Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Friday, December 22, 2017

Not a Creature Was Stirring (Yeah. Right.)

Tis the season for friends, family and celebration... if you're an adult.

If you're a kid, it's more like the season of  uncomfortable holiday outfits, long car rides and seemingly endless family gatherings full of strange looking foods and even stranger looking people.

Compound these disruptions in routine with the decided lack of sleep that kids - much like the rest of us - experience around the holidays, it seems unfair to blame them for their inevitable meltdown, doesn't it?

The holidays are hard enough for kids. Ensuring children get the recommended amount of sleep year-round can go a long way toward ensuring a healthy, happy holiday for the whole family.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF)  recommends the following:
  • 11-13 hours of sleep for preschoolers age 3-5
  • 10-11 hours of sleep for 5 to 12 year olds
  • 9 hours or more for teens

Here are some tips for helping your little ones get enough sleep:
  • Make sure the room is quiet, dark, cool, and uncluttered.
    Bold colors and flashy décor might be a great fashion statement but you want a serene sanctuary.
  • Remove all electronics from the room. 
    Electronic devices are designed to keep the brain engaged, making it more difficult to get to sleep at night. In addition, the light emitted from these devices limits the body’s release of melatonin, which helps us transition into our nighttime sleep cycle.
  • Establish a nighttime reading routine.
    NSF has found that children who read as part of their bedtime routine are more likely to get healthy amounts of sleep.


Friday, November 24, 2017

Rest Up and Stress-Proof Your Holiday Schedule


Marygrace Zetkulic, M.D.
Hackensack University Medical Center
Thanksgiving is behind us, and with just over a month until Christmas, the "most wonderful" (and "most nerve racking")  time of year is in full swing. 

Family. Finances. A tree in your house.

Our holiday to-do list can feel immense when it seems to hit us all at once, and it's commonplace to simply accept our anxieties keeping us awake at night. 

As routine as it may seem, however, losing sleep to stress is unhealthy and counterproductive.

Lack of sleep can contribute to numerous health issues, including higher prevalence of chronic pain, high blood pressure, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and premature aging. In addition to restoring the immune system, adequate sleep  is central to maintaining energy and focus, which are essential for keeping a cool head when confronting holiday stress.

In this time of giving, make sure to give yourself what you need to keep from feeling overwhelmed and stay well rested into the new year.

Here are some tips from Marygrace Zetkulic, M.D., director of Medical Education in the Department of Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center, to cope with and avoid holiday stress:
  • Discuss plans in advance. If you can’t be with one branch of the family for the holidays, breaking the news early can prevent hurt feelings. If you have a child returning from college, don’t focus entirely on his or her visit. This can help prevent the January letdown.
  • Don’t feel you have to perform every holiday activity. Give yourself permission to let some things slide, like that seven-step holiday recipe. Feeling hassled by housework? Ask a friend to help you bake or decorate, then return the favor.
  • Don’t budge on your budget. Small, thoughtful gifts can bring great delights and prevent post-holiday financial woes.
  • Don’t do all your heavy lifting at the mall. Try to move your body every day. Give yourself the gift of a yoga class or exercise video.
  • Have a strategy for handling family get-togethers. For example, plan your polite-but-firm response to that nosy relative with the knack for asking uncomfortable questions.
  • Find a volunteer opportunity or reach out to a relative or neighbor who needs assistance.
“Even if only for a few hours, volunteering can take the focus off your own holiday tasks and remind you how good it feels to help others,” adds Dr. Zetkulic.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Feeling Sleepy? Here are 4 Tips for a Sound Night's Sleep

Adrian Pristas, M.D.
Corporate Medical Sleep Director
Hackensack Meridian Health


When your daily routine involves waking up early, putting in a full day at work, running errands, cooking dinner and tucking everyone in to sleep before finally hitting the pillow yourself, feeling fatigued seems unavoidable.

While a busy schedule may be a given, being exhausted shouldn’t be. You’ve probably heard the analogy about how you have to take care of yourself first before you can most effectively take care of anyone else. But how can you do that when you have so much going on? One word: sleep.

