St. Luke's Gatekeeper December Newsletter

Did you know ...that recent research has confirmed that we don’t really need as much sleep as we get older?

With the early darkness of winter many of are inclined to go to bed a bit earlier and “hibernate”, so we thought sleep would be a good topic for the dark month of December. A study recently published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, said the time spent actually sleeping out of eight hours in bed declined progressively and significantly with age.

Other findings include:

· Older adults need less sleep than their younger counterparts.

· Deep, or slow-wave sleep, decreases with age.

· Older adults are also less likely to sleep continuously.

The older adults woke up significantly more often and spent more time awake after initial sleep onset than younger adults.

Deep, or slow-wave sleep, thought to be the most restorative phase of sleep, decreased with age, the study said. Despite this difficulties, older adults showed less need for a quick nap during the day. According to WebMD there’s a strong bidirectional relationship between sleep and health, which is particularly true of heart conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

What causes sleep problems?

1. A number of things can cause sleep problems. By the time an adult is over 65 years old, his or her sleep-wake cycle may not seem to work as well as it did when he or she was younger. As we age, our body makes less of the chemicals and hormones that help us sleep well (growth hormone and melatonin).

2. Some lifestyle habits (such as smoking and drinking alcohol or caffeinated drinks) can cause sleep problems. Sleep problems may also be caused by illness, by pain that keeps a person from sleeping or by medicines that keep a person awake, things which affect many older adults.

3. However, people of all ages can have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Restless legs syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder are also conditions that can cause problems with sleep.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person stops breathing repeatedly while asleep. People who have sleep apnea usually snore very loudly. They stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds during sleep and then start breathing again with a gasp. This can happen hundreds of times in a single night. Every time this happens it causes the person to wake up a little bit, which disrupts sleeping patterns and makes it hard for the person to get a good night’s rest. It can also cause high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack. If you suspect that you or a loved one has sleep apnea you should consult a physician in order to avoid long-term health issues.

What can you do to sleep better?

· Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.

· Do not take naps longer than about 20 minutes.

· Don’t read, snack or watch TV in bed. Use your bedroom for sleep and other rooms for other activities.

• Avoid caffeine about 8 hours before bedtime. Avoid nicotine and alcohol in the evening. Alcohol might help you fall asleep initially, but it will probably make you wake up in the middle of the night.
• Don’t lie in bed for a long time trying to go to sleep. After 30 minutes of trying to sleep, get up and do something quiet for a while in a different room, such as reading or listening to quiet music. Then try again to fall asleep in bed.
• Ask your doctor if any of your medicines could be keeping you awake at night. Medicines that can disrupt sleep include antidepressants, beta-blockers and cardiovascular drugs, which are taken by many older adults.
• Ask your doctor for help if pain or other health problems keep you awake.
• Try to exercise a little every day. Exercise helps many older adults sleep better

Did you know...

... that eggnog follows a long tradition of milk or cream based beverages called possets, dating from medieval times, though the name itself probably comes from East Anglia in England.

The “egg” part of the name is obvious, as recipes always contain egg. “Nog” is a little mysterious, though it is probably derived from the name of a strong beer brewed in East Anglia which was served in a small wooden cup called a noggin. Since most of the original recipes for eggnog contain a liquor, such as rum, brandy or bourbon, this explanation seems pretty likely.

In Britain, the drink was popular mainly among the well-to-do, those who could get milk and eggs and afford to mix it with brandy, Madeira or sherry to make a drink similar to modern alcoholic egg nog. When available spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg were added to the mixture.

The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century. Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed, rum from theTriangular Trade with the Caribbean was much cheapter than brandy or wine, so it was used instead. The availability of farm and dairy products in the heavily agricultural New World helped eggnog become very popular in America. When the American Revolutionary War came rum became difficult and expensive to obtain so Americans turned to bourbon, a tradition which remains popular today in the South.

One writer, describing his travels throughout North America in the late 1700s wrote: “The American travellers, before they pursued their journey, took a hearty draught each, according to custom, of egg-nog, a mixture composed of new milk, eggs, rum, and sugar, beat up together.

Eggnog has traveled well. Made with rum, it is called coquito in Puerto Rico, where the drink is made with fresh coconut juice or coconut milk. Mexican eggnog, known as rompope, features a heavy dose of Mexican cinnamon and rum or grain alcohol, and the resulting drink is sipped as a liqueur. In Peru, holidays are celebrated with a biblia con pisco, an eggnog made with the Peruvian pomace brandy called pisco.

Despite its universal popularity, commercial eggnog is usually loaded with fats and sugar, before the addition of alcohol. An 8 oz. cup of commercial eggnog may contain as much sugar as 15 packets, and as much saturated fat as a Big Mac. One easy way to manage this is to take a smaller portion, like 4 oz., or add a portion of milk. Or, you could try making your own healthier version using this recipe. Happy Holidays!

Gatekeeper Corner

We’re moving ahead with plans for the Gatekeeper Conference May 13 & 14. Our keynote speaker will be Pam Sloan, MSW, RN, who worked alongside Ray Raschko, MSW, at the original Gatekeeper Program in Spokane, WA. Ms Sloan has worked in mental health for older adults for over 35 years, and is currently the Director of Elder Services for Frontier Behavioral Health, which serves Spokane County. We are really looking forward to hearing her speak.

Do You See a Senior in Need?

Most seniors in our communities live successful independent lives. However, sometimes health or other issues may gradually create increasing isolation which places the individual at risk and threatens their independence. There are a variety of community services available for seniors, but we need your help to make the connection.

When you see behaviors or conditions that cause you concern please call us to make a confidential referral.
1-855-478-5853

Dwight Norwood, PhD, LCSW

Director, the Gatekeeper Program