm , is like me calling them at 3 am!

3. Use earplugs, run a fan for white noise or actual buy a white noise machine to drown out the every day noises of the waking world.

4. Read an enjoyable book, (see above) or something calming before going to bed. Avoid watching the news just before retiring.

They say being a polysomnolgist, or 'sleep tech' is the ultimate night job. Kathryn Smith's new book, "Before I Wake' is a paranormal romance actually set in a sleep lab and the heroine is a doctor who can physically enter her patient's dreams!

One of life's greatest pleasures is a great book to read and both of these are wonderful and make midnights very exciting and mysterious!

Even though I don't have the good 'perks' of the romanticized vampires, none of the 'forever young' stuff, I'm glad to stay an all too human midnight roamer. I've worked with and taken care of some of the best people in the world. There is an intimacy and camaraderie to being awake and working in that alternate world where the rest of humanity is tucked away and sound asleep.

'Ah, the Children of the Night!' has become 'Sleep Queens Rule!'
Sweet Dreams, Jane

Sleep Works for You! Let it or Make it

At sleepcompass.com we stress the importance of sleep in daily life. It's a basic necessity of life, as important to our health and well-being as air, food and water. When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed, alert and ready to face daily challenges. When we don't, every part of our lives can suffer. Our jobs, relationships, productivity, health and safety (and that of those around us) are all put at risk. The National Sleep Foundation provides an excellent review called "Let Sleep Work For You."
The cover story of the September 2008 issue of Fortune Small Business , "Make Sleep Work For You," addresses this as well but with a slight twist! It does emphasize that sleep deprivation is associated with poor job performance, costly mistakes, and reduced memory. It promotes obtaining good quality, and quantity of sleep, even if this means taking a power nap. It describes the benefit of using sleep aids when used infrequently and judiciously, and the importance of seeking medical advice when problems such as fatigue, insomnia, snoring/gasping are present frequently (for more sleep tips go to sleepcompass 'sleep tips' page).
However, the article also describes "sleep working" a technique used to actually work and solve problems while you sleep. Or better stated, to allow sleep to solve your work related problems. To do this, personal coach, Alan Stafford, suggests, to 1st identify the exact issue you need solved, but without trying to solve it!! Then, have patience; it can take many nights before the solution(s) materialize.
Many ideas have come to people while sleeping, such as the structure of the benzene ring, the "riff" for the Rolling Stone's song 'Satisfaction', and the correction of a golf swing (Jack Nicklaus).
So, if you are having trouble with a particular problem, try asking just before going to sleep at night. Make sure to be as specific as possible, but do NOT try and solve it. Do this every night until you get the solution.
Remember to have a pen, preferably a Lighted Gel Pen, so that when the answers arise, you can record them, and return to sleeping soundly and peacefully, as your problems have been solved!!!
Sleep productively, Gus

HOT FLASH!!!

If you've had one, there's no mistaking; it's sudden and intense! The flash usually affects your upper body and face, perhaps preceded or accompanied by a number of disruptive symptoms such as rapid heartbeat and sweating, anxiety, or headache. The flash is followed by a flush, leaving you reddened and perspiring and there is no way to hide it. You can have a soaker (UGH!), or merely a moist upper lip or forehead (that's enough). A chill can lead off the episode or be the grand finale (sweater off - sweater on???).

Hot flashes and sweats are common among woman transitioning from perimenopause into menopause (30's-50's age group)... blame it on changes in hormones, not "who turned off the air conditioning?!".
The hypothalamus which is sometimes referred to as the body's "thermostat", is the part of the brain responsible for controlling your sleep cycles and body temperature. Somehow the drop in estrogen confuses the hypothalamus and makes it read "TOO HOT!". The body's confused response... "get rid of the heat". Your heart pumps faster, the blood vessels in your skin dilate to circulate more blood to radiate off the heat, and your sweat glands release sweat to cool you off - soaking sweat followed by a chill... miserable!
When these symptoms occur at night, it may result in chronic insomnia and reduced quality of life.
Some natural remedies:
1. Follow the sleep tips we've outline on the SleepCompass website. These tips will certainly get you started.
2. Two tablespoons of Flax seed sprinkled on cereal or yogurt. Some research by the Mayo Clinic suggest flax seed helps reduce the number and intensity of hot flashes.
3. Hot flashes deplete the body of B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium and potassium. Consider increasing the intake of these and don't forget calcium too (consult your physician first).
4. Avoid (as much as possible) triggers such as spicy foods, alcohol, sugar, hot drinks, and hot weather. Reduce stress with yoga, meditation, visualization and prayer. Evaluate the quality of your sheets.
5. Exercise helps to relieve hot flashes by lowering the amount of LH (luteinising hormone) that when released, are related to the initiation of hot flashes. Also, exercising raises endorphine levels which drop during a hot flash. Just 20 minutes three times a week can significantly reduce hot flashes.
6. Slow abdominal breathing 6-8 breaths per minute, can bring about a 40% decrease in frequency of hot flashes according to two research psychologist from Wayne State university. Use this technique 15 minutes twice a day and when you feel a hot flash coming on.
There are a number of herbs to help reduce or even eliminate hot flashes and in turn address insomnia and fragmented sleep at night. BEFORE you embark on an herb or supplemental regime, consult your physician!
For more information on this topic visit: Dr. Christiane Northup M.D.
SleepCompass.com - Nancy