GETTING THOSE QUALITY Z’S
“Not getting consistent or enough sleep can affect your daytime functioning, including your ability to deal with unexpected, changing situations and distractions,” says Adrian Pristas, M.D., Corporate Medical Sleep Director, Hackensack Meridian Health. “It also impacts your capacity to evaluate risks. You want all of that in tip-top working order, which means you need restful sleep. These four small tips can have a big impact on making that happen.”

Keep your room like a cave. You want it to be quiet, dark and cool — somewhere between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for most people. Stay away from alarm clocks that give off a sleep-disrupting light.

■ Develop a sleep routine. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Yes, even on the weekends. That can be difficult, but it will help keep your internal body clock on schedule.

■ Set a sleep mood. Having a bedtime ritual can signal your brain and body that it’s time to unwind. Maybe it’s drinking a cup of herbal tea, practicing a breathing exercise or putting a hot water bottle at your feet, which dilates your blood vessels and pushes your body toward an optimal temperature.

■ Limit caffeine consumption. Caffeine even six hours before bedtime was found to significantly hurt sleep in a recent study. Similarly, alcohol is a stimulant; it’s recommended that women have no more than one drink a day, and not too late in the evening.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH BEING A LITTLE TIRED?
About a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep (at least seven hours per night), and the number has only been growing over the past 20 years. There’s no doubt that pressure to be a do-it-all mom exists, but make sure doing it all involves getting your 40 winks. Sleep deprivation can lead to an increased risk for:

■ Cardiovascular disease
■ Some cancers, such as breast and colorectal cancer
■ Car accidents
■ Work-related injuries

Dr. Pristas advises, “If you’re struggling with sleep, see your doctor, who might refer you to a sleep specialist. Everyone deserves a night of sweet dreams.”

Did You Know?
About one-third of the population has trouble sleeping. To find a location where you can seek treatment from our board-certified sleep medicine physicians, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org/Sleep.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep?


What your kids do during the night has a huge impact on their daily lives.

Sleep plays a key role in mental, physical and emotional health, from infancy through teen years.

Now, experts at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine have reviewed the research and arrived at a target slumber number for each age group.


Healthy Rest Offers Many Rewards

New guidelines published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine advise the following daily sleep totals:
  • 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours
  • 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
  • 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
  • 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
  • 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours

“The right amount of sleep helps kids learn well, behave and feel happy,” says Lewis Milrod, M.D., director of Pediatric Sleep Medicine and a neurologist at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital.

“Adequate rest also wards off health problems like high blood pressure, extra weight and heart issues.”

It's normal for kids to resist  bedtime. Help ease them into a healthy sleep routine by remembering the following guidelines.
  • Modeling: Kids learn by watching you. Show them you value sleep and they’ll start to understand its importance.
  • Routines: “Keep sleep, waking, naps and play around the same time every day,” advises Dr. Milrod. “And develop soothing night time rituals, such as reading.”
  • Screen-Free Time: Ban phones, TVs and tablets from kids’ bedrooms.
"Make it a rule to shut them down at least 30 minutes before bedtime," Dr. Milrod says.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Fighting Fatigue

We all have them now and then, those days when it seems like we’re dragging a tractor behind us - from the moment we step out the door.

While healthy lifestyle choices such as daily exercise and proper nutrition are still the most effective tools for combating daytime fatigue, finding yourself continually tired through the day could also be a compelling case for sleep apnea – a potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by interrupted breathing patterns during sleep.

Sam Bebawy, M.D., Bayshore Community Hospital, who specializes in pulmonary disease and sleep medicine, recommends that anyone struggling with daytime sleepiness, excessive snoring and/or unexplained tiredness talk to their doctor about scheduling a sleep study. This non-invasive, overnight exam utilizes electrodes to monitor key elements of sleep impacted by sleep apnea, including sleep stages, breathing rate, snoring and sleep disturbances.

