Island Senior: Sleep Awareness Week

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Jeff Bridges – Sleeping Tapes

One of my favorite quotes about sleep comes from former Secretary of State Colin Powell who said, “I’m sleeping like a baby… Every two hours I wake up screaming.” Hopefully your sleep is more restful!  As we get older many of us have less than blissful sleep yet science tells us more and more how critical sleep is to our over all well being.

March 8 – 14 is Sleep Awareness Week. The March issue of the San Juan Island Senior Signal, the newsletter perk that comes with your Senior Center membership, has an excellent article covering common sleep problems, insomnia, snoring, sleep apnea, and more. The article goes on to list ways to combat these problems; lower your stress level, keep to a regular schedule, don’t eat spicy food before bedtime, to name a few.

I have mixed feeling about having electronics in the bedroom because I like to drift off listening to audiobooks or podcasts. An advantage is occupying your mind with something other than manufacturing worries. There are downsides. It can take a long time to finish an audiobook this way and if listening to a podcast you may be blasted awake a few hours later by the next podcast in your que.

Actor Jeff Bridges (The Dude) made Sleeping Tapes in 2015 that I have found useful when sleep is elusive. Sleeping Tapes is a spoken word/ambient album by Bridges that you can stream online for free or purchase with all proceeds from album sales going to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Says Bridges, “The world is filled with too many people in need of rest – that’s why I filled my sleeping tapes with intriguing sounds, noises and other things to help you get a good night’s rest.” I find his deep voice soothing.

To observe Sleep Awareness Week I recommend making a big mug of chamomile tea and kicking back with the Dude. Sweet dreams!

Link to: Sleep Foundation

Link to: Jeff Bridges – Sleeping Tapes

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