Nappuccino please, extra foam!

One Nappuccino please. An afternoon one, no longer than 20-30 minutes.
I come from a long line of nappers. My mother is from the deep South and when I was little, we used to go there to visit my grandmother. EVERYONE there would take a nap from noon to 2. Businesses closed down, traffic was non existence and no one came to visit because without air conditioning, everyone tried to wait out the afternoon heat. My grandmother and great aunt would carefully take off their cotton summer dresses, and wearing their white dress slips, stretch out on their beds trying to catch a breeze from the table top metal fans. It was a quiet, soothing time to unwind and de-stress, at least for anyone over the age of 20; it was pure torture for anyone younger. 2 hours, an eternity, a lifetime, to wander around the house and wait for the world to start up again.


There are 2 types of optimum naps. The first one is 20-30 minutes long, which is just enough time, for a 'pick me up' to get you through the rest of the day, Any longer than that and you fall into deep sleep and then into a 'REM' cycle , where you start dreaming. A REM cycle occurs every 90-120 minutes of sleep and can last from 5 to 45 minutes. Either nap short enough not to go into REM, or nap long enough to go through a complete cycle. Waking up in the middle will cause you to feel 'groggy' almost like a sleep hangover.


Think napping is a waste of time? That nothing productive can come from it? Tell that to some of the most famous nappers, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. And in our own time, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, slackers both!


There has been debate of which comes first, getting sleepy around midday and your body temperature drops or maybe it's the other way around, your body temperature drops and that causes you to seek sleep. The best way to remember the optimum length is ' 40 winks.' Just long enough to give you a power nap. 40 winks to remind yourself that the world can carry on without you and for you to retreat into the bliss of your unconsciousness, and give your mind and thoughts a rest, a break from it all, to come back to awareness with a clearer vision and refreshed enough to handle whatever else comes your way.


So flip the fan on, feel the cool breeze on your face and take a nap, cat!

SleepCompass.com Jane

WHAT TO DO WHEN NOT SLEEPING
How much sleep is enough? There is no one answer!! At best, the recommended amount is to sleep enough so that one functions optimally. This begs the question, “what is optimal fucntion?” It is difficult enough to know optimal physical function (no fatigue, “achyness”, tired feelings, etc.), and even more so, optimal mental or emotional fucntion. And then there is “spiritual functioning!!” To make things worse, the majority of sleep deprived persons are not aware of, or minimize their impaired functioning!!
So, how then, can these functions be measured and correlated to the amount and quality of one’s sleep?!?!?
Medical research does well to show that sleep deprivation contributes to stress, anxiety, memory problems, poor job performance, fatigue, pains, medical diseases (obesity, diabetes/glucose intolerance, heart disease), and psychological-psychiatric illnesses. Conversely, it is now well accepted that good sleep makes one healthier, smarter, and less stressed.
So why do so many skimp on sleep? The extra work accomplished instead of sleeping, (i.e. “burning the candles at both ends,”) is negated by the potential and real mistakes made due to less than optimal mental functioning!! There is a tendency to do less physical activity when sleepy, leading to more unhealthy behaviors, and the ability to handle stress lessens significantly after missing even a little sleep (e.g. new moms).
So, again why do so why do so many skimp on sleep? Any comments, ideas, suggestions, excuses, rationalizations, are welcomed.
But, after treating the sleep deprived, the sleep disordered, as well as just promoting healthy (or at least adequate) sleep, for 20 years, one thing is clear, most people were not following the advice to get more and better sleep!! There were many reasons, comments, ideas, suggestions, excuses, rationalizations, none of which were valid for more than a few nights!
But then I noticed that there were a few well balanced, calm, aware, and happy people that slept less than the recommended 7-8 hours per night. Although there are genetically determined sleep needs (ie natural short sleepers), these persons chose to do things differently when not sleeping. These activities included prayer, meditation, contemplation, and other activities that reduce thinking, whether with music, books, guided tapes, or with nothing.
This suggest to me that what is one does instead of sleeping contributes in a major way to how one feels, acts, behaves and performs during the day. Those that try to cram more work, school-work, chores, and such, are impaired, never seem to complete their work, and are cranky; those that pray, meditate, etc, accomplish abundantly, feel well, are happy, and are great people to be around!,
So, if you can’t sleep, don’t want to sleep, or think sleep is a waste of time, I suggest you take up the more spiritual activities, like prayer, journaling, meditation during the hours you are supposed to be sleeping. The short version of these suggestions is too calm down, slow your thinking, relax. You will feel better, healthier, sharper, and happier….and the rest of us will appreciate this!
For some specific ideas to help you with these suggestions, visit sleepcompass.com and Discover The Gift of Sleep
Sleep Well, Gus

