American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [13]
A midafternoon nap is another way to make up for insufficient sleep at night. Even a short, 20-minute nap will refresh you and improve your mental performance. Just make sure you finish your nap before 3 in the afternoon; napping later can make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime.
Try the tips on pages 57 and 58; they can help you improve your sleep. If you experience sleeplessness for longer than 6 weeks and these suggestions don’t seem to help, talk to your doctor. He or she may refer you to a sleep center for treatment.
The Body’s Response to Stress
When you are under stress, your body reacts with a cascade of biological responses that begins in a small, grape-sized area of the brain called the hypothalamus. Often referred to as the master gland, the hypothalamus produces many different hormones that tell other glands to jump into action or to quiet down. The hypothalamus communicates to your nervous system to signal the adrenal glands to release adrenaline (epinephrine), a brain messenger that increases alertness and energy and enables you to respond quickly to stress. The hypothalamus also tells a neighboring gland called the pituitary to signal the adrenal glands to release stress hormones (such as cortisol) to enable your body to defend itself. However, over time, if you are under constant stress, these stress-related chemicals (designed to help protect you from harm) can actually turn on your body and be damaging.
Yoga as a Stress Reliever
Yoga is a form of physical activity that helps the body and mind work together to achieve a state of deep relaxation. The practice can lower stress, relieve muscle tension, and increase flexibility. Yoga positions, known as postures, were created thousands of years ago to give the body stability and balance. The deep, controlled breathing that accompanies these postures has a calming effect on the nervous system. The focused attention needed to reach and sustain such postures also helps the mind attain balance. In addition to its physical and mental benefits, yoga has a spiritual aspect that can also increase feelings of well-being.
Western science has shown that yoga produces measurable stress-reducing benefits that can help control conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and asthma. If you are interested in taking a yoga class, contact your local park district, health club, or senior center.
Aging Well
Americans are living longer and healthier, and are more likely to live into their 80s or 90s than ever before. As you grow older, the lifestyle choices you make can either raise or lower your chances of staying healthy and independent well into old age. In fact, your lifestyle choices have twice as much influence as your genes on how well you age and how long you live. Habits that can increase your longevity and improve your quality of life include eating healthfully, exercising regularly, maintaining social relationships, keeping your weight down, not smoking, drinking alcohol only moderately, and keeping your mind active. No matter what your age, it’s never too late to adopt these health-promoting habits and reap their benefits.
Strategies for Successful Aging
The following measures are among the most important things you can do to stay healthy as you age:
• Eat a nutritious diet. Consume a varied diet rich in fiber (foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes) and low in saturated and trans fats, sugar, and salt.
• Exercise regularly. Engage in a combination of aerobic, weight-bearing, and stretching exercises for up to an hour most days of the week.
• Stay connected socially. Reach out to family and friends, join clubs, volunteer in your community, or