 “Sleep apnea that is not treated can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, especially heart attack and stroke,” Dr. Bebawy says. “Not only are you making the patient feel good by treating it, you are preventing a serious condition from setting in or getting worse.”

Read more about sleep apnea, Dr. Bebawy, and one patient's sleep study experience in the May/June edition of Hackensack Meridian HealthViews.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Health Experts: A shut-eye starved child is nothing to sleep on

A good night's sleep is as important to your child as a hearty breakfast. Without enough shut-eye, children are more likely to struggle with their school studies, do poorly on the playing field, and suffer depression.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), children are getting less than the recommended amount of sleep over a 24-hour period. This can make it tough for your child to solve problems and memorize lessons, which can lower grades and self-esteem.

Sleep-starved kids are also more easily frustrated and fidgety. A child's sleep trouble affects the whole family. Parents who are up coaxing a child to bed are robbed of their own valuable sleep.

The best cure is a consistent bedtime schedule. Stick to a bedtime that permits this amount of nightly sleep:
  • 11 to 13 hours for a 3- to 5-year-old child. Preschoolers often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Children this age also are more likely to have nightmares and sleep terrors, and to sleepwalk.
  • 10 to 11 hours for a school-aged child. Schoolchildren spend time with TV, computers, and the Internet, all of which can erode time for sleep. This age group also may be drinking caffeinated beverages that can affect the ease of falling asleep at night. Watching TV just before bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep and may create resistance or anxiety about bedtime. Too little sleep can lead to mood swings, and behavioral and cognitive problems.
If the current bedtime for your child is too late, move it 15 minutes earlier each night, until you reach the desired bedtime. Tuck resisters back into their own beds, promptly and repeatedly, until they get the message that you expect them to get to sleep on their own.

Sound Advice for Sound Sleep

  • Unplug : Turn off TVs, computers, and cell phones. Better yet, keep such things out of the bedroom, which should be a stimulation-free zone.
  • Wind down: Start the transition to sleep with dimmed lights and a warm bath; end with reading a book. Avoid watching TV just before bedtime.
  • Decaffeinate: Drinking any caffeine during the day can affect sound sleep. Caffeine is found not just in coffee and cola, but also in tea and chocolate.
  • Decompress: Overbooked kids who rush from band practice to dance class to dinner to homework may be too keyed up at bedtime to unwind. Experts recommend one activity per season.
  • Get help: If, despite these measures, your child still resists bedtime, has nighttime awakenings, or snores, talk with your doctor.
The sleep experts at Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital can help determine if your child has a sleep disorder, or another type of neurological condition. Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital offers the region's first pediatric sleep program, backed by research and dedication from our physicians and nurses. Learn more here.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Adrian Pristas, M.D., Medical Director of Meridian's Sleep Medicine Program, hits the WOBM airwaves


Adrian Pristas, M.D., Medical Director of Meridian's Sleep Medicine Program, now part of the Hackensack Meridian Health family, hit the WOBM airwaves recently to talk about how a good night’s sleep is important for maintaining overall health and well-being.

During the interview, Dr. Pristas was asked how someone might distinguish the occasional poor night's sleep from a potentially serious sleep issue posing legitimate health concerns.

"Everyone is allowed about 15 minutes after waking up in the morning to feel a little grumpy, groggy. But in general, you should wake up in the morning feeling pretty good," Dr. Pristas says. "You should be waking up most days feeling alert and well rested. If you're not; if you're consistently tired throughout the day or find yourself nodding off in the afternoon, that could be a red flag."




To learn more about Meridian Centers for Sleep Medicine, please visit MeridianWellRested.com or call 844-GetURZZ.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Join us for 'Power of an Hour' Nov. 5 at Freehold Raceway Mall


It’s the gift that comes once a year - an extra hour of precious sleep. You’ll hear few complaints when that biannual ritual known as daylight savings time comes to a close, but if you are truly looking to wake up refreshed with more energy to face the day, you might want to rethink spending that extra hour in bed once the sun comes up.

