BOOMER Magazine: August 2019

gel foam, expect about three to five
years before you start to see wear.
Natural materials like latex, cotton,
and wool will give you around 8-12
years of consistent performance
before seeing comparable wear.
As for your sheets, you should
wash them as often as you deem
necessary. If you sweat a lot, [then
wash] more frequently; if not,
bi-weekly or monthly, per your
preference.—European Sleep Design,
sleepdesign.com
Q: How do you keep a person from
tossing and turning all night?
A: Tossing and turning in sleep
indicates frequent awakening,
whether the person is aware of
waking up or not. Addressing the
underlying cause is the answer. In
order to go to sleep and stay asleep,
there are two primary requirements:
The mind has to switch off and one
has to be breathing freely through
the nose. Problems with either one
of these issues will cause frequent
tossing and turning. A busy mind,
rumination, anticipation, problemsolving,
clock-watching, thinking,
and worrying will also result in
frequent awakenings. Aside from
these, there are other common
issues leading to tossing and turning:
being too hot or too cold, aches and
pains, and the need for frequent
urination.—Amer Khan, MD, Sutter
Neurologist and Sleep Expert,
Medical Director of Clinical Quality
for Sutter Independent Physicians
(sutterhealth.org) and Founder of
Sehatu Sleep, sehatusleep.com
Q: What is an effective nap and how
long should it be?
A: Naps can be
a great way of
renewing and
recharging your
energy, allowing
you to enjoy
the latter part
of your day and
be more efficient
and productive.
Unfortunately, our
work culture doesn’t
support the ability to nap. The best
nap is taken about eight hours after
waking up in the morning, which for
most people falls in the middle or
late afternoon. Naps should never be
longer than 30 minutes in duration,
as those can result in grogginess
and feeling sluggish rather than
energized.—Amer Khan, MD, Sutter
Neurologist and Sleep Expert,
Medical Director of Clinical Quality
for Sutter Independent Physicians
(sutterhealth.org) and Founder of
Sehatu Sleep, sehatusleep.com
Q: What are some indicators that I
might have a sleeping disorder and
what do I do about it?
A: Sleeping disorders come in a
variety of forms, but typically, you’ll
know if you have one if you have
trouble falling asleep, staying asleep,
or wake up feeling tired despite
thinking you had a good night’s rest.
The first thing you should do about
this is to talk with a doctor since
sleep disorders can be caused
by medical issues. They can also
be caused by, or exacerbated by,
psychological issues like anxiety,
depression, and trauma.
If you have trouble with sleep, at
the very least you should work on
practicing good “sleep hygiene.”
Collectively, “sleep hygiene” refers to
things you can do to structure better
sleep for yourself. There are lots of
things you can do to better your
sleep, but many of us neglect this
part of our health.
Some key aspects of good sleep
hygiene are:
-Establishing a consistent sleep
schedule.
-Avoiding caffeine after morning.
-Avoiding artificial lights one to two
hours before bed.
-Only using your bed for sleep.
—Joe Borders, MFT, is a therapist
with offices in Roseville and
Sacramento. joeborders.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge_JNGVTSvA
Man on bench photo courtesy of ©Baan Taksin Studio - stock.adobe.com. Other photo courtesy of its respective company or organization.
26 SacBoomer.com | August 2019