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7| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,F ebruary 22,2018 theifp.ca Furnace Air Conditioning Gaslines Boilers Water Heaters Radiant Heating 905-877-3100 proud local dealer of Canadian made products .ca • Truck Accessories • Upholstery • Heavy Equipment Glass •Window Tinting 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1655 Wehandleall insurance work. We handle all insurance work. To book this space call 905-873-0301 To book this space YOUR AD HERE! There's one part of being in my 60s that can be an- noying - not being able to sleep at night. For years now, I've maintained that the prob- lem isn't being old, but more because we've spent a lifetime without sleep. As teens, we were out all night, socializing, hanging out with friends. As young married couples, we were awake all night... well, you know. As a result, we became parents, and were up all night looking after babies. And once those babies became teens, we were awake all night waiting for them to come home with the family car. So by the time they fi- nally moved out, we'd spent so much time being de- prived of sleep, well, the ex- planation is obvious - we've simply forgotten how. All kidding aside, get- ting up in years seems to be a time when that precious thing called sleep tends to allude us. My problem is brain overload. My mind refuses to shut down and allow me to drift off. There was a time I'd take that qui- et time in the dead of the night to 'problem-solve,' thinking out things that needed to be solved. But that wore thin after a few years, and now that I've solved all the problems in the world, all I want is a good night's sleep. After a recent spell of sleepless nights, I started research- ing to find out what aids sleep. For me, the killer is caf- feine, be it in coffee, tea or any soft drinks with the name 'cola' at the end. And chocolate, of course. The Sidekick, on the other hand, could stop by Tim Hortons at 11 p.m., chug a massive double- double, and still have no problem sleeping, only mo- mentarily pausing as her head hits the pillow, before nodding off. Not me. I gotta lay there for an hour or so, to think of reasons for NOT going to sleep. In an effort to uncover that Holy Grail of slumber land, I began researching what makes one sleep, fo- cusing on foods in particu- lar. It seems, the best foods to eat are leafy green ones, like salads and green vege- tables. Makes sense, after all, did you ever see a rabbit that didn't sleep soundly? Second on the list were whole grains, like whole wheat, brown rice, and oats which are supposed to have a calming and soothing ef- fect on the nervous system and the mind. The 'bad' list suggests staying away from the obvi- ous - caffeine fixes, and anything spicy. They also said to stay away from alco- hol - wine, beer, and spirits. They stimulate, not dull the brain. I decided to give it a shot, and for a couple weeks, I've tried to eat by the 'book' so to speak, to see if I can make it through six or sev- en hours without tossing and turning half the night. The first night, I was somewhat incredulous, as I headed off to bed at 11 p.m. I hardly heard a thing until 6 a.m. Not bad. The next night was pret- ty much the same. Either I was totally ex- hausted and had to catch up, or there's something to this concept. Bit by bit, I'm finding that eating a sensibly for dinner, instead of some- thing spicy, might result in a better night's sleep. I also consume a glass of cold milk (not hot) during the course of the evening. No tea or coffee, and no soft drinks. Of course, my research is far from exact, and might only be specific for me. But you know what? It's helped. However, one thing con- tinues to bug me. The Sidekick can still knock back her half-gallon of Timmy's, and be out like a light in seconds. And dammit I envy her. - Ted Brown is a freelance columnist for the Indepen- dent and can be reached at tedbit@hotmail.com. OPINION Your are what you eat and sleep what you eat Getting a good night's sleep takes work, laments Ted Brown TED BROWN Column THE WAY WE WERE It's hard to imagine over 100 years later, but just before the turn of the century you could go fishing in downtown Georgetown. As shown in this photo from 1890, Lawson's Trout Pond was located on the corner of Main and James streets. Across James Street was H.P. Lawson's Planing Mill, and it was he who stocked the pond with trout. The boardwalk shown in the foreground was on Main Street. Information courtesy of Heritage Halton Hills. Esquesing Historical Society