Sleep tips: 7 Steps to Better Sleep

You're not doomed to toss and turn every night. Consider simple tips for better sleep, from setting a sleep schedule to including physical activity in your daily routine.

Feeling crabby lately? Or simply worn out? Perhaps the solution is better sleep.

Think about all the factors that can interfere with a good night's sleep — from pressure at work and family responsibilities to unexpected challenges, such as layoffs, relationship issues or illnesses. It's no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.

Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.

No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There's a caveat, though. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.

No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual

Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.

Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime interferes with sleep.

No. 4: Get comfortable

Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.

No. 5: Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the midafternoon.

If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt your daytime sleep.

No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.

No. 7: Manage stress

When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.

Know when to contact your doctor

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve.

This article was originally published on mayoclinic.com

Providing Support to a Family or Friend Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

There will always be an initial state of shock for most patients. Some may feel a sense of anger of what has happened. The most worrying state to be in is to be in the state of denial, where patients may refuse treatment. But generally, most will come to an acceptance of the illness and accept appropriate treatment.

After diagnosis, a comprehensive discussion of the treatment plan needs to be discussed with the patient. First of all, we need to stage the patient, that is, we need to do some imaging to ascertain if the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Following this, we need to decide if the patient should go for upfront surgery to remove the breast, or if the patient need some treatment, such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy to optimise the condition prior to surgery. 

With modern surgical techniques, surgery is not disfiguring as one would imagine. Depending on the type of surgery, there may also be an option for breast reconstruction which can produce good results. When a patient is undergoing chemotherapy, there may be a possibility of hair loss but this is only temporary.

The diagnosis of cancer and the treatment that one has to undergo is often a daunting experience for many. As a family or friend, it is important to provide emotional and moral support for the patient. I would try to avoid offering medical advice as this may confuse the patients. If the relative or friend is keen to know more, it is best to accompany patient to the treating physician and discuss. With the availability the internet, patients and relatives have easy access to information about medical conditions but often these information are misinterpretated or misconstrued. Hence, my advice is just to be sensitive to the patient’s feelings and needs, lend them a shoulder to cry on, and offer a listening ear if necessary.

The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer have evolved to offer treatment with lesser side effects and minimal disruption to patients’ lifestyle. When the patient undergoes surgery or chemotherapy, they may feel slightly more lethargic than usual, limiting their activities but this is a temporary problem. One’s appetite may be affected during chemotherapy and therefore we encourage food with more nutritional value. We advise everyone, not only breast cancer patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle of exercise, food consisting of more fruits and vegetables and abstain from alcohol and smoking.

Common Myths about Breast Cancer

Myth 1: All breast lumps are cancerous.

This is not true. About 80% of breast lumps are usually benign (non-cancerous). The important thing is to get it evaluated, and catch it early if it is truly something serious. It is also important to note that sometimes breast cancer may manifest as skin changes such as skin irritation, redness or dimpling, breast pain, nipple retraction (turning inward) and nipple discharge

Myth 2: Annual mammogram exposes one to too much radiation.

The radiation used in mammogram is very small. Any associated risks are minimal compared to the potential benefits that it can offer to detect breast cancer. Mammograms can detect lumps before they can be felt or noticed and the earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of survival. All women should undergo a screening mammogram every year, starting from age 40.

This article was contributed to Tab A Doctor by,
By Dr Wong Chiung Ing, Medical Oncologist, The Cancer Centre, a subsidiary of the Singapore Medical Group

 

Types of Wounds

ABRASIONS – Abrasions are made when the skin is rubbed or scraped off. Rope burns, floorburns, and skinned knees or elbows are common examples of abrasions. This kind of wound can become infected quite easily because dirt and germs are usually embedded in the tissues.

INCISIONS – Incisions, commonly called cuts, are wounds made by sharp cutting instruments such as knives, razors, and broken glass. Incisions tend to bleed freely because the blood vessels are cut cleanly and without ragged edges. There is little damage to the surrounding tissues. Of all classes of wounds, incisions are the least likely to become infected, since the free flow of blood washes out many of the microorganisms (germs) that cause infection.

LACERATION – These wounds are torn, rather than cut. They have ragged, irregular edgesand masses of torn tissue underneath. Thesewounds are usually made by blunt, rather thansharp, objects. A wound made by a dull knife, for instance, is more likely to be a laceration than an incision. Bomb fragments often cause laceration. Many of the wounds caused by accidents with machinery are lacerations; they are often complicated by crushing of the tissues as well. Laceration
s are frequently contaminated with dirt, grease, or other material that is ground into the tissue; they are therefore very likely to become infected.

PUNCTURES – Punctures are caused by objects that penetrate into the tissues while leaving a small surface opening. Wounds made by nails, needles, wire, and bullets are usually punctures. As a rule, small puncture wounds do not bleed freely; however, large puncture wounds may cause severe internal bleeding. The possibility of infection is great in all puncture wounds, especially if the penetrating object has tetanus bacteria on it. To prevent anaerobic infections, primary closures are not made in the case of puncture wounds.