HEALTHY TIPS

WELL WOMAN CARE

The Importance of Sleep

Women today lead busy lives, often bouncing from work to ferrying children to activities, to racing through housework. Such schedules lead to long hours, and often not enough time for sleep. But sleep is crucial to physical health. Sleep is the body’s restorative time; it allows you to recuperate from the day’s demands. Sleep helps your immune system stay strong so you can fight off illness. Recently, studies have shown that getting enough sleep can help you avoid weight gain. Sleep-deprived people tend to fill up on sugary and fatty snacks in an effort to boost their energy levels, and such activity frequently leads to extra pounds.

What are the risks of not getting enough sleep?

People who are continuously sleep deprived are at risk of suffering from more frequent illnesses, getting into car accidents, suffering on the job accidents, having difficulty at work (difficulty concentrating or not performing to required standards), and gaining weight. Some studies have shown a connection between chronic sleep-deprivation and heart disease and diabetes.

At the least, constantly feeling tired can put a strain on relationships and social activities.

How much sleep should you get?

Seven to nine hours according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center.

How can you ensure a good night’s sleep?

There are several guidelines to help you get your zzzzs.

1) Make getting to bed on time a priority. You set timeframes for other activities, try to have a consistent bedtime and a consistent waking time. This will “set” your body’s clock to a certain sleep rhythm.

2) Keep your bedroom reserved for sleeping or intimacy. Computers, work-related items, or things relating to household chores (baskets of laundry, ironing boards) should be kept elsewhere so you aren’t reminded of things to do.

3) Keep your bedroom cool and dark at nighttime. These conditions promote sleep.

4) Avoid exercising too close to bedtime. Exercise energizes you and can make it hard for your body to “shut down” at bedtime. Try to get your workouts in at least four hours before bedtime. (That said, getting regular exercise can help you sleep better. Exercise burns off stress and gives the body a “good” kind of tiredness. Just exercise in the daytime or early evening.)

5) Similarly, start to wind down your mind as bedtime approaches. Put work and chores aside and find something relaxing to do. Listen to soothing music, read a book.

6) If you are easily disturbed by sounds, invest in ear plugs or a white noise machine.

7) If you have trouble nodding off, the old adage about trying a glass of warm milk actually has some merit. Milk and milk products contain a natural element that can promote drowsiness.

Remember, you cannot “make up” sleep. Sleeping extra long one night won’t make up for several nights of little sleep. Similarly, sleeping late won’t help if you constantly burn the midnight oil. Your body responds best when it consistently gets a decent amount of sleep during a regular time period.

If you frequently have trouble sleeping, or often wake up feeling tired, speak to your doctor. These issues can be signs of a medical condition. Your doctor may also be able to advise you about some simple changes in behavior that can help you sleep better.

Obstetrical Tips

Smoking and Your Baby

People smoke for a variety of reasons--to calm nerves, to impress, to lose weight, and out of boredom. Whether those reasons are good or bad doesn’t matter. What does matter is this: If you smoke and you are pregnant, you put your unborn child at risk. Every puff you take, your baby takes--and he or she doesn’t have a choice. With every drag on the cigarette, your baby’s life and health hang in the balance.

Cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. These chemicals affect the health of the mother, and can endanger her pregnancy and affect the health of the baby. A pregnant woman who smokes is more likely to have the following incidents occur:

An ectopic pregnancy (An ectopic pregnancy is one in which the fertilized egg grows in a place other than inside the uterus; often it will grow in the fallopian tubes. An ectopic pregnancy cannot go to full term.)

• A miscarriage
• A stillbirth--a baby who is born dead
• A pre-term baby--a baby who is born before 37 weeks
• Vaginal bleeding, which can weaken the viability of the placenta
• Problems with the way the placenta attaches to the uterus
• A baby with low birth weight (weighing less than 3.5 pounds at birth)
• A baby who dies of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of any infant or young child that is unexpected and for which the cause of death is unknown.

Mothers who smoke also have a higher risk of developing a major disease, such as:

• Lung cancer
• Cancer of the cervix
• Bladder cancer
• Heart disease
• Chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis (With emphysema the elasticity of the lungs is destroyed. With bronchitis, the patient suffers persistent coughing and shortness of breath.)

If you smoke now, quit. The sooner you quit smoking, the better your chances for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and a better future for you and your baby. Your doctor can help you quit. There are a variety of programs and treatments that can make your efforts easier. You may even be able to use the nicotine patch while you quit. There are risks to using the patch during pregnancy, but the risk of heavy smoking may be greater.

If you do quit while pregnant, congratulations! Then do yourself and your child a favor--make sure you quit for a lifetime. If you can quit for a few months, you can quit forever. Even secondhand smoke is harmful to a child. Do it for your baby; do it for you.

For more information about the
Center for Women’s Health,
call (207) 324-2146.