Join us at Freehold Raceway Mall on Saturday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to noon for our second annual Power of an Hour event. This interactive and fun event is designed to help you maximize that extra hour of sleep, so you can wake to a brighter tomorrow.

From nutrition tips and relaxation techniques, to designing a healthy sleep environment, our sleep experts will share the tools and latest advances in sleep medicine that will help you seize the night…so you can seize the day. This event is free, so register today by calling 1-800-DOCTORS.

Register here, and for more information, please visit: MeridianHealth.com/TunedIntoYourHealth.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Healthy Sleep: First of Five 'Pillars of Health and Wellness'


We know that healthy sleep is one of the key components of integrative medicine, but at its essence, what does "integrative" health really entail?

Lori Knutson, RN, BSN, administrative director of Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine, recently stopped by  94.3 The Point to help answer that very question.

"When we talk about integrative health and medicine, we're talking about an umbrella term for all of the complimentary therapies that we bring into conventional medicine," Knutson says. "We call it 'integrative' because it's a combination of traditional Western medicine and other treatments such as massage, acupuncture, movement therapy, and more."

Sleep is one of the "five pillars of health and wellness" comprising the essence of Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine, along with nutrition, activity, resilience and purpose, according to Knutson.




Listen to Knutson's interview with 94.3 The Point to learn more about Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine and the five pillars of health and wellness.

Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine is a comprehensive health and wellness program designed to foster healthy alignment of body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit MeridianIntegrativeMedicine.com.


Monday, July 25, 2016

Your Cell Phone: The Good, the Bad, and the Happy Medium


Keys? Check.

Wallet or purse? Check.

Personal, pocket sized, all knowing, all powerful super computer? Check.

If you’re like many adults in the U.S., you don’t ever leave home without your smartphone.

These mobile marvels can connect people all over the world, entertain them, and boost productivity into the stratosphere.

Thanks to the seemingly cosmic expansion of 21st century technology, we can now talk to anyone, learn anything and transport anywhere in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

However, because smartphone technology is relatively new, the positive and negative impact these modern marvels may have on long-term health is largely still a mystery, and this realm of seemingly superhuman connectivity could be coming at a price, gradually grinding away at some of our most fundamental human needs.


The Good

Smart phone apps can be global-positioning devices, music players, game consoles, and even pocket sized personal trainers.

Your phone may help you eat better. You may already have a favorite website or app for healthy recipes. But you can also use your phone to record the foods you eat — much like a food journal. It’s easy and convenient, and one study found that people who used their phones instead of paper and pen for this purpose were more likely to stick with their diet plan.

Your phone may keep you moving. You can use it to track your physical activity. Research shows such apps are quite accurate in their step counts and distance measurements. They can also motivate you with instant feedback and goal setting. What’s more, people who use their phones to listen to music while they exercise report liking the activity more.

Your phone may help lower stress. In just a few clicks, you can download soothing music or nature sounds. Or try some yoga. Its physical movements and breathing techniques may help you relax.


The Bad

Despite its seemingly superhuman capabilities, your smartphone may not always be good for you.

Your phone can be a distraction. Whether driving or walking outdoors, pack away your phone. You are less likely to pay attention to your surroundings when using it. And your reaction time won’t be as quick. You may want to skip it while exercising, too. Although music may energize you while working out, talking and texting have been shown to reduce exercise intensity and duration.

Your phone may make you anxious. Keeping up with social media, text messaging, and other alerts can be overwhelming. In fact, one study of a group of college students found heavy cell phone users were more likely to be anxious and unhappy. They also tended to have lower grade-point averages.

Your phone may disrupt your sleep. Just like a television or computer, your phone’s glowing screen may keep you up at night. Such artificial sources of light can mess with your body’s natural sleep cycle. Plus, constant alerts can interrupt your slumber.

The Happy Medium

With a small computer always in your pocket, it can be hard to disconnect. Too much phone time may cause physical problems, too. Try adjusting your phone use with these healthy habits:

Turn your phone off at night. Or at least put it on mute. Also limit the amount of screen time before bedtime. Playing games or texting may make it hard for you to relax.

