By

Roy M. Arnold, MD
Diplomate American Board of Internal Medicine
21st Century Healthcare, LLC
www.21centuryhc.com
812 402 -2003

More sleep, better sleep. That’s what we all want. Do you have to boost your energy level during the day with caffeine? Do you have trouble falling asleep or trouble waking up when it’s time? Do you have to sleep late or nap on weekends? You can sleep sounder and wake up feeling more refreshed without the use of artificial sleep aids or drugs. This article can tell you how.

An important first step to determining causes of poor sleep habits is to keep a sleep diary for a week. By carefully recording information about your sleep patterns, you may be able to identify ways to improve your sleep. Every day, record the time you went to bed and the time you woke up. Record how long you slept and how restful it was. Make a note of how many times you awakened throughout each night and for what reason (bathroom, noise, cold, hot, etc.) Note how much caffeine you consumed each day and at what times. Record what time and what you ate and drank before retiring each night. Make a note of stress factors that were active in your life each day.

At the end of the week, review the results and identify what factors if any can be corrected by lifestyle changes.

Here are a few tips to help you get more refreshing sleep:

* Make certain your sleep environment is at a comfortable temperature, dark enough and quiet. If necessary, add blinds or curtains, or a white noise machine to block out sounds from outside. Add or remove quilts or blankets as the seasons change to keep cool or warm as necessary.

* Eating a large meal with high fat or protein content, drinking alcohol or caffeine-containing beverages within 4 hours of retiring can disrupt your sleep. Keep your fluid intake low after 8 pm and if you must eat, try a light snack containing dairy, nuts, or bananas. These foods are higher in tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep.

* Certain medications, vitamins or supplements can disrupt sleep if taken close to bedtime. Medications like steroids for asthma, Beta blockers for high blood pressure or diuretics for fluid retention can sometimes disturb sleep. Vitamins B6 or B12 can cause vivid dreaming in some people and should be taken in the morning. Supplements like gensing or guarana are stimulants and can keep you awake.

* Don’t go to bed exhausted or stressed out. Exhaustion or stress can release chemicals into your blood that interfere with sleep. Sit quietly and decompress for 10-15 minutes before retiring after an exhausting or stressful day. If stress or grief is a major factor in your life, consider seeing a counselor to learn about effective ways to manage your life’s challenges.

* Try going to bed at the same time every night, not waiting until you get sleepy. If you have trouble falling asleep, don’t toss and turn. Get up and read, watch a relaxing TV show or listen to soft music.

* Take a bubble bath, or warm shower before retiring.

* Consider using a drop or two of essential lavender oil under your nose before retiring. Studies have shown improved sleep patterns after use.

* Pets in your bed can disturb your sleep. In a recent survey 53% of people who sleep with pets said their pets often disturb their sleep. Let the pets sleep on the floor or in their own beds.

* Undiagnosed Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) can cause you wake up frequently coughing or choking. If you experience these symptoms you could be suffering from undiagnosed GERD. Your health care provider can sort these problems out.

* Is disruptive sleeping by your partner keeping you awake? If your sleeping partner snores, has vivid dreams or limb movement, this can disrupt your sleep.

* Start an exercise program. Try to work out in the mornings or over your lunch break. Exercise can contribute to overall health and well-being but exercise performed right before bedtime can sometimes disrupt sleep.

Certain types of sleep-related behaviors may signal a more serious problem and should be discussed with your health care provider. These include very loud snoring, breathing pauses during sleep, limb movements during sleep, hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up, sleep walking, sleep eating or other bizarre behaviors while asleep, or inappropriate daytime sleepiness. While any one of these may not necessarily be dangerous, they certainly merit further evaluation.

Sleep disorders such as sleep-disordered breathing, or narcolepsy can be diagnosed through a sleep study or other testing and can be successfully treated with medication or continuous positive airway (CPAP) devices worn during sleep.

The above are a few suggestions that often help most people fall asleep faster and awake more rested. They certainly aren’t the only answers. If poor sleep continues to be a problem, by all means consult your primary health provider.

 Acoustic guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel took the stage at the Victory Theatre Friday night and dazzled hundreds of music aficiados with his unique ability to produce the sounds of an entire band all by himself. Emmanuel performed two one hour sets packed with covers of familiar hits from decades past, interspersed with some original music from his latest albums. In between the music, Emmanuel kept the crowd amused with jokes and stories, all told in his native Austrailian accent.

“The Victory Theatre is very please with the community support for the show,” said General Manager Ben Bolander. “It was a true pleasure to have a legendary acustic artist like Tommy to play at the Victory Theatre.

The Victory Theatre continues a slate of upcoming events that include Creed Bratton September 21, “American Pop” (Water for People Benefit) September 26, 1964 …The Tribute October 4, The Bob & Tom Comedy Show October 5, Don Williams October 17, and The Price is Right Live! Stage Show October 26.

The Victory Theatre is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC.

Following up on a highly successful UK tour this summer, Zac Brown Band has extended their live dates to include a stop in Evansville, IN at the Ford Center on Sunday, December 29, 2013.

Demand for the ZBB experience is at an all-time high. The multiplatinum, 3-time GRAMMY Award-winning outfit throw down every night with expert musicianship, hearty Southern rock, and an unparalleled fan experience that’s selling out arenas and amphitheaters from coast to coast.

Their third studio album ‘Uncaged’ (Atlantic/Southern Ground) debuted at #1 with the band’s best first-week sales of 234K copies and followed the band’s triple-platinum major label debut ‘The Foundation’ (Atlantic Records/Home Grown/Big Picture) and platinum #1 follow-up ‘You Get What You Give’ (Atlantic/Southern Ground). Together these albums have produced a historic series of ten #1 hit singles.

The Georgia seven-piece has been lauded by fans and critics alike as a “truly astounding troupe of musicians” with a “staggering display of instrumental prowess” that makes them “one of the best live bands on the planet.”

ZAC BROWN BAND

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 AT 7:00PM

FORD CENTER

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 AT 10AM

Tickets available at:

FORD CENTER TICKET OFFICE

ALL TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS

TICKETMASTER.COM

CHARGE BY PHONE AT 800-745-3000

ZACBROWNBAND.COM | OUTBACKCONCERTS.COM

Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology (ECC/VO), a Tri-State Radiation Oncology Center (TROC), and Deaconess Chancellor Center for Oncology were recently awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

The ACR is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with over 500 accredited sites, and 25 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific practice guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which then provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

“ACR’s accreditation of Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology and Deaconess Chancellor Center for Oncology is a credit to our dedicated team of nurses, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, physicists and radiation oncologists who are committed to providing outstanding radiation therapy treatments to our cancer patients,” said Jon D. Frazier, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of ECC/VO. “We are extremely proud to have received this accreditation and will continue to hold ourselves to an extremely high standard so that our patients receive high quality cancer care.”

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

For more information about the Chancellor Center for Oncology, please visit www.deaconess.com and for more information on the Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology, please visit www.evansvilleradiationoncology.com.