I’ve been reading a book entitled “Regain Your Brain” by Peggy Sarlin. The tag line for this book is “Powerful New Scientific Discoveries That Give you Back a Youthful Mind.” The first chapter deals with the issue of sleep deprivation and its association with dementia and Alzheimers. I want to share some great information from this book and what we can do on a proactive basis to protect ourselves as much as possible from these diseases. There is still so much we don’t know about these conditions, and I certainly don’t pretend to be an authority. However, it occurs to me that we can take precautions and make some practical choices that could stave off the debilitating long term effects of a variety of health issues.
According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders, an estimated 70 million Americans have sleep problems, and the most common cause of memory loss is lack of sleep.
I’ve learned there are four stages of sleep referred to collectively as a cycle and that it’s important for our bodies to consistently move through each stage to fully reap the healing benefits of quality sleep. A cycle consists of stages 1, 2, 3 (non-REM) and REM (rapid eye movement). Each stage lasts five to fifteen minutes. Thus each cycle lasts about ninety minutes. On average, our bodies move through four to five cycles each night, and the entire cycle has specific restorative powers.
One of the most interesting things I found about this pattern of restoration is the part it plays in a daily nap. It’s suggested we limit that nap to no more than about twenty minutes. To do otherwise, we not only risk being able to fall asleep at night, but it hampers our ability to fully appreciate the restorative qualities available to us in a deep sleep state. A short power nap is said to boost our memory, cognitive skills, creativity, and energy level. It’s also touted to be a way to treat sleep deprivation. Keeping it short is the key.
Not so many years ago, I marveled that my life and the lives of my family seemed relatively carefree. Our children were all in good places with their own lives, in stable relationships, healthy and happily pursuing their dreams. My husband and I had retired and set off to fulfill one of our dreams of being missionaries for our church in a foreign land. Thankfully, we had the means to do that, and our health allowed us to have that choice. I thanked my Father in Heaven often and as a matter of course, asked Him for blessings, of which I am in need. My eternal companion often expressed his love for me, and he honored our vows. Our children showed their love and respect for us as their parents. Our grandchildren showed obvious adoration towards us, and we had an adequate income, a nice home, and many friends. I don’t know what blessings I expected the Lord to give me beyond all this, but I had learned to pray with that phrase being a vital part. That learned order also mandated that I first thank God for all my blessings, which I obligatorily did.
My life is so different these days. Our children have experienced many challenges, and as my husband and I age, we experience health challenges which put strains on our budget. The most difficult thing, however, is the loss of our daughter to cancer.
Eva Fry recently marked her 80th birthday with a grand celebration and she did it with a big smile on her beautiful face and many plans for the future. I managed to get her to sit still for an hour and visit with me about her full life. She’s physically active, keeps herself mentally stimulated and is grateful for her many talents. She’s a singer, a song writer, a champion walker, an author, a pageant winner, a comedienne, a motivational speaker, a dedicated swimmer, a survivor, and a life-long positive thinker.
A recent knee injury slowed Eva down a little. She’s replaced her daily run with power walking and swimming and as the current Ms. Idaho Senior America will participate in the 2019 National Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey slated for the end of October.
My sister asked me to tackle a couple of subjects with blog posts, the first being how my birth position in our family might have influenced the way I handle my role as a grandmother. This is no small feat considering I have a brood close to a couple dozen.
I am the eldest in a family of six children with four sisters and a brother. I use the present tense with these associations even though all have passed with the exception of me and one sister. Breast cancer took our mom when she was but 56 years of age and colon cancer claimed a 42-year-old sister as well as my brother before he reached the age of 60. Two more sisters died within months of each other from Type 2 Diabetes complications. That same condition caused the death of my father when he was 78 years old.
I include this prelude to help you understand that life to me is precious and living a life where quality is as important as quantity is important to me. That said, I decided a long time ago to do what I could to live a healthy life, thus I don’t smoke or drink alcohol. I’ve also been proactive as far as having regular good health screenings with medical professionals. If I could more effectively control my weight, I’m sure I’d be better off.