Take frequent breaks.
Too much texting or similar activities can cause overuse pain in fingers and wrists. Your eyes can also become strained from looking at the screen too long.

Turn down the sound.
If you use earphones or ear buds to listen to music from your phone, a loud volume setting can quickly damage your hearing.

Plan some no phone time.
Nearly half of smartphone users say they can’t live without their phones.


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

To Nap, or Not To Nap?

With 3 out of 10 U.S. adults now clocking in 6 hours of sleep or less per night, it makes sense that daytime napping would be a viable solution for recovering some of that lost slumber.

Sleep is essential for your mind and body. It keeps you alert and focused. It helps cement memories. It may even boost your immune system, protecting you from illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Given the benefits sleep can impart, napping should be a no-brainer for better health, right?

Unfortunately, the research has doled out mixed results. For instance, napping may relieve stress and improve alertness. It may also be good for your emotions. One study found napping may thwart negative feelings like frustration and impulsiveness.

But daytime napping may have a dark side.

Some past studies suggest napping may shorten your life. That may be especially true if you nap for more than 1 hour a day. One possible reason for this connection: People who nap more may have an undiagnosed health condition. Napping has been linked to diseases such as diabetes and depression. Or people who nap may simply not sleep well at night — a serious hex on your overall health.

More research is needed to fully decide if napping is a boon or a bust for your health. But it still may not be the best way to make up for lost slumber. Why? Naps don’t give your body enough time in deep sleep. That’s the most restorative stage of sleeping.

Yet, many people all over the world enjoy napping on a regular basis. For example, siestas are a daily ritual in Mediterranean countries. And experts recommend naps for people who work the night shift, suffer from jet lag, or have narcolepsy — a sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.

If you want to take a daytime nap, here are some tips that will help you better catch that extra shut-eye.

Friday, March 4, 2016

From A to ZZZZZ: Dr. Ash Visits TODAY to Launch Sleep Awareness Week


In honor of the National Sleep Foundation's annual Sleep Awareness Week, a seven-day celebration of sleep health kicking off for 2016 on March 6, Carol Ash, D.O., Director of Sleep Medicine for Meridian Health, dropped by TODAY to help answer the question, "What's keeping you awake?"

According to Dr. Ash, upwards of 60 to 80 percent of Americans aren't getting the essential seven hours of sleep per night - the minimum needed to avoid long-term health consequences.

So what is keeping us awake at night? According to Dr. Ash, the answer could be right outside your window.

"There was a study recently done at Stamford, which looked at 16,000 people over eight years," says Dr. Ash. "They found that those living in communities of 500,000 people or more found it much more difficult to get the sleep they need."

So... what's the solution? Watch Dr. Ash's TODAY segment below to find out.

Friday, February 26, 2016

CDC Study Examines Social Patterns Among Healthy Sleepers


Featuring Carol Ash, D.O.
Director of Sleep Medicine
Meridian Health


Inadequate sleep has been linked to conditions that include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, anxiety, and depression.

Now, with an increasing number of Americans stressing more and sleeping less, the need has never been greater for us to challenge traditional answers to an age-old question: What is really keeping us up at night?

According to a recent CDC report, 35% of U.S. adults are getting less than the essential seven hours of sleep, and 12% of Americans are sleeping less than five hours per day. The report includes a demographic breakdown of healthy sleepers in each of the 50 states — revealing patterns which beg further questions about the nation’s sleep epidemic.

These trends hint at deeper, social connections to this potentially life threatening health condition, and they are a further reminder that the difficulties that Americans struggle with during the day don’t simply disappear when the lights go out.

