Research from around the world

Welcome to a new column in our magazine where we ask some of the experts from the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health to comment on research from around the world.

Exercise may reduce dementia

Being physically active in midlife may decrease a  person’s risk of dementia later in life, according to a  paper published in the Lancet. Researchers followed a group of people for 26  years and found those who exercised twice a week had a 60  per  cent lower risk of dementia compared to the  sedentary group. According to the Foundation’s Dr  Helena  Teede, the research adds to the increasing volume of evidence on the value of physical activity. “Here’s  one more reason to undertake regular activity. We’ll continue to reveal the positive impacts, which we know include stress relief, mood  enhancement, cardiovascular health and  strong bones.”

Fishy tales

Consuming fish once a week is also being connected to a slower rate of cognitive decline in elderly people, according to the Archives of Neurology. The research, to  be published in December, says fish – a direct source of omega 3 fatty acids essential for normal brain development and functioning – may slow dementia. The Foundation’s dietitian Cate Lombard comments on the findings: “Here is  yet more research to support the wide and varied benefits of eating fish regularly. The nice thing about this  study is that it reports on real people and what they are eating. We  know that omega 3 fatty acids are important to the brain, so it  is  great to know something as simple as eating fish once or  twice a week can protect our brain function as we  age. Australians don’t eat as much fish as people in other  countries, so this  might encourage all of us  to  include fish more  often.”

Blame the kids

No surprises here. Married women, particularly those with  young children, are likely to report sexual difficulties much more than single women or  married men, according to a major British survey of sexual attitudes involving 11,000 people. The Foundation’s psychologist Janet Lowndes says: “Sexual problems in a relationship are often endured in silence, which is such a shame as communication is the key.   People who feel they can talk to their partner are more likely to address these problems, which are very common – especially when young children are around. For  many happy, healthy couples, sex is one thing they don’t communicate well about, building a barrier between them and making each person feel ‘blamed’ when their sex life  starts to slip. Romance and dating is important, even in established relationships.”

At last! The insider’s guide to a great night’s sleep

Let’s face it, some form of sleep disturbance will affect most of us at some point in our lives. In most cases we’ll get over it, but for some people ongoing sleep problems persist. In this article we take a behind-the-scenes look at the way a specialist identifies and treats his patients. Dr Darren Mansfield, Sleep and Intensive Care Physician and Director of the Epworth Sleep Centre, outlines some of the common causes of poor sleep and offers us some tips to overcome insomnia.

Do you lie awake for hours at night?

Insomnia is the name given to the inability to go to sleep or to stay asleep. It’s more common in older people who, fortunately, need less sleep. Menopause can cause sleep chaos – as can snoring and sleep apnoea. There are a couple of different types of  insomnia. Which one bugs you?

Primary insomnia

Some people simply need less sleep. About two per cent of the population need less than five hours a night. They can be highly productive and quite happy, working away late into the night. These are not the people who visit a sleep disorder clinic. But not everyone in this group wants to live this way. Many would rather go to bed at the same time as their partner or simply don’t want to lie there until 1.30am. These are the people who come for help. They can be recognised easily by those in the sleep business when they say, “Oh, I’ve never been a good sleeper.” It’s interesting to note that other family members will often have the same complaints. They’re tricky to treat as  they are very resistant to non-drug strategies. Basically, we recommend they go to bed for fewer hours – while listening to their own body clock for clues. Healthy sleep tips also have an  impact. See hot tips.

Insomnia stimulated by an incident Have you always been a good sleeper but something has triggered a change in your sleep patterns? Often the trigger is a period of emotional trauma; perhaps your shifts at work have altered or you’ve had a baby. Bad habits persist beyond the trigger period because your body has now learned that this is the norm. Patients come to sleep clinics feeling really frustrated and anxious. This emotional state only makes the  problem worse.

With this group we usually suggest a range of psychological techniques aimed at ‘unlearning’ the conditioned sleep pattern. We try to offer strategies to overcome the anxiety or frustration. We also recommend changing lifestyle habits. See hot tips.

Disorders of the body clock

This is an interesting one. These people cannot be  described as having insomnia, but instead, have problems with their timing rather than quality or duration of sleep. Usually they have trouble getting off to sleep and are then unable to get up in the morning. A typical sleep period from, say, 2am to 10am would be considered delayed by three hours. Sound like a teenager in your life? It can pose a real problem for those of us who have to get up early to go to work. When the body clock is unhappy, the person carrying it around is bound to feel sleepy during the day and will crave recovery sleep on the weekend.

The body clock can be manipulated with carefully timed exposure to bright light. In the same way that our body clocks adjust to differing time zones when travelling, we  can shift body clocks with light  exposure.

Hot tips for getting a better sleep

Ask yourself whether you need to change a few of  your habits to get a good night’s sleep. Sometimes a change in  routine is all it takes.

Caffeine

Cut your caffeine intake to two a day – including cola, as well as tea and coffee.

Alcohol

Alcohol reduces sleep quality when you have too much. Limit yourself to two standard drinks a day.

Exercise

Here’s a secret tip: your body temperature will drop nicely, which is necessary for a good sleep, if you do some rigorous exercise four to six hours before going to  bed.

Regular timing of bed and wake times

This is important for those with body clock disorders. Try to get out of bed at the same time  each day.

Total time in bed

Restrict the amount of time you spend in bed in  an attempt to train yourself to sleep when you  get there.

If not sleeping, get out of bed

Frustration at your inability to sleep makes the problem worse. Regain control. Get out of bed and  do a quiet, relaxing task in another room. Hide the clockDo not clock gaze during the night. This accentuates the  sense of frustration.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health would like to thank Dr Darren Mansfield, Sleep and Intensive Care Physician and Director, Epworth Sleep Centre for contributing to this article.

This resource was developed with the support of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.

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Note: This article is an archive. Whilst the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health has made every effort to ensure this information was accurate at the time of publication, the article content has not been updated since the date listed below.

Content created December 01, 2005