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t F Wednesday, September 24, 1997 COMMUNITY CALENDAR • LIFESTYLES • SPORTS • COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENCE • TV LISTINGS A Last Look at Summer A field of sunflowers bobbing in a light breeze was a sight area residents and visitors could enjoy on Bragg Road and the Third Concession northeast of Bowmanvillc last month. The cheerful flowers arc just one of the crops the Bragg family grows as part of a birdseed business. Having Same Trouble Sleeping like a Baby? You're Not Alone. But Help's Available Here in Clarington by Jennifer Herr Staff Writer Are you tired of being tired? Is counting sheep just not doing the trick? You're not alone. Technicians at the Bowmanvillc Sleep Disorder Unit on King Street are seeing about 18 to 20 people a week who are experiencing the same problem. Technician Heather MacCormack says types and degrees of sleep disorders disorders vary. And though stereotypically, it's a problem problem plaguing middle-aged men, the Unit sees patients from infants on up. Patients complaining of HOLD STILL - Heather MacCormack hooks up a dcvocc that is used when a patient comes into a sleep disorder clinic. The machine monitors how a person moves, breathes, and snores during sleep. The Sleep Disorder Unit in Bowmanvillc sees about 18-20 people a week. daytime fatigue, or who fall asleep at unusual times, are often referred to the Unit by family doctors. The patient is first asked to chart sleep activities for a two week period - naps, bedtimes, wake up times, etc. They then go into the clinic for a study, where they are set up with electrodes electrodes and breathing monitors. monitors. From the information gathered, doctors are able, to assess what the problem is, and help solve it. MacCormack says a common sleep interrupter is sleep apnea. During the night, the person stops breathing, as an airway collapses. "Every time it happens, they are cutting off their air supply. They need to wake up to get another breath," says MacCormack. Sleep apnea is controlled controlled by a device known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), ■ which consists of a mask worn ■ over the nose and connected by a hose to a small air pump unit, By transferring air at a slightly higher pressure to the airway, airway, the CPAP keeps the airway open during sleep. Another problem frequently frequently encountered by people suffering fatigue is insomnia. MaeCormack says ridding a person of that problem is often as simple as suggesting "good sleep hygiene". This could include keeping to a regular sleep schedule or removing some objects from the bedroom, "The bedroom should only be used for sleep, and you should only go there when you're ready to sleep," says MacCormack. Good sleep hygiene can also be accomplished by ensuring you wake up at the same time each morning, morning, getting exercise during during the day, avoiding caffeine caffeine and strenuous exercise exercise after the late afternoon, afternoon, taking time to relax before bed, and taking a warm bath. Senior citizens often complain of not sleeping through the night, says MacCormack. The prob lem can be as simple, as going to bed earlier than is necessary. Because older people require less sleep, the body's internal clock, known scientifically as the Circadian Rhythm, wakes them up, often before dawn. While the symptoms of sleep disorders can often be alleviated through sleeping pills or tranquillizers, tranquillizers, MacCormack says coming to the sleep lab for a visit may be the best way to get rid of the problem forever. "A sleep study is the best way to relieve or diagnose diagnose the problem," she says. "We have a lot of success." success." The following tips are recommended recommended to help you get a good, sound, sleep. 1. Avoid stimulating activity just before the sleep period. 2. Do not go to bed until you arc drowsy. 3. Get up at the same time each morning, including weekend mornings. 4. Do not take naps. 5. Curtail or eliminate the use of alcohol; no alcohol should be consumed consumed less than two hours before bedtime. 6. Curtail or eliminate the use of caffeine. Caffeine should not be consumed after 4:00 p.m. 7. Curtail or eliminate the use of nicotine; do not smoke within four hours of retiring. 8. Exercise regularly but avoid strenuous physical exertion after .6:00 p.m. 9. A light carbohydrate snack (for example, crackers and milk) may promote sleep, particularly in those who tend to cat most in the second half of the day. 10. The sleep environment should be comfortable, but not too warm, with minimal levels of light and noise. m:r.\ : Hi ' _ by Jennifer Herr |Staff Writer t With people turning more and more toward the earth in search of cures, Bowmanvillc Naturopath Dr. John Hawrylak says there arc many natural ways to rid patients of sleeping problems. Dr. Hawrylak says when a patient complains of falling asleep only to wake up later in the night, he first looks at what time they wake up. Then, he checks what organ system is most active at that time of day, based on the body's 24-hour clock. From there, he is able to form a diagnosis and prescribe prescribe naturopathic remedies remedies for the sleeping problem. problem. Often, parents bring children children to the Bowmanvillc Chiropractic and Naturopathic Clinic when the younger members of the family are having trouble sleeping. "If the child is hyperactive, hyperactive, I look at their diet. Sometimes they are eating things that arc full of sugar, or things they are sensitive to. Sometimes it's more a matter of eliminating something something from their diet," he says. For adults, Dr. Hawrylak says, it's important not to drink caffeinnted beverages, such as coffee, or take B-vit- amins after 6 p.m. Both can stimulate the system, causing causing sleep interruption. He also says it's inadvisable to use alcohol as a sleep-inducing sleep-inducing agent. But the problem can often be cured through homeopathic remedies. "There's a certain percentage percentage of the population (hat needs medical intervention. intervention. But often, you enn go into the history of the person and sec what is causing it," he says.