Key points from the CDC’s findings include:
· Lack of sleep is more prevalent in urban, densely populated areas
· Married and unmarried couples get more sleep than people who are divorced, widowed or separated
· People with a college education get more sleep
· The unemployed have the lowest average of healthy sleepers (51%)

“Look at the trends, and then ask yourself ‘Why?’ What’s the connection?” says Carol Ash, D.O. “When we’re fighting to make ends meet — whether it’s due to unemployment, poverty or problems with a spouse — it plagues our mental, physical and emotional health. People need stability, and when we’re struggling with economic and/or social turmoil, the stress, anxiety and depression can be overpowering, even when the lights go out.”

Dr. Ash believes the solution lies in a push toward education and an emphasis on every day, healthy minded practices. She credits groundbreaking research initiated in 1965 involving nearly 7,000 residents of Alameda County, California, which concluded that sleep was one of seven health habits, a.k.a. the "Alameda 7," revealed to be key determinants of good health and, ultimately, a longer life.

“The key is education on the importance of simple, everyday lifestyle adjustments, empowerment from the knowledge that, yes, you are in control,” Ash says.

Simple behaviors proven to have a positive impact on sleep include:
· Eat healthier
· Exercise. 30 minutes a day is optimum, but starting at even less is still a start.
· Mindfulness and/or breathing exercises
· Maintain a consistent bedtime and wake up time

Read the full CDC report here for more information.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Lack of Sleep Increasing Among Single Parents

The engine of family is sacrifice - prioritizing our schedules, our interests, often even our own health, to meet the needs of those who depend on us the most.

And nobody understands these sacrifices more than single parents.

However, a new study reveals that single parents - mothers in particular - are undercutting their own long-term health in favor of more immediate family demands.

As reported on Huffington Post and NJ.com, single parents - mothers in particular - consistently have both the least and lowest quality sleep, 43 percent of single moms and 37 percent of single dads, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

According to Huffington Post, this study is especially important as the increasing number of single-parent households continues to rise, and while traditional health studies about single-parent families have tended to focus on the well-being of children, experts are increasing their attention toward the adults in the equation.

NJ.com also noted that, when it comes to sleep, women seemed to come up short across the board.

"Women of all family types were more likely than men, in the same family type, to have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and to frequently wake feeling not well-rested," according to the CDC survey. 

You can access the complete CDC report here.


Thursday, December 31, 2015

Top Health Stories of 2015: Preventive Medicine News Evokes Unmatched Response


As another year passes on into our rearview, so too arrives the opportunity to look toward a new year full of bold challenges and uncharted horizons. Before we set off on our journey toward a healthier, happier 2016, let's look back on some of our most popular stories of the year, courtesy of our own Meridian Health experts.

Sleep Well, Wake Healthy

In November, nationally renowned sleep expert Carol Ash, D.O, director of sleep medicine for Meridian Health, was the keynote speaker for “Power of an Hour.” The free event, held at Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, focused on the ways sleep habits can impact (and be impacted by) stress management, fitness, diet and overall health.

“We are dealing with a health crisis right now,” Ash said. “Sleep is the backbone of your health.”

Watch video from the event here.

Light Up Your Life

2015 was a year of adversity in many forms, challenges we all felt the brunt of in some way. When adversity seems insurmountable, it’s all too easy to be overcome by stress, anxiety and depression - serious health conditions with potentially life-threatening consequences. On November 18, Stacy Doumas, M.D., director of education for the department of psychiatry at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, hosted a special inspirational event in which she shared tips for maintaining mental and emotional strength in the face of adversity. Read Dr. Doumas’ piece, “Light Up Your Life: Celebrating Your Life, Helping Others & Finding Hope.”

Changes to Mammography Guidelines

In response to the American Cancer Society’s revised mammography screening guidelines, Denise Johnson-Miller, M.D., FACS, medical director of breast surgery for Meridian Health, offered several important points to keep in mind when considering these new recommendations. Read Dr. Johnson-Miller’s article here.

Mighty, Mighty Metabolism

Weight management and the obesity epidemic continued to dominate headlines in 2015. In March, Alexandra Woodrick, M.S., weight management coach and clinical exercise specialist at Meridian Fitness & Wellness at Jackson, contributed a piece for Meridian Weightless that helped explain the relationship between weight loss and body metabolism.

