If You DON'T Snooze, You LOSE!!!

At the World Conference of Christian Counselors, I went to a lecture with the above appropriated title. Having insomnia since early infancy, I was a little sceptical about the information to be presented. I have tried just about every option in the insomniacs personal stash: a new high tech mattress, velvet blankets, pillows, noise machines, fans, awesome pjs, warm milk, sleep drugs in every category known to man, tea, baths, meditation, prayer..you name it- it's right here. In addition to trying everything, I have also paid for psychiatrists (with much success I might add), talk therapy, muscle testing, holistic medicine... the works. You get the idea.

So here it was, 8:45am. I was loaded with coffee walking into a lecture on sleep. Dr. Lyles was blessed with a humerous outlook that helped all of us stay focused on not falling asleep! Here are some of the most profound facts:

If you sleep under 4 hours a night here is what happens to your body:

• Decrease in: mood, cognition, vigilence/reflexes, pain tolerence, immune function, glucose metabolism, pulmonary functions, growth/thyroid/prolactin/leptin hormones, seizure threshold


• Increase in: blood pressure, inflammatory ctokines, eveing cortisol, caloric intake after one night of deprivation.


• Every night you sleep under 4 hours a night.....IT TAKES 3 DAYS TO RECOVER!!!!!!

Psychiatric Disorders & Sleep

• Anxiety: Initial( can't fall asleep)/middle (wake up in the middle of the night) insomnia (50% GAD patients). Bedtime Worry/Tension


• Mania: Decreased need for sleep and decreasded total sleep time. Insomnia is predictive of relapse into mania.


• PTSD: Nightmares, Increase REM density, inability to maintain sleep.


• Panic Disorder: nocturnal panic attacks.

Depression & Sleep

• 20% of insomniacs have depression


• Sleep disturbance and fatigue are predictive of future depression


• Increased rates of relapse in remitted depressed patients with continuing sleep disturbance


• Initual (can't fall sleep), middle (wake up in the middle of the night) or terminal insomina


• Atypical depression goes into hypersmonia


• Single night sleep deprivation may temporarily decrease depression (a nap reverses it).

Fibromyalgia

• Diffuse musculoskeletal pain, chronic fatigue, non-restorative sleep and tender points in the muscles


• Unique presensce of Alpha waves during NREM sleep, esp. stages 3 & 4


• Highly associated with depression


• Treatment of sleep disorder is a core priority

Sleep Hygiene to Enhance Nighttime Sleep

• Avoid naps during the day


• Regular bedtime and rise times


• Avoid non-sleeping time in bed


• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, or caffiene


• Minimize exercise near bedtime


• Maximize bed comfort and room temperature


• Elimiate light and noise


• Get out of bed if unable to initiate sleep and try again later


• Avoid mental work near bedtime

Sleep: If You Don't Snooze: You Lose- Michael Lyles, M.D. Notes, Powerpoint. As seen from AACC World Conference, 2009.

Flat Brained Alligators

Flat Brain Syndrome
Peterson hit in me in the head when I read his book about listening better. In Chapter 4 he mentioned 'flat brain syndrome.’ This is where your system goes nuts with trying to interpret mixed emotions during times of stress. He states that our stomachs overload on past pain and send ‘stomach pangs’ as messages to our hearts. What really hit me was his section on our hearts turning into bricks. “ Any ability we had to use heart talk, to share and be open with each other morphs into put-downs, absolute statements, and resistance” (Petersen, 2007, p. 25). I usually have a lot on my mind and am not the type of person to openly share too much. When something is really bothering me, I tend to clam up and become a little cold towards others. I’ve done and said some irritating things when my heart turns into a brick, but it is usually because of the internal dialogue that is happening. What should I do about this? I should open up to the right people in order to not ‘stuff emotions’ which results in a ‘brick heart.’ Internal emotions are better out than a spontaneous blow out. Recognize your signs of stuffing.

Alligators
Peterson talked about how the ‘alligators’ nip at our heals when we’re in a stressful situation. In normal times, we could converse in a proper way with sharing our feelings. However when we put off telling the other person how we feel or what to do, stress and false emotion gather. We start to build a ‘grudge’ and talk to ourselves internally about how the other person may not care, listen, or is lazy. The longer we wait to speak out our feelings, the bigger the alligator gets. When deadlines and activities approach, eventually we have to speak up. However, we do it with an alligator on our heals causing absolutes and negatives to blurt out. “A good listener removes alligators and secures a setting where talkers can focus on clearing their swamps” (Petersen, 2007, p. 95). How many of you are ‘emotional bottlers’? This is one of my worst issues. I have to shoot the alligators (metaphorically) and start to converse within a safe situation in order to successfully relate my message as well as listen to others.

Petersen, J., (2007). Why Don't We Listen Better? Oregon: Petersen Publications.