Getting Enough Sleep

As we get older, we sleep less deeply than younger people. This causes many of us to complain of being tired. Is there anything we can do about this? The answer is "probably."

First, don't sit down right after a meal. If you do, you are more likely to doze off. Naps make you less likely to sleep deeply at night. Instead, get some mild exercise if your doctor approves. Often people report sleeping better once they begin exercising. They also have more energy during the day. But don't exercise too hard right after a meal or too close to bedtime. Second, eat smaller, more frequent, low fat meals. Large, heavy meals make you feel sluggish. They also increase your risk for heart burn. The extra calories may also add to your waist line. Extra pounds increase the chance that you will have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a dangerous sleep disorder that causes snoring, high blood pressure and breathing problems. It wakes you up and makes you less able to concentrate and remember things during the day.

Of course the real culprit in many people's diet is tea, coffee and other drinks containing caffeine. You may be able to consume these drinks until noon, but have real problems if you drink them later. If you have been drinking a lot of caffeine, go off it slowly. If you stop cold turkey, you may have headaches, drowsiness, irritability and even depression. Also check with your pharmacist to be sure that the medications you take are not keeping you up.

Many people believe that alcohol helps them sleep. Unfortunately, while you may go to sleep easier, your sleep will be disrupted. Then you will feel groggy in the morning.

Having a regular bedtime routine also helps. Most people sleep better if they go to bed and get up at the same time everyday. You may also find reading a book or listening to soft music before bed helps relax you better than TV. The temperature and darkness of the bedroom may also affect your sleep.

Insomnia can plague anyone. If these suggestions don't work, talk to your doctor. You may need a referral to a sleep disorder center. A sleep disorder center will test you to find out more clearly why you are not getting the rest you need.

Kiss of Fall Carrots

1 cup frozen sliced carrots
1/4 teaspoon reduced fat margarine
dash apple pie spice
1 tablespoon water
½ packet aspartame or one teaspoon
granulated or brown sugar

1. In a small microwave baking dish, mix all the ingredients together except the aspartame.
2. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
3. Add the sweetener right before serving.
2 servings

Nutrient Analysis:

With Sugar:

Without Sugar:

Your Resources

Bathroom Safety

Six of the ten most chronic health problems affect the way people function in their homes. Arthritis affects dexterity. Heart and respiratory conditions affect the level of physical activity and strength. Orthopedic impairments affect the ability to move, stretch and bend. Hearing and visual impairments affect perception of color and increase the home accident rate.

Many home accidents occur in the bathroom. Simple changes in the bath can be made to maximize the user's physical potential and make it a safer space.

• Lavatory valves should have separate hot and cold lever handles to make them easy to operate by a person with stiff morning joints.

• Shower valves should have a pressure balance and volume control feature so that the bather will not be surprised with a sudden change in water temperature.

• Grab bars in tubs and showers should be consistently used to ensure safe entry and exit.

• A stall shower with a bench is far safer than a tub/shower combination. If a tub/shower combination must be used, the shower valves should be separate from the tub valves. They should not be directly under the shower head. Rather, they should be placed so that the user can reach the controls while standing outside the stream of water.

• Shower heads should be mounted on a pole so that varying heights can be set, and so that the head can be used in a hand-held position as well.

• All floors should be surfaced with non-skid materials.

• All vanity heights should be sized for the user. Hence, a higher vanity will be required for a taller user.

• All cabinet shelving should be replaced with roll-outs for easy cabinet acess

• All cabinet hardware should be easy to grasp. The hardware finish should contrast with the cabinet finish to provide good visibility.

• Include a mechanical ventilation system and a separate bathroom heating system so that the climate can be controlled by the user.

Your Relationships

Grandparents and Suicide

Nearly everyone today has lost a family member, friend, or acquaintance to suicide. Seniors have one of the highest rates of suicide of any age group, so the older you grow, the more likely it is that suicide will touch your life.

This article looks at one type of suicide: when a grandparent takes his or her own life, leaving a partner, adult children, and grandchildren to cope with the loss.

Adults who suffer a major loss in their lives -- whether it be a death, loss of a job, divorce, or other loss -- usually experience predictable stages in their struggle to cope. The initial shock of the loss is followed by anger, guilt, and finally, some level of acceptance. Each of these stages may last days, weeks, or years, depending on many factors. Sometimes survivors pass through the stages in order; sometimes they seem to bounce back and forth.

Suicide is a special kind of loss for the survivors. Suicide by a young person is understood differently than that of an adult, which differs from suicide by a senior. When a senior who is also a parent and grandparent takes his own life, the survivors each have special needs as they struggle to cope.

Needs of the partner

Coping by surviving partners depends to some extent on whether the suicide came as a complete shock, or was perhaps not unexpected because of chronic physical or emotional health struggles. When the suicide is a shock, close survivors are often devastated. They struggle to answer the question, "Why?" but there really is no complete answer that will allow the survivors to completely understand. As survivors look back, they may remember clues that, in hindsight, they think they should have seen. Such guilt and second-guessing is part of the healing process, as painful as it can be.

The term "rational suicide" is often used to refer to describe a suicide that has been thought through and planned by the victim, sometimes involving loved ones as well in the decision process. When suicide occurs, it is not a complete surprise. The pain that probably accompanied his or her life was a burden for you as well, and you probably feel a sense of relief along with sadness. Whether you agreed or not, the suicide victim decided that death was the best option in his circumstances. A growing number of seniors seem to be making this choice, despite everything that loved ones may try to do to persuade them otherwise.

Surviving partners often struggle with how to talk with friends after a suicide. The stigma of suicide for some people stands in the way of helping the grief process. Close friends will know the circumstances of the death; others will have no need to know details. Counselors recommend, however, that surviving partners confront the word "suicide" directly. Practice thinking, hearing, and saying it. You may want to do this alone in the days following the loss, but find other people soon with whom you can discuss your feelings. This sharing may come from close family members, a spiritual or mental health counselor, a telephone helpline, and now even the Internet!

Needs of children

Adult children of seniors go through many of the same struggles as the partner of the deceased. Thoughts such as "How could she have done this to us" or "If only she had talked with me about this" are common. Adults need to feel capable and in control of their lives, but now they feel powerless and betrayed.

At the same time as they are coping with their own shock, anger, and guilt, surviving adults are responsible for helping young children understand the suicide. Especially if the deceased was close to a grandchild, talking to that child may be one of the most difficult tasks you face. But you must talk about it, in ways the child can understand.

Explain that the deceased was very unhappy with parts of his life, without leaving the impression that death is the answer to unhappiness. Discuss that the deceased felt he had a lot of problems or was very sick, making sure that the child understands that he (the child) was in no way responsible for the problems or sickness. Reassure young children that you will be with them for a long time, and that your sadness over the loss will not be a reason for your death. Older children are more likely to react by blaming someone else, instead of themselves. Older children are also more likely than young children to keep their feelings inside. Younger and older children will look to the adults around them for cues on how to behave and insight for making sense of their loss. Being there to listen to a child when he wants to talk is very therapeutic. When youngsters don't seem to want to talk, find times when they feel safe to share their feelings and encourage them. You don't need to have all the answers, just acceptance and support.

One of the best ways to help children cope with the death of a grandparent, whether or not it was the result of suicide, is by reading and discussing good books together. Talk with a librarian. Here are a few titles that you may find helpful: Mending Peter's Heart, by Maureen Whitbold; The Saddest Time, by Norma Simon; Daddy's Climbing Tree, by C.S. Adler.

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. For large print, taped or braille editions of this publication, contact the author.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force

DP-RM&HD-109 September 1997

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director