Another interesting one.

[Guest guest]

Here is another article I found kinda interesting....Hope ya'll like it.

Enjoy!

Allicia

Sleep Problems

The Arthritis Sourcebook

Getting a good night's sleep is very important to allow the body to renew,

regenerate, and repair itself. Before going to bed, prepare your mind and

body for restorative sleep by unwinding with relaxation techniques such as

deep breathing, letting go of the worries of the day, reading a book, or

drinking a warm glass of milk or herbal tea (without caffeine or

theophylline, of course). Try to make the time peaceful just before going to

sleep. Take a hot bath or shower and avoid watching violent or disturbing

television just before going to bed. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, or nasal

decongestants containing epinephrine may interfere with sleep. Drink as few

liquids as possible after 6 p.m. so that your sleep is not disturbed to

urinate. The bedroom should only be used for sleeping and sex. Televisions

and exercise equipment in the bedroom are distractions that can disrupt what

should be a peaceful, relaxed environment conducive to sleep. Exercise

regularly but do so at least four hours before you go to bed so that

adrenaline produced during exercise is at normal levels. Eating a heavy meal

in the evening can cause your digestive system to continue to work while you

sleep and may be disturbing. Sleep in comfortable clothes. Very small doses

of antidepressant drugs can improve sleep by increasing the duration of

restorative sleep.

For twenty years I have written articles and spoken about the usefulness of

waterbeds. Why? For one thing, the motion of the water keeps your muscles and

joints from stiffening during the night. The heat from the waterbed also

helps to reduce the pain. Even more important, waterbeds really help you to

sleep better and have less stiffness each morning. Twenty years ago when I

mentioned waterbeds, mothers of teenagers with arthritis raised an eyebrow,

maybe smiled a little, and said, " Sure, get serious. " Their teenagers with

arthritis, of course, had a bright smile from ear to ear because this was the

first benefit they had heard about having arthritis. Visions of 1960s hippies

cavorting with total abandon for hours was in the public's mind. Most people,

including my wife, felt like taking a canoe with a paddle to bed. Others

suffering from motion sickness only lasted a few minutes. The plastic covers

were thin, and vigorous bouncing caused more than one rupture. Watching 30

gallons of water cascade down the stairs is awesome. In fact, apartment

owners refused to allow them for a while.

Most of this has changed today. I once spent an afternoon at a waterbed

store, where I was astounded at how much the technology has improved in

fabricating waterbeds. The beds are not only half as cheap as most mattresses

and box springs, but they also offer features that far exceed anything I

know. Today, waterbeds come in all sizes and shapes and have many options so

you can tailor them to your likes and needs. My favorite is the Tube bed.

This is a king-size bed made of thick, vinyl cylinders each about 4 inches

wide, full of synthetic fibers that run longitudinally from head to foot. You

fill each with water as full or tightly as desired. You can change the

firmness easily, too. This means that your significant other can have his or

her side of the bed as soft or as firm as desired. Even better, there are

individual heat controls for each side of the bed.

I was astounded but not surprised to learn that waterbeds are now used in

some mental health institutions because retarded children sleep better on

them. Rehabilitation institutions as well as intensive care units of

hospitals also use waterbeds to prevent bed sores. Even nurseries in some

hospitals are using them.

So if you're looking for a good night's sleep, I seriously recommend you go

to a waterbed store and try out a waterbed or perhaps an air mattress. A

Gallup poll conducted in 1989 about waterbeds interviewed 300 users and 700

nonusers. They found that back pain and stiffness were significantly less in

waterbed users than in conventional bed users. The number of waterbed users

in the general population was 17 percent at that time, but almost 20 percent

of people over sixty-five years of age use waterbeds! So waterbeds are used

just as much, if not more, by senior citizens to help relieve back pain and

stiffness.