Health Essentials
Merits of sleep
The shorter the duration of your sleep hours the shorter your lifespan! Never obstruct your sleep hours.
It is very dangerous. It causes a long chain of diseases which are very difficult and highly expensive to diagnose, treat and cure.
Sleep is a vital component of good health; it helps both your body and mind to function at their optimal level during the day. Anytime sleep sets in it means your entire body has sensed something dangerous within and must quickly put you to sleep to effect the necessary emergency corrections.
Sleep can improve your physical health by maintaining hormone levels that make you full/hungry, support growth and development and repair your muscles.
Similarly, a good night’s sleep can improve your brain function and allow you to pay attention, make intelligent decisions, learn quickly and awaken your creative spirit.
As we age, the amount of sleep your body needs changes.
For example, a newborn baby will sleep 16-18 hours per day whereas an adult should get 8-9 hours of sleep per day without disturbance. People who do not sleep well easily get angry and become very violent. Some people have difficulties with falling asleep and or staying asleep.
One of the best ways to improve quality of sleep is to have a consistent schedule: going to bed and waking up around the same time each day including weekends.
Having a stable sleeping routine will help your body to relax at the end of each day. Additionally take an hour of emotional surgery before you go to bed (relaxing your nerves and reflecting on the good things that you went through that day).
Avoiding aerobic exercise one hour before you go to bed, watching television/computer screen and eating large meals as well as avoiding the complexities of social media at odd hours remain paramount. Following these simple guidelines will help you to feel more rested in the morning.
Some people often feel “sleepy,” fall asleep while watching the television or while having meals. This could be due to sleep deficiency or a very lethal sleep disorder. Sleeping for even two seconds behind the steering wheel whiles driving can easily end your precious life.
Many individuals deal with sleepiness by taking a nap. However, a nap does not provide all of the benefits of a good night’s sleep. It is recommended that naps are limited, but if necessary a nap should be taken earlier in the afternoon before 3:00 pm and for an adult it should not be less than an hour.
If despite sleeping well at night you still feel tired throughout the day then consider visiting a doctor.
The doctor will likely recommend that you keep a sleep diary to track when you are sleeping and for how long. The doctor may also recommend that you have a sleep study to further assess the situation.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The most common sleeping disorder is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It is typically characterised by repetitive episodes of snoring followed by long pauses in breath (called apnea), typically lasting 20-40 seconds. One may experience these symptoms for years before the diagnosis is made.
OSA can be temporarily caused by an upper respiratory infection but can also be a chronic condition.
In adults, individuals with OSA often suffer from obesity. Losing weight can help to resolve the condition.
There are many common symptoms associated with OSA.
They are sleepiness, loud snoring and restless sleep. Once a patient visits their doctor with the common symptoms, a sleep study is conducted before the diagnosis of sleep apnea is made.
If someone is diagnosed with sleep apnea it is treated with a machine called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). CPAP helps to prevent episodes of apnea by pushing oxygen into the individuals’ lungs.
A good relationship with your boss is critical for job success and career development. Supervisors have a great influence on your stress level, your team and company culture, and ultimately, whether you succeed or fail in a role.
They are also your best resource for support, problem-solving, and personal development. Building a strong relationship with them can be transformative for your work experience and professional growth, but navigating this connection can be complex.
Here are some key values and characteristics that will help you along the way.
- Be authentic
It is important to be yourself when building any new relationship. Do not be over-the-top trying to impress or kiss up to a manager. Be authentic and try to build a genuine connection with them instead. This will be incredibly helpful when it comes to dealing with personal issues, having difficult conversations, and building trust.
- Be empathetic and respectful
Bosses are human beings with their own professional pressures and personal lives, so it is important to maintain empathy toward them. Strive to get to know them on a personal level; you do not need to be best friends, but knowing the basics, like their family and hobbies, can be meaningful.
Also, help your supervisor look good. Every leader wants a high-performing and successful team. By developing trust, understanding, and excellent communication, you can help your boss achieve their goals.
- Build trust and add value
Showing initiative will win you big points with almost any boss. Whether setting up regular one-on-ones, volunteering for new projects, or offering help, the benefits of this dedication are twofold.
Proactivity makes leaders feel supported-like you are looking out for them. It also provides opportunities for your individual growth.
Whenever possible, add value beyond the limitations of your job description. Whether you have a special interest or extra capacity, find ways to support your team and relieve pressure. – Source:careers.vikingservice.com
..To be continued
This week I bumped into Deborah, one of my avid readers and I promised her I will be writing this weekend. So Deborah, this is for your reading pleasure and to pick some golden nuggets for the future.
The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself.
Do not take this for granted. It is a form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than you will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
- Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
- one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
- Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
- Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
- Instability – leading to much feared falls
- A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
- Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
- Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
- Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
- Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
- Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
- Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
- Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
- This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
- Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
- Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
- Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
- This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited.
- The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
- Sleep Disorders
- Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
- Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
- Constipation
- This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
- Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reduce the stress that frequent constipation generates.
- Fraility
- Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
- Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
- Polypharmacy
- Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
- Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimise the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Esse
