"Trouble Sleeping? Tips that May Help"

"There are no sheep keeping Mari A. company at bedtime. Rather, she counts thoughts of layoffs, mortgage payments and plummeting stocks. Her insomnia started back in November, when the economy hit a critical low. Restless, she manages to fall asleep but wakes up in the middle of the night and is unable to drift back into a slumber. Instead of lying in the dark, she gets up and reads the newspaper or watches television as a retreat. "It's difficult," says the Oakland, Calif., resident, who wished not to disclose her last name to protect her job stability. She hasn't seen a doctor because she says she knows what her problem is. "These issues are a big part of my life, so I just try to stay positive. It's all I can do."

According to the National Sleep Foundation's latest Sleep in America Poll, about two-thirds of adults experience trouble sleeping at least one night a week, while almost one-half report sleep problems almost every night. And that research was culled before the recession was official. As the economy worsens, those numbers will most likely increase, according to sleep medicine experts. For starters, those at Stanford and the University of California San Francisco report waiting lists of up to two months. While that's not entirely unusual, they are hearing complaints from existing patients that the economic crisis is an additional stressor and is exacerbating their current sleep problems or causing their insomnia to resurface.

Most patients have an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, says Christine Won, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at UCSF Medical Center. "They complain about a lot of anxiety, mind-racing and an inability to relax and unwind," Won says. "I can only assume that the more our economy is in turmoil, the bigger toll it will take on our sleep." People's ability to triumph over their recession-induced insomnia depends on how effective their coping mechanisms are and how much control they have over their finances, she adds.

Ironically, research has yet to prove why we need sleep. Some studies suggest a purging of chemicals; that the body somehow resets itself overnight in slumber mode, Won explains. But we know that a lack of sleep results in a lower immunity, cognition and emotional health. And fragmented sleep has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Prolonged insomnia can also lead to or increase chances of anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.

Before you visit a doctor, consult this checklist on good sleeping habits from the UCSF Sleep Disorders Clinic:
• Sleep as much as needed to feel refreshed during the following day, but not more. Spending excessive time in bed is related to fragmented and shallow sleep.
• Waking up at a consistent time in the morning strengthens sleep cycles and can help you fall asleep at similar times each night.

• A steady, daily amount of exercise may deepen sleep. Do not exercise right before bedtime.
• Occasional loud noises, such as traffic and airplanes, disturb sleep even in people who are not awakened by noises and cannot remember them in the morning.
• Excessively warm rooms can disturb sleep.
• Hunger may disturb sleep. So, a light snack such as milk and cereal or a turkey sandwich, may help. Both contain tryptophan, an ingredient that promotes sleep.
• Caffeine in the evening disturbs sleep, even in those who feel it does not. Avoid caffeinated beverages at night.
• Alcohol helps tense people fall asleep more easily, but the resulting sleep is more fragmented. Avoid alcohol before bed.
• If you feel frustrated because you cannot sleep, do not stay in bed. Get up, turn on the light and do something different, such as reading or doing simple crafts. Once you are sleepy again, go back to bed."

- http://www.contracostatimes.com