08/29/2025
To sleep or not to sleep, that is a humorous way to ask, 'How is your sleep time?' The Movin' Together tool for this broadcast is sleep! Are you struggling with good sleep habits?
I am on Prednisone, so I considered using sleeping pills for the first time in my 74 years of life! But just as I was about to ask my doctor about it, I discovered a book entitled Power Sleep! written in 1998 in my fitness library. You can still purchase the book online. You can enjoy holding a traditional book or a Kindle form.
In Power Sleep, Dr. James B. Maas, a pioneer in sleep research at Cornell University, has developed an easy, drug-free program to enhance your body and mind for an alert and productive tomorrow. In Power Sleep, you'll find:
- The four golden rules of sleep
- Twenty great sleep strategies
- Dos and don'ts of sleeping pills and over-the-counter remedies
- How to combat travel fatigue, including jet lag and drowsy driving
- Tips for exhausted parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers: How to overcome sleep disorders, including insomnia.
An essential and practical book, Power Sleep will help you get the sleep you need to improve your mental and physical well-being quickly and dramatically, and to become a peak performer.
THE FOUR GOLDEN RULES OF SLEEP
1. GET AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF SLEEP EVERY NIGHT. Most adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, individual needs may vary depending on factors such as age, health, and lifestyle.
2. ESTABLISH A REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE. Same time to bed each night with the same wake-up time, even on the weekends. This rule is the most brutal rule for me to follow. I prefer to be more flexible, but it hasn't helped my sleep cycle improve.
3. GET CONTINUOUS SLEEP. If you wake up in the night, stay in bed at first for at least 20 minutes. Then go back to sleep - I have had to train myself to do so. It has taken some practice, but I am getting better at it.
If I cannot get back to sleep right away, I get up to eat foods that help promote sleep, such as watermelon, which contains choline and lycopene, both beneficial for sleep, and helps keep me hydrated to prevent thirst from waking me. However, its high water content may lead to frequent trips to the bathroom, potentially disrupting sleep, so moderation is recommended before bedtime.
The best fruits for promoting sleep include cherries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, and grapes, as they contain compounds such as melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan, which help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Other fruits, such as avocados and strawberries, offer sleep-supportive nutrients like magnesium and antioxidants. Consuming these fruits as a small, healthy snack before bed can promote better sleep.
Studies have shown that consuming walnuts can improve sleep parameters, such as sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and reduced sleepiness. Additionally, walnuts may help regulate the body's natural sleep-wake rhythm. Most of all, when you eat walnuts, resist the urge to remove the outermost layer, the whitish, flaky part. This part of the walnut actually contains 90% of the antioxidants and is considered the healthiest part to eat. Furthermore, be sure to buy raw or organic nuts, not irradiated or pasteurized ones. You will lose numerous health benefits if you buy the wrong kind!
4. MAKE UP FOR LOST SLEEP. New research has shown that you can catch up on sleep by napping, but Dr. Maas recommends doing it regularly for at least thirty minutes.
Sleep is crucial for your overall health, as it enables your brain to consolidate memories, process information, and eliminate toxins. At the same time, your body uses the time to repair tissues, fight infections, and regulate hormones. Adequate sleep improves mood, concentration, and decision-making.
In contrast, insufficient sleep increases the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, weakens the immune system, and impairs both physical and mental function.
Next time on Movin’ Together - Good shoes and stretching!