Read Alexandra’s article here.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Don't Let Holiday Stress Keep You Awake at Night

With Thanksgiving less than a day away, and just a month until Christmas, we're once again reminded how quickly "the most wonderful time of the year" can also become the most stressful.

Family. Finances. A tree in your house. Holiday stressors can feel immense when they all seem to hit at once, and in today's society, it's almost commonplace to simply "give in" to our anxieties keeping us awake at night.

According to a recent article in the New York Times,  Why Sleep Matters, nearly a quarter of Americans don't get enough shut-eye because they're too busy “concentrating on things."

 As commonplace as it may seem, however, losing sleep to stress is unhealthy and counterproductive.

"Lack of sleep can contribute to numerous health issues, including higher prevalence of chronic pain, high blood pressure, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and premature aging," says Carol Ash, D.O., Director of Sleep Medicine for Meridian Health.

In addition to restoring the immune system, sleep is vital to the energy and focus necessary to handling the life's most stressful situations head on. To break the stress-insomnia-stress cycle and get to sleep when your mind is in overdrive, Dr. Ash recommends a few different techniques.

"Find a cause. Studies show volunteering and pro bono work helps create external focus and connects us to others," Dr. Ash says. "These types of commitments help people find purpose and meaning in life, which can help eliminate racing thoughts at night."

"For a more immediate solution, try deep breaths," she adds. "Mindful breathing helps you relax and clear your mind prior to bedtime."

Friday, October 23, 2015

“Fall back” without falling back



It’s the gift that comes once a yearan extra hour of precious sleep.


You’ll hear few complaints when that biannual agrarian ritual known as daylight savings time comes to a close at 2 a.m., Sunday, November 1.

But if you are truly looking to wake up refreshed with more energy to face the day, you might want to rethink spending that extra hour in bed once the sun comes up.

"There is a clock in your brain. That clock keeps your internal environment in sync with your eternal environment, and the most important signal for that clock is the light," says Carol Ash, D.O., Director of Sleep Medicine for Meridian Health. “That internal clock isn't flexible enough to adjust quickly to the time jump, she said.

If you truly want to maximize the benefits of that extra hour, the tried and true rules of healthy sleep still apply: Go to bed at a reasonable hour, get the best sleep you can, and get up when the sun comes up.

When it comes to "resetting" that internal clock, Dr. Ash recommends natural, cost effective alternatives to over-the-counter sleep medications, which she calls "short term solutions to recurring problems."

One potential remedy Dr. Ash lists is mindful breathing, an elegant solution for alleviating stress and achieving deep rest.

Dr. Ash adds that by making just a few changes to adapt the right sleep habits, you can create the feeling of having an extra hour not just once a yearbut every day.  

On November 7 at The Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, Dr. Ash and a team of Meridian Health experts will present “The Power of an Hour,” a morning devoted to helping you sleep better, eat better, stress less, and develop lifelong habits to create a healthier, better-rested you!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Decoding Your Dreams

Carol Ash, D.O., director of Sleep Medicine for Meridian Health, recently stopped by the Fox & Friends studio to discuss the meaning behind some of our most common dream-time scenarios, including being chased, being cheated on by a partner, and more.

So what do they all mean? Watch Dr. Carol Ash on Fox & Friends below and find out! Be sure to visit MeridianHealth.com/Sleep to learn more about the Meridian Centers for Sleep Medicine.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Test Your Sleep IQ

A healthy night's sleep — we all know we need it, but not all of us get it. When we're under pressure and time is of the essence, it's the first thing we're willing to sacrifice to get the job done. 

Few of us would think twice about burning the midnight oil for the sake of productivity. But at what cost?

How much does a healthy night's sleep really matter? Take the quiz below and find out!
  1. Rapid eye movement (REM) is the deepest stage of sleep, when most dreaming occurs. On average, how frequently does REM occur throughout the night? a.)  4 times
    b.)  3 times
    c.)  2 times
    d.)  1 time
Take the rest of the quiz here!