Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center - (Page 40)
When I was a kid, I couldn’t go to sleep
at night without a night light. Somehow that tiny bulb kept away the monsters in my closet and other scary things lurking in the dark. These days, I’m still afraid of the dark—but for a very different reason: not being able to sleep. And this fear seems perfectly rational considering how many mornings I pry my tired self out of bed and how many afternoons I spend yawning and rubbing my bleary eyes. And judging from my friends’ Facebook status updates at all hours of the night (or is it morning?), I’m not alone. “At least 40 million Americans suffer from some form of insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, but it’s probably more than that because many don’t report it,” says Eric Plasker, a wellness expert and author of The 100 Year Lifestyle. “Everyone has one sleepless night here and there. But if you are wondering if you have a problem sleeping, then you probably do.” The good news is that many causes behind sleepless nights are as easily eradicated as those fears of monsters in the closet. You just need to shine a little light on them.
photography by photolibrary
By Jill SchildhouSe
40
Vim & Vigor • W IN TER 2 010
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center