Humans need sleep like food. Much as with recipes, there are many elements that make for good, joyous sleep. Just as a checklist won’t make you a great chef, this checklist may not give make you a great sleeper. But every little bit helps. 1. My sleep place is as cool, comfy, dark, safe as […]
Depression Is a Systemic Illness – Let’s Treat It That Way
Too Many Are Depressed Depression is one version of hell on earth, and Americans have a lot of it. A recent international study run by Evelyn Bromet of 18 countries found America near the top, with 19.2 percent of the population having experienced depression — only France, at 21 percent, ranked higher. With our tottering health […]
Is Depression Making Me Sleepless, Or Is Insomnia Making Me Depressed?
Common and Connected Depression and insomnia are common and possess common symptoms. Some estimate that 30% of Americans will eventually experience clinical depression, and perhaps 40% of adults complain that many or most nights they don’t get enough sleep, wake too often, or feel unrested on awakening. So which is chicken and which egg? Or are […]
How Much Sleep is Too Much?
Is it true that sleeping more than eight hours a night hastens your demise? People certainly think so. Several years ago a national TV news reporter asked me if it was true, because after working shifts “I go home and sleep for ten or more hours, will that shorten my life?” A recent article in Journal of […]
Recovering Lost Sleep
The American Sleep Disorders Association recommends American adults get seven or more hours of sleep each night. Many don’t. Between work, children, cellphones, aging parents, more work, illness and overall stress, lots of folks get a whole lot less sleep than they want. They need sleep recovery. So they sleep in over the weekends, or […]