Strategies for Surviving the Holidays - H.A.L.T.

As we head into the holiday season, I'm going to post a series of "survival" tips. You are probably very familiar with the stress-reduction suggestions that usually appear everywhere this time of year. But hopefully, these will serve as a reminder.

So what is H.A.L.T.?

HALT is an acronym that serves as a relapse-prevention tool people in early recovery from alcohol and drug addiction have in their repertoire. It's a handy reminder of behaviors/states of minds/situations that are triggers to relapse. But it doesn't just apply to addiction, it can work for all of us.

H - Don't Get Too Hungry

Hunger can be a trigger to drink or use. But how many of us starve ourselves in anticipation of a holiday event and then binge when we get there?

A - Don't Get Angry

When we aren't in control of our emotions, it can lead to unhealthy and/or nonproductive behaviors.

L - Be Careful of Being Lonely

Isolation and social withdrawal is often a precursor to relapse. It is also a symptom of depression and some types of anxiety. Spend time with people who support you.

T - Don't Be Too Tired

Be careful of wearing yourself out. Most of us can make bad decisions when we are overly tired.

HALT is a simple tool, but an easy way to remember some very effective means of self-care during the holidays.

Sleep Deprivation Causes Emotional Instability

Anyone who has experienced sleep deprivation knows the impact that it can have on your mind and body. Now researchers from UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School have found a neural link between lack of sleep and emotional instability.

Using brain imaging in the first neural investigation into what happens to the emotional brain without sleep, results suggest that:

• a good night's rest can regulate our mood and help us cope with the next day's emotional challenges
• sleep deprivation excessively boosts the part of the brain most closely connected to depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders

"It's almost as though, without sleep, the brain had reverted back to more primitive patterns of activity, in that it was unable to put emotional experiences into context and produce controlled, appropriate responses," said Matthew Walker, director of UC Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory and senior author of the study, which will be published Oct. 22 in the journal Current Biology.

"Emotionally, you're not on a level playing field," Walker added.

That's because the amygdala, the region of the brain that alerts the body to protect itself in times of danger, goes into overdrive on no sleep, according to the study. This consequently shuts down the prefrontal cortex, which commands logical reasoning, and thus prevents the release of chemicals needed to calm down the fight-or-flight reflex.

"The emotional centers of the brain were over 60 percent more reactive under conditions of sleep deprivation than in subjects who had obtained a normal night of sleep," Walker said.

The study's findings lay the groundwork for further investigation into the relationship between sleep and psychiatric illnesses. Clinical evidence has shown that some form of sleep disruption is present in almost all psychiatric disorders. The next step for researchers is to use brain imaging as a tool to identify whether the root problem is a sleep disorder or a mental health disorder.

Sleep Disorder Misdiagnosed as mental illness, fibromyalgia, alien abductions!

Regular readers of this blog may recall that I have been plagued by sleeping problems for most of my life. For the last few months the specialists have been investigating this and have come to the conclusion that I have non-cataplexy narcolepsy. Talking about coming out of left field. In all the discussions I’ve had with doctors they have told me that my sleeping problems were a symptom of stress, anxiety or poor bedtime habits, rather than a primary problem in its own right. I, of course, have maintained that my sleep was the cause of my anxiety and mood changes, while the psychiatrists were equally convinced that the anxiety and mood changes caused sleep disturbance.

Narcolepsy is a very misunderstood sleep disorder which is frequently misdiagnosed. It is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and persistent feelings of fatigue. Despite this many sufferers have difficulty sleeping at night due to disturbance in their sleep-wake cycles. If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you I urge you to consult a sleep specialist or neurologist for a diagnosis.

Other symptoms can include:

• Cataplexy, or the sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone where an individual may experience a weakening in some muscles and in severe cases they may collapse
• Vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or upon awakening
• Vivid and frightening nightmares with rapid eye movement and dreaming taking place within a few minutes of falling asleep (most people don’t enter this phase of sleep until approximately 90 minutes of sleep)
• Brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep
• Drop attacks where an individual can fall asleep in the middle of an activity

Drop attacks
Media tend to portray narcolepsy as the latter symptom - people who unaccountably fall asleep in the middle of conversations, while driving or doing other activities. However these “drop attacks” aren’t experienced by all patients.

In my case, I experience an overwhelming desire to sleep. It can happen while I am giving a speech, while dancing, driving or chatting on the phone. When this occurs I find that my energy levels suddenly bottom out. I can be dancing one moment and feeling fine and the next moment a wave of tiredness rolls over me and I have to lie down. Obviously when you’re in public that can be awkward. Sometimes I can sit down for a few minutes with my eyes closed and the sensation will pass. Other times I have to get to a bed or couch and lie down. It’s not uncommon on a two hour drive for me to pull over three or four times to sleep.

Misdiagnosis
The collection of symptoms that make up narcolepsy are frequently misdiagnosed as other illnesses. Many individuals experience narcolepsy for 10 or 15 years before it is diagnosed. Some of the more common diagnostic errors include:

Epilepsy
The cataplexy or loss of muscle tone is frequently misdiagnosed as an epileptic fit.

