1. I will work with, not against, my body’s natural sleep/wake process.

2. I will not assault my natural sleep/wake process with excessive stress and schedule disruptions.

3. When I can’t fall asleep at night and can’t wake in the morning, I will consider that I may be a night owl and adjust my schedule accordingly.

4. When I spend an adequate amount of time in bed, but either don’t sleep well or am still tired, I will seek diagnosis and treatment for potential sleep disorders.

5. When I am faced with too many things to do, I will choose sleep before chores.  

6. When I am tempted to ‘do something’ rather than sleep, I will remember that sleep offers countless physical, mental and emotional benefits.  

7. When someone asks me why I am wearing my pj’s, I will say “this is really my Success Uniform!”

Here’s another resolution to consider – get more sleep!

For many of us, this may be as unattainable as some of the other resolutions. In fact, in giving time to some of our other resolutions, we may even be increasing our sleep debt.

However, if you make sleep more of a priority, you’ll find that your other goals will be easier to achieve. When you are well-rested, you’ll have more energy for exercise. You’ll be in a better frame of mind to make better food choices. Most importantly, with better sleep, you’ll be better able to manage your wieght because your natural hunger suppression mechanism will work as it should.

Another resolution to consider if you are not sleeping as well as you would want is to finally take that step and seek the advice of a sleep specialsit. The majority of people who have sleep problems never tell their physician because they don’t believe that a ’sleep’ problem is a medical or health problem. As a result, 90% of people with sleep disorders have never been diagnosed.

This New year, resolve to get the sleep you need to be healthy and in so doing, you’ll be better able to achieve your other important goals and resolutions.

David Meece was sleepy in school all the time because his father’s abuse resulted in disrupted nights or saw the family sleeping in the car. (see www.associatedsleepservices.com/events) But his is not the only such story. In his book, hockey player, Theoren Fleury describes the abuse he suffered at the hands of his hockey coach and the impact it had on his sleep.

“(he) insisted that I sleep over at his house at least twice a week ….. I would get absolutely no sleep. None. I was on guard. …… I would drag myself to school the next day and fall asleep in class.”  “I let him do what he needed to do to get it over with so I could get some sleep. I needed to function the next day.”

Shame and fear often prevent these children from telling anyone anything about what is happening to them. It is critical that adults who interact with these sleepy children consider not just sleep disorders, but other situations which may be efffecting the child’s sleep.

If these children are not saved from the abuse or dysfunction, many of them will find that in adulthood they experience an on-going insomnia. They find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.  Even though they may have been removed from the abuse for many years, the years of being ‘on-guard’ during the night has effectively programmed to continue being ‘on guard.’  The insomnia can also be associated with unresolved emotions associated with the abuse.

Watch for vulnerable children. They really need an adult who crusades on their behalf. Help them to have a ’safe place to sleep.’

If you are, you likely know the importance of sleep in making you look beautiful. During sleep, cells are nourished and regenerated. Those who get enough restfull sleep tend to have fewer wrinkles and generally look younger, especially if they don’t smoke.

This effect of sleep on appearance is especially noticeable if one hasn’t slept well for a few days. If this extends to weeks or years, one looks older and less healthy.

Now the beauty industry has jumped on this as a handy marketing ploy. Olay started the trend with its advertisements for a night cream. The copy stated “Put some muscle into your beauty sleep. (Use our night cream.) Wake with firmer, more beautiful skin.”

Though women have for centuries employed night creams for hands, face and body, the beauty industry is now finding many other opportunities to ‘push product’ for night-time use. Though they recognize the advantage of getting the most out of the natural restorative process that is sleep, they have also found another avenue for promotion. Time. When you are very busy with work and family, it may be difficult to find time to get to the salon. No problem. Simply apply these products while you sleep and voila!

There has been an explosion of products for use on the hair at night, while other products for night-time use include teeth whiteners and self-tanners. Beauty sleep has taken on a whole new meaning.

 Sleep!

 If you succumb to the seasonal flu or to H1N1, you will be spending a lot of time in bed, sleeping, because this is the way the body does its healing work.

 However, if you wish to prevent getting the flu in the first place, consider getting sufficient sleep during flu season. Sleep supports the body’s immune system and gives us the best chance of dealing with whatever viruses come our way. If you are getting 6 or less hours of sleep on a daily basis, it is important that you start getting between 7 – 8 hours of sleep daily.

 If you are getting vaccinated, remember that sleep on the day of the vaccination, and the day after, are critical for ensuring the effectiveness of the vaccine. This requires that you get sufficient sleep on these days. Without sufficient sleep, the vaccine will not be as effective. You could be wasting time and money if you think that you’ve gotten the vaccination and that’s all you need to do.

Strategies for Health and Well-Being

Get at least 7 – 8 hours of sleep on the day you receive your vaccination.

Avoid overtime that compromises the opportunity for sufficient sleep during flu season.

If you are having a company-wide vaccination day, promote a ‘sleep-in’ for the next day.

Micheal Jackson was like millions of others who experience sleep problems because of the stress and the demands of their work. And like the millions of others, he was desperate to get the sleep that was eluding him.

But unlike others, Micheal’s status and position allowed him to access strategies that go far and above anything that would normally be considered safe. Even Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger didn’t go to the lengths Micheal Jackson did, but they were still consuming multiple drugs in hopes of a good night’s sleep.

Micheal Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith  and heath Ledger may be extreme examples, but they are only three of the millions of people all over the world who are desperate to get a good night’s sleep. Any doctor can attest to the number of daily office visits which centre on  ’sleep’ or ‘insomnia’. Anyone who has ever compiled workplace health data can attest to the high number of respondents indicating that they are tired and would like to sleep better.

Are you desperately seeking sleep? To what lengths would you go to get some sleep?

Here’s what some hotels are doing to help travellers get a good sleep.

Radisson Hotels have rooms available with ’sleep number’ beds so that you can create the surface that is most comfortable for you, whether you like the mattress hard or soft.

The Hilton Garden Inn offers a ‘garden sleep system’  by Natural Form. This is a self-adjusting mattress that relieves pressure points for a more comfortable sleep.

Most hotels are happy to provide you with a choice of pillows, but you will need to ask.

Most of us, do not know anything about the value of sleep and its implication for our health.

If we do have a sleep problem, we discount it (everybody’s busy, everybody’s tired).

Or you may be like the person who has been treating symptoms for 25 years, but has never been diagnosed to determine the root of the sleep problem.

More importantly, we don’t tell our physicians about our sleep problems.

If you don’t tell, it’s likely that your physician won’t ask either. The ‘sleep question’ has yet to become a regular part of a medical evaluation.

As a result, people remain undiagnosed and untreated.