Riding The NightWave...

So you've been surfing the Internet for hours and suddenly, you realize-"I HAVE TO GET UP IN THE MORNING!" Which means-"I HAVE TO GET SOME SLEEP!" How do you calm a mind racing with thoughts?
Catch a 'NIGHTWAVE!' There are so many good things about this gadget, let's use bullet points!

• it's so small, it fits in the palm of your hand!
• it only has 1 button, no fumbling for controls
• it has more than one mode for sleep

But don't take only my word on it, listen to what our friend Milton, who is a retired RN, has to say-
"I received the NightWave from a friend and I have been using it for just over week. I have had great difficulty in falling asleep - busy mind, etc. But with NightWave, after a seven minute session, it is uncanny - now I fall asleep as soon as the light goes off. Incredible device and invaluable to me. I will recommend it to others, Thank you. Milton."

The holidays are coming, remember the people on your lists who have everything BUT a good night's sleep!

NightWave Sleep Assistant sits on your bedstand and guides you in a special pre-sleep relaxation session in the privacy of your own bedroom. It is the first sleep-assisting device that silently helps the user adjust his or her breathing rhythm to a pattern that delivers relaxation and ultimately natural rest and recuperation. How it works : NightWave Sleep Assistant projects a soft blue light into your darkened bedroom. The soft "luminance" of the light slowly rises and falls. Lie with eyes open and synchronize your breathing with the blue wave as its movement becomes slower and slower. After a short time, you roll over and fall asleep and NightWave Sleep Assistant shuts off. And best of all, the soft light does not disturb others.

Sweet Dreams, SleepCompass JANE

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

Ah, you can PRETEND! Work with me here-
This is a GREAT DVD, I brought it to 2 different friends homes, hit 'play' and asked them what they thought. Well... I had to wake them up first!
I'm chattering away, trying out the 'mood music' or just using the fireplace sounds and when I turned to look, they were asleep! There IS something that is so comforting about fire, I think it is in our DNA.
Fire equals-

• Safety from predators-
• Hot dogs and S'mores anyone?
• Warmth when you're cold-

One thing I miss in south Florida is having a fireplace, although even when I lived up north, I was lousy at getting a fire started. This saves me all the hassle. (hint -place a space heater next to you!) Try keeping your eyes open or even focused when watching the flames dance around the screen. Buying this at Christmas, I got the demo the store was using, they were all sold out!

Have a glass of wine or hot chocolate, listen to either just the fire crackling or Nat Cole and treat yourself to the bliss of feeling peaceful, safe and warm.

Sweet Dreams! Jane SleepCompass.com

Stormy Weather-

Being in the middle of hurricane season and having a tropical storm headed my way, made me think- are there any advantages to sleeping now?

