Inspiration: "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion" Ecclesiastes 9:4. Hope is very important for health. A loss of hope can be fatal, as occurs in traditional cultures with "the pointing of the bone", that is, when a curse is placed on someone. Doctors have to be careful because they can "point the bone" at a patient by giving unnecessary guesses about their state of health, e.g. "I think you’ve probably only got three months to live" (Of course, at times it is appropriate to tell someone their prognosis). Hope is closely related to having a vision or goal for your life. Having no vision can lead to depression and obtaining a vision is one of the therapies for helping lift people out of depression.
Opinion: Tips on getting to sleep. When a teenager I read a book claiming that is was possible to do away with one’s need for sleep and thus provide huge amounts of extra time. My brother read it too. We both tried to put into practice the recommendations, but ended up deciding that we enjoyed sleep too much! Just as well, because sleep is critical to normal brain function.
For most people, the question is not how to reduce sleep, but how to get more. The following is aimed at the practical side of the issue and we will not be discussing too much physiology.
First, it is no use talking about the fine details of sleep promotion if you have major pain, itch, restless legs, bladder trouble or other discomfort that is keeping you awake. You must focus your efforts on trying to relieve the discomfort first. Restless legs are often due to low iron or magnesium. A good quality mattress is very helpful. Electric blankets keep the bed dry which is very important for arthritics. Have the blanket on during the day but switch it off before you get in.
Second, some "obvious" practicalities: Don’t eat big evening meals, don’t eat late at night, don’t have caffeine, make sure you have good ventilation, get direct sunshine on your closed eyes for 10 minutes each day (good for melatonin and Vit. D), make sure your room is dark and quiet (try ear plugs if needed, but beware - they can be addictive).
Next, make sure your sleep culture is healthy. By sleep culture I mean the sequence of events before and as you get into bed. An example of good sleep culture is: gentle 15 minute stroll outside, have warm shower, drink mug of herbal tea while reading relaxing material, brush teeth, get PJ’s on, do a few stretching exercises, say a prayer, check the doors, turn out the lights, get into bed, relax on back with eyes open, roll onto favourite side when eyes get tired and close eyes. An example of bad sleep culture is: Finish dinner at 8:30 p.m. with a cup of coffee, phone up neighbour to complain about his overgrown tree, read the newspaper about the latest terrorist attack and the threat of bird-flu pandemic, shower, change into PJ’s, watch the "Late Night Thriller", lights out and jump into bed.
What about herb teas? They are good as a part of good sleep culture but don’t rely on them to knock you out. I think hops flowers is the strongest, followed by valerian, passionflower and chamomile. Melatonin as a supplement is probably essential for shift workers, pilots and the like. It is available on script in Australia from compounding chemists. Tryptophan can help some. It is present in quantity in pumpkin so pumpkin soup may be a good evening meal for some.
I would reserve hypnotic drugs (e.g. Valium, Temaze, Stilnox) for short-term emergency situations only. They never solve long-term problems. They should only be prescribed in the context of a long term sleeping drug-free plan.
Testimony: The following is part of a testimony from a man named Geoff who "sneaked home" before we had time to get his photograph. He attended for a 4 day programme (5 days inclusive reckoning): "I am writing to wish everyone at Highwood Health a happy and prosperous New Year…The sole reason I attended was to give up cigarettes. Let me say that I was almost an incurable addict, sometimes smoking 40 or 50 cigarettes per day. Some people say that nicotine addiction is as bad as heroin. Besides cigarettes I was drinking 10-12 cups of coffee every day. From the moment I arrived at Highwood to the moment I departed I never gave smoking 1 solitary thought. Your detox programme and strict diet regime works wonders and [the] lectures on health are very benificial. When I departed I felt so good that I never want to return to the unhealthy life I experienced before."
Dorm progress: We estimate that the new dormitory will be ready in 2-3 weeks time. Here are the latest pictures. Painting is in progress.
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