Cognitive behavioral therapy can help insomniacs get a good night’s sleep.
Madonna admits: “I’m a workaholic. I have insomnia.” Seems the lady who crooned “Bedtime Story” (“Let’s get unconscious, honey”) hasn’t discovered how to get 40 winks. And then there’s 21-year-old golfer Jordan Spieth, who rented two houses in Augusta, Ga., last spring — one was just for sleeping — but still had a restless night before the final round of the Masters.
We bet they, and the 72 million other adults in North America who’ve battled insomnia, wish they could find a safe, effective way to fall and/ or stay asleep. Well, the good news is that you don’t need sleeping pills (every user experiences some negative side effect). Researchers at Australia’s Melbourne Sleep Disorders Center found that four to six once-aweek training sessions using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is safer than medications and gets better results. Seems the therapy’s sleep-enhancing practices let you fall asleep 20 minutes sooner, on average, and sleep 30 minutes more each night. That’ll avoid the insomnia hangover that can leave people feeling grumpy and fuzzy brained.
It works by reducing anxiety and negative thoughts about sleeplessness; improving your relationship with your bedroom; and restricting how much time you spend in bed. It also teaches you mind-body relaxation techniques. To find a cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner, go to sleepfoundation.org; search for “Choosing a CBT for Insomnia Specialist.” And for best results, make a point to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, to eat healthfully and keep digital distractions out of the bedroom.
Combat obesity starting in preschool
Norman “Chubby” Chaney seemed amusing in the “Our Gang” comedies of the 1930s and ’40s as an overweight child (he was 3 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 113 pounds). In part, it was because there just weren’t many overweight kids then. Today, nearly 18 percent of kids ages 6-11 are obese, as are 21 percent of those 12-19! Obesity is common, and not funny, especially when it comes to children.
A lot of factors contribute to this epidemic (hormone disruptors in receipts and plastics, changes in your intestinal bacteria due to processed foods, the digital sit-and-stare-at-a-screen revolution, inner-city environments, high-fructose corn syrup, sugary drinks). It can seem hard to keep your child from becoming overweight. But a recent study from Seattle Children’s Hospital might indicate a good place to start: in your preschool.
Researchers found that U.S. preschoolers get only around 48 minutes of active play a day, when they should be getting two hours or more. And this contributes to everything from being overweight to learning and behavior problems. But when preschoolers play actively indoors (remember duck-duck-goose?) or run around outside for even an hour a day, behavior and learning improve, and so does naptime.
So if your child is in day care:
• Help arrange for parent volunteers to come play active games with the kids.
• Set up excursions to local parks where kids can explore and play.
• Provide day care workers with activitybased CDs or videos that will get kids up and moving.
The dumb and dumber duo of sugar and fat
Jim Carrey (Lloyd) and Jeff Daniels (Harry) were “Dumb and Dumber” (or maybe it was the other way around) in the 1994 movie that showcased how ignorance could be bliss — and mildly amusing. While it was a hit, it left moviegoers wondering how two characters could be so half-witted. Well, researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute have the answer: by eating a highsugar, high-saturated-fat diet.
We’ve long known that artery-clogging saturated and trans fats, and inflammation-producing added sugars and syrups damage your cardiovascular and immune systems. Now it’s clear that the sugar- and saturated-fat-laden diet of most North Americans slams the brakes on cognitive flexibility, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and think on your feet. And there’s more: The study found that a highsugar diet also dims shortand long-term memory.
Why are added sugars and unhealthy fats so brain-dulling? The research showed that they alter the way your gut bacteria communicate with your brain! Healthy, happy gut bacteria release compounds that act as neurotransmitters, which stimulate sensory nerves and other biological functions. But they can’t run smoothly if there’s a lot of sugar and saturated fat disrupting their fuel lines. In lab-based research, it took just four weeks for mice, eating saturated and sugar, to become dim-witted.
So stay sharp. Avoid life-shortening sugars and fats in processed foods as well as saturated fats in red and processed meats. Because, as Lloyd says to Harry: “Life’s a fragile thing, Harr. One minute you’re chewin’ on a burger, and the next minute you’re dead meat.”
Contact the You Docs at realage.com.