State Lecturer

Sharon Kimmel
State Lecturer
1036 Lindenhurst Road
Yardley, PA 19067
(215) 968-3348
(215) 860-6162
cell: (215) 801-6843

Greetings from Yardley, PA!

Well it is 3 o’clock in the morning, my Collie dog “Prince” and Maine Coon cat “Fluffy” are curled up together on the couch (both snoring loudly.) The clock on the wall is ticking away. The wind is blowing (or is it my “not so silent” air purifier) and wreaking havoc with the many wind-chimes hanging just outside the door. The sleet is hitting the awning with such force it sounds like I am “trying to sleep” in a firing range. I am using the word “trying” to sleep quite loosely because it happens to be one of those nights that no matter what I do, sleeping is not in the picture and all the sounds in the room that one would normally be able to ignore are amplified. So, instead of tossing and turning and disturbing my other cat “Skeeter” from his slumber (who is upside down beside my pillow with all four feet in the air), I thought I better just give in, get up and do something constructive like work on my Advocate article which is due in 2 days. Gee what should I write about? Hmmmmm! Just as Mom walked into my room (oh did I mention she too often has trouble sleeping) it hit me: Insomnia! Gee, I remember studying that in med school, now what did I do with my notes? Insomnia (better known as “sleeplessness”) is a common problem among adults. In most cases it is caused by stressful situations that we experience throughout our lives and poor sleep habits. Other sleep problems are: 1) Sleep apnea - a dangerous disorder that occurs while we sleep characterized by snoring and breathing abnormalities; 2) Sleep deprivation - daily life situations prevent us from getting adequate sleep, i.e., family, work, school…; 3) Narcolepsy - a medical condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep during waking hours. I had a horse that had Narcolepsy - if he stood too long in one place he would fall asleep and literally fall to his knees before realizing what was happening. (This sure made riding him interesting until we figured out a course of action that cured his problem!) In any event most everyone has an occasional problem falling asleep but if it occurs frequently it can be a serious health and safety issue and needs to be addressed by a medical doctor. Poor sleep habits or sleep deprivation can drain you of energy and cause problems in daily life like driving a car. It can cause irritability which leads to other problems i.e. road rage or problems with a co-worker.

What kind of decorations will we see at this year's Family Festival with a Civil War theme?

Good sleep patterns are extremely important along with remaining active, refraining from smoking, drinking and using drugs, eating healthy, losing weight and trying to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. A good night’s sleep can increase your quality of life enabling you to deal with stressful situations better and give you energy. Avoid naps during the day. If you are taking prescription drugs (or over the counter drugs) speak to your doctor if you are having sleep abnormalities. This is often a common side effect of some drugs. To establish good sleep patterns make sure that your bed is comfortable to begin with. Then try to relax before bedtime (yoga or meditation anyone?) Take a warm bath to promote muscle relaxation. Read a book or listen to soothing music shortly before bedtime (heavy metal and the younger generation’s music will not suffice!) Make sure that your room is dark and turn that TV off! Those of us that need some kind of noise to reach our slumbering state may consider a soft noise machine. I have an air purifier that sounds like the ocean waves hitting the shoreline which works well. (Of course this can also be annoying if you are not in the “sleep mode” to begin with.) Refrain from eating certain foods that have a tendency to keep you awake such as food that has high sugar content or is spicy. Instead, if you must snack before bedtime, eat something high in carbohydrates. Drink warm milk, eat a banana or some turkey all of which contain tryptophan. Tryptophan in turkey is the culprit for people becoming drowsy after the famous traditional Thanksgiving dinner. (Gee, all this time I thought it was the baseball game that followed dinner - or is it football?) For those who like alcoholic beverages and the proverbial “Nightcap,” initially this may put you to sleep but it has a tendency to awaken you later in the night (or morning) and then you have difficulty falling back to sleep. Avoid caffeine and nicotine 6-8 hours before bedtime. These are stimulants. By all means don’t drink too many fluids before bedtime or Nature may call on you when you least expect it. Keep your bedroom at a moderate temperature. A cool room is much better than one that is too warm. Some people prefer to open the window a crack to allow fresh air in which is great (unless “Pepe La Pew” has made a visit outside your window which happens here on the farm occasionally.) Some people feel the need to try "over the counter" (OTC) medications or “sleep aids.” This may be fine for some people but keep in mind that you put yourself at risk to experience side effects and have possible drug interactions with other medicines. Always talk to your doctor before you begin taking any drugs regardless of how harmless they seem.

Once you are in bed stop working and “turn your brain off!” If you find yourself watching the clock, then move it! Last but not least, if you are still “wide eyed and bushy tailed” and counting sheep (or horses) does not work, then by all means get up and move around, do a crossword or two, seek and find or a cryptogram. Are you asleep yet? If not you can do what I do - ”Get up and work on my Advocate article!”

Fraternally yours;

Sharon