Team Advantage:

1. It's dark outside at the crack of noon. That's a big change from the bright Florida sun!
   
2. It's cooler outside at the crack of noon. (See above )
   
3. You never sleep alone because all of your cats and dogs and birds and hermit crabs are somewhere in the bedroom with you. (helpful hint, keep the crab in the cage!)
4. You CAN sleep in because so many businesses and schools are closed. Although being in the medical field all my life means either being at the hospital for hours on end or on call.
5. Ever wonder why they call rainy weather 'good sleeping' weather? Decreased pressure = decreased oxygen in the blood. Our bodies make us sleepy to keep us from expending energy. Traveling from Florida to the higher altitude of Santa Fe, New Mexico made me incredible sleepy along with giving me a headache that lasted for days. Beautiful state, but half awake until my body adjusted to the change.

Team Disadvantage:

1. Charlie!


2. Frances!


3. Jean!


4. Wilma!
   
5. ANDREW!!! No electricity, means no air conditioning, no ice, no cooked food, no TV, no computer, and for me, no roof!
   
   Right now, it's Team Advantage, with it being cooler outside and surrounded by a wagon train of cats, but check on me in a couple of days after Fay passes through!
   

1. Sleep tight! SleepCompass.com Jane

The Watermelon Factor

It’s summertime and the heat is on! One of my favorite foods to eat during these hot days of summer is watermelon. It’s juicy, refreshing, thirst quenching and low in calories since it’s 92% water (Weigth Watcher’s pick of the season)!

I was reading one of my favorite magazines only to discover the melon that I take such pleasure in eating is really good for my health! Did you know that the cool and delicious watermelon is filled with great nutritional value for the body?

In fact it may even help to promote the magnificent state of… sleep! I had no idea that it has the highest concentration of Lycopene compared to other fruits and veggies. Lycopene, in a nutshell, is an anitoxidant that we’ve all heard and read about which helps to prevent the formation of harmful free radicals that destroy cell membranes.

Much to my delight I learned that among other nutrients, watermelon is high in vitamin B6 used in manufacturing brain chemicals such as:

1. Serotonin

2. Melatonin

3. Dopamine

These neurotransmitters help the body cope with anxiety, panic, and stress and when the levels rise at night, the brain may be less sensitive to disruptive stimuli during sleep.

By eating watermelon, this nutrient filled melon, I can help to increase the levels of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine.

Who would have thought that watermelon is jammed with valuable and calming nutrients which just may play a roll in helping me relaxed and journey effortlessly into dreamland.

For more information on the wonders of the watermelon visit the following site: http://www.watermelon.org/

Discover the Gift of Sleep – sleepcompass.com - Nancy

Does drinking coffee do this to you?

I Have Friends (Hello Nancy!) that keeps Starbucks in the black and Juan Valdez with his rich Columbian beans in a 401 K. And they NEVER look like this! This is an actual photo of me at noon after working my night shift in the Sleep Lab. That 12 o'clock sun can be murder on the eyes, to a night owl like me! It is light that sets our circadian rhythm and lets us know when it is appropriate to go to the bank or post office (10pm is a no-no, the alarm system frowns on you pressing your face against the glass) and it's the absence of light that produces melatonin that signals us to sleep, hence my candid photo.

Decreases in melatonin production has non funny side effects, such as increasing the risk of breast cancer, by % 50 in women who are late shift workers. Article after article tells us to get 8 hours of sleep AT NIGHT, but what if you can't? Here are some suggestions if you have to sleep during the day-

1. 
   
   Keep the room as dark as possible. Obvious, but sometimes overlooked.
2. 
   
   Keep it as cool as possible. Remember, temperature and light are the 2 things that induce sleep
3. 
   
   Remind everyone to only call if it's an emergency! I turn the house phone off in the bedroom and keep my cell next to the bed. I have family and friends who are very considerate of this, so I am lucky.
4. 
   
   Have a little something in your stomach. You'd be surprised how often hunger can wake you up. And I'm NOT talking platters of Taco Bell here, no matter how much I love the stuff! Half a peanut butter sandwich, some eggs, turkey...a little protein goes a long way although a lot of people recommend complex carbs.
5. 
   
   White noise is a must. I have 2 fans going and that seems to block out any street or neighborhood noise. I have a lot of patients who bring in white noise machines to the sleep lab.

Unfortunately, I am now so conditioned to fall asleep when I hear a box fan running, I am a danger to myself in the fan aisle of Wal-Mart!

No matter what time of day OR night is your usual sleep routine, keep these tips in mind to get the best sleep that you can.

Sweet Dreams- Jane SleepCompass.Com