Seems to me that this info makes a good argument for sleeping in :-)!! Seriously though, I'd always known that stress affects cancer in your body, but a good night's sleep?? It makes alot of sense to me.

E.M...would you suggest a melatonin supplement for those of us who wake repeatedly at night?

How Sleep Affects Cancer-Trustworthy, Physician-Reviewed Information from WebMD

Address:http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/74/89362.htm?printing=true

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

Answers

Not getting enough sleep has a detrimental effect on all your body systems so this report doesn't surprize me too much. Night shift workers have higher incidence of just about everything, I think! But I think there are three main reason for that - #1 is that there are a lot of people working nights who shouldn't be; whose bodies can't acclimate like us night owls can. #2 is that those studies do not generally differentiate between people who work a swing shift (2 weeks on days, followed by 2 weeks on nights, for example) and those folks who work straight night shifts. #3 is that too many people who work night shift do not pay attention to what their body is telling them; and they don't work with their bodies to help them acclimate.

I don't need a lot of sleep, but that's just me. I can lie down and go to sleep just about anytime, anywhere - except between 11pm and 2 am. If I don't have to work at night, I need to be asleep by 10:30, or I won't be able to conk out until after 2am. I pay attention to what my body tells me - I get sleepy every night around 10 pm; around 3-4am, and between noon and 1 pm. If I'm at home, I am asleep then - for a nap, or the day. I've also measured the length of my sleep cycle - it's 45 minutes - so that I can figure out when to wake up (set the alarm if I have to be up). If you try to wake up in the middle of your sleep cycle, it will be more difficult than at the end. Therefore, I may nap for 45 minutes, or for an hour and a half. If I'm sleeping, it may be any multiple of 45 minutes - 3 hours, 4 1/2 hours, 6 hours, etc.. I also make sure that I get enough "daylight"; which is a problem with a lot of night shift folks. I sleep in a room on the North East corner of the house, with big windows to each side that have lace curtains that admit a LOT of light.

I know I'm not EM (wait a minute; let me check the mirror...Nope, still Polly!!), but I'd like to put in my two cents worth about Melatonin, or supplements in general, I guess. I feel that before you start taking a supplement, you should be sure that it's what you need - that the lack of it is what is causing you to not sleep well. To do that, you need to #1 - Listen to your body; and #2 - Don't sabotage your body. If you're still having problems after that, then try the supplements; but a supplement isn't going to help you if it's something that you're doing that is sabotaging your sleep. If you are having trouble with waking up at night; try to figure out why. Make a note of what time you go to sleep, what time you wake up, and how often. Note why you wake up - do you have to pee? A noise wake you? A dream? Hot flash? Racing thoughts? Nightgown strangling you? What? Note how long it takes you to go back to sleep. Note what and when you last ate or drank something, and what it was (do this each night before you go to bed); and what you were doing before bed. Then, pay attention to when you feel tired - do you go to bed when you are tired; or do you go to bed at a certain time? Hubs nods off in the family room every night at 9:30pm, but he won't go to bed then, because he wants to watch a certain TV show; then he has trouble falling asleep when the show is over. HELLO!! Tape the stinkin' show and watch it tomorrow, for pity's sake! Make sure that you don't watch anything or read anything too stimulating before going to bed. No leopards chasing wildebeasts or things about murdered kids or stalkers before bed. Need to talk to someone that aggravates or upsets you? - do it earlier in the day, not near bedtime. Don't exercise strenuously before going to bed, but do get enough activity during the rest of the day so that you are tired at bedtime. If sex leaves you wide awake and energized, set the alarm earlier and get frisky in the morning instead. Don't drink caffienated beverages, or alcohol before going to bed. If you're waking to go pee, moderate your intake of certain fluids in the couple of hours prior to going to bed - drink milk instead of water, for example. If you take a daily medication at bedtime, check it out in an online PDR - does it maybe cause insomnia? Do something relaxing before you head to bed - meditate, some types of yoga, relaxation techniques. Try sleeping naked - it lets your body heat and cool itself better. Go pee before you go to bed. Check out your sleeping environment for problems - when we got a new answering machine, I would wake up whenever I would turn to that side. It was the little red message light that was bugging me. Once I put a piece of tape over it so that it didn't glow at eyelid level - no problem. Is there another person in your bed - if so, could they be part of the problem? Do they snore, toss and turn, steal covers? Do they come to bed later than you and disturb your sleep? Are they heavier than you so that your body is pulled out of comfortable alignment (do you roll toward them; or find yourself clutching the edge of the bed to keep from doing so?) Do you need a better mattress - turning a mattress end to end, or placing a piece of cardboard or thin board under it may help. Is your thermostat set different than your partner's? Instead of a blanket all the way across the bed, try using a twin size one on the colder person's side of the bed only. Certain scents can make it easier or more difficult to sleep - some laundry detergents and fabric softeners can keep your senses stimulated to the point that it is difficult to sleep. Check out the position you are in when you wake up; pay attention to how your body feels - muscles tense? Try positioning yourself in the position you normally go to sleep in. Ummm...I'm sure there are more ideas, but these are all I can think of for now (Thank goodness, they say!)

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

Excellent stuff, Polly; I certainly have no more to add!

The thing about the light in the room is very important; there is evidence that the tiniest light (like most people's nitelites) disturb the process of proper rest for one's brain, which is supposedly the biggest reason we need sleep, and that we should sleep in total darkness.

I have taken melatonin at times in my life, but I totally agree with POlly that it's always best to try to discover WHY something is happening than just to treat the symptom.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

Hey there, Polly! Yeah, I know you're not E.M., but I've bugged you so much recently with questions that I didn't want to ask you specifically :-)!!! You've given me soooo much excellent advice!

You covered just about everything in your response. Can't think of anything else to ask...I think that I've got the "sleeping naked" thing down pat (I hate restriction while sleeping!), the "snoring partner" thing (than goodness for a guest room!), and the "no sex before bed" (what's that??). So I believe my problem is related to the stress I've been dealing with over the past summer...and menopause! I know that extra supplements are not a good thing. I enjoy doing a crossword or word search puzzle just before I go to bed. Seems to help. AND...I've just discovered an excellent bubble bath with tea tree oil and chamomile. Love it!! Thanks Polly and E.M.!!!!

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

Last night, I woke Glenn up to tell him that the clock hasn't changed time. He got ticked and rolled over. I was still hallucinating and had to get up to make sure that I was just sleeping and time really didn't stand still. This time of the year is rough on me. I think it is all the leaves because it happens every year about this time. It will last for months, unfortunately. Sometimes I will "wake" up 15 times during the night. I will have the same "dream" over and over again. (Lately it is that I didn't set my body menu correctly and they are coming for me. And who the heck is Bob?)Other times I will know I will have a bad night and just not go to sleep.

Neither melatonin, valarian or lithium helped me. I haven't found a doctor yet who has figured out how to help me with this.

By the way, it seems to run in my family. My mother and sister told me they had it happen. Gary has had it happen to him a few times too.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

How about those cats? Up, down, in, out, cry, feed me, etc.....kirk

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2003

Kirk...I CAN't sleep at night unless I have two or three cats sleeping with me!! Lately, though, they've been waking me up alot with those wonderful sounds of "barfing"!!! I brought in two stevia plants that had spent the summer outside and some of my cats love them :-(! 'Course we all know what happens when cats chew on greenery. I don't believe they're going to last long...not with ten housecats munching on them! Dee...and who IS Bob??

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2003