Shara Rendell-Smock has written more than twenty computer software manuals, numerous newspaper articles, including a monthly health column for The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Practical Ways to Overcome Sleep Disorders - Part 1

A person who stays up at night wondering if there is a dog.

I couldn't help it. Sometimes I have got to open with a joke.

If asked to name four things associated with sleep difficulties, how many do you think you could come up with in one minute? Five? Or closer to fifty?

Webster's defines insomnia as "prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep." One in three Americans, 90 million people, have trouble sleeping. (Sorry, I don't have international stats.) The average adult is chronically sleepy, resulting in decreased work productivity and increased automobile accidents.

Rather than delving into maladies such as chronic fatigue syndrome or apnea, I am focusing on practical ways to encourage sleep.

First Things First: The Mattress

This idea seemed obvious to me after learning the hard way: Check the mattress. It sounds so simple, but investing in the right mattress can make a huge difference in sleeping ability! Because we spend so much time sleeping, our mattresses should be right for us.

A mattress should conform to the curve in the low back. To check whether your mattress is too firm, too soft, or just right, lie on your bed for a couple of minutes, giving the mattress time to adjust to your body weight. Then test two areas - the one supporting your low back and the one under your neck. Slide your hand under your back. Your hand should just fit between your body and the bed.

If you have extra space there, the mattress is too firm for you. If you cannot get your hand in that space, the mattress is too soft for you. You can repeat this test under your neck. My bed used to be absolutely the best. It occurred to me that that was ten years ago. Buying a new mattress and box springs set this year helped lessen some of my sleeping problems. Rotating the mattress every few months helps it wear evenly.

However, because of body weight, the mattress is an individual matter. A mattress may pass the "hand test" for a 100-pound person yet be the wrong mattress for a 170-pound person. Some mattresses now better accommodate two sleepers, providing varied firmness for each half of the mattress.

When buying a mattress, don't be too embarrassed to use this test in the store. Seriously.

Next Week:

Issue # 5
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1997

Osteoporosis

Stats indicate that for those over the age of 50, one of every two women and one in eight men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. Our sedentary lifestyle puts us at risk for this disease. Yet osteoporosis is not inevitable. Here's some information on this disease and how we can prevent it.