Mental Illness
The vivid dreams and hallucinatory effects that characterise sleep and the periods of waking and falling asleep can lead doctors to believe that a patient is experiencing some sort of psychotic episode. Add in the combination of excessive fatigue and irritability from disturbed sleep and it’s no wonder a patient with narcolepsy can appear to be showing the nervous “on edge” disposition of a patient experiencing psychosis.

Excessive fatigue can also lead patients to show symptoms of sluggish depression. This is further complicated by the fact that antidepressants can have a helpful effect on narcolepsy. Some tricyclics and SSRIs can improve sleep or reduce cataplexy. If the drugs work, this can lead the doctor and patient to believe they have the correct diagnosis.

Alien abductions
Alright this one is just plain weird, but some scientists have speculated that narcolepsy could explain the phenomenon of night time alien abductions. They suggest that the hallucinatory effect of narcolepsy is so terrifyingly real that individuals dreaming they have been abducted, dissected and returned to their beds may have been dreaming. There is no research to support this hypothesis but it’s an interesting concept. I can attest to the reality of the horror that I experience most night in dream state. Maybe one day they will round up all the individual claiming to have been abducted during the night and test them for narcolepsy.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Some of the symptoms of narcolepsy are similar to those of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Excessive daytime sleepiness, ongoing fatigue, night-time sleep disturbance and early onset of REM sleep and dreaming can also occur in fatigue oriented illnesses.

Treatment
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that is not curable, however it is possible to treat it with lifestyle changes or medication. Some patients can gain relief from excessive day time sleepiness by taking a short nap each day. The other options are tricyclic antidepressants to relieve cataplexy and improve sleep, SSRI antidepressants for sleep, and methylphenidate (also known as Ritalin) to keep patients awake during the day and sleep peacefully at night. Unfortunately the side-effects of these medications can be unpalatable so some sufferers do not gain relief.

More information:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Stanford University Center for Narcolepsy

Magnetic Pulses may Help Insomniacs

During research into the purpose and benefits of sleep, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that stimulating the brain with harmless magnetic pulses induces slow waves to move across the entire brain - just like they do in deep sleep. This could lead to a device to help the chronically sleep deprived achieve a deep restful sleep as well as future applications for sleeping device that allow you to achieve the benefits of a full night's sleep in only a few hours.

As one of the chronically sleep deprived who sleeps in a shallow state and dreams almost continuously I have to say this device sounds extremely exciting. One of the interesting aspects of the study, is that scientists are still learning the exact purpose of sleep and the reasons for different state changes during sleep.

Links between insomnia and mood

An interesting interview with David N. Neubauer, M.D, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center
When surveying people who are depressed, we find that 80% experience sleeplessness, and it’s not only the classic early-morning awakening associated with depression, but rather all the possibilities, including difficulty falling asleep and middle-of-the-night awakenings.

Data indicate that insomnia is just as common among people with anxiety disorders as people with depressive disorders. It is an equally strong link.

Read more about the links between insomnia and depression

A lifetime Insomniac gets help from the Sleep Doc

I reviewed Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health by Dr Michael Breus at the start of my four week trial of his sleeping program. After a couple of weeks journaling my sleeping habits I’ve made an unwelcome discovery.

It turns out that some aspects of my self-care are lacking. For the first three nights I went to bed more than an hour after my planned bedtime and I was doing nothing specific to relax before climbing into bed. I’m now starting to get into some better habits and reaping the rewards.

Not everyone can afford to replace their mattresses every seven years. Are there ways to prolong the life of your mattress?

In truth not every mattress needs to be replaced every 7 years -- for example, Tempurpedic, other visco-foam surfaces, Select Comfort, or a latex mattress may last for up to 12 years or longer. However, I would encourage anyone with a traditional innerspring mattress to go ahead and bite the bullet and get another mattress.

The Stats would suggest that the weight of your mattress will double every 7 years from collecting dust mites, oil, and sweat from your body.

The best way to prolong the life as far as the sweat, oil and dust mites are concerned is to get an allergen proof cover for the mattress. You will want something that completely blocks out all allergens. Commercially these are called Mattress Encasings.

For example, does turning the mattress over and switching from end to end increase the life of the mattress?

Not really. It may level out the use, but remember you cannot flip a pillow top mattress because there is a pillow-top on only one side. Rotating it usually does not help because people usually sleep in the middle if they are sleeping without a partner, so you rotate it and stay in the same spot, or if you sleep with a bed partner you just end up sleeping in their “spot”.

Are those NASA inspired foam toppers that you see on infomercials a way of making your bed like new?

Yes and no. It depends upon what you are trying to do. If there is a sag in the middle of your mattress, your topper will sag as much as the mattress. If you have back problems and your bed is too firm, then a visco foam can be more supportive. It may also make a mattress easier to sleep on, if you are uncomfortable.

Can you really learn a foreign language, get rich or quit smoking while you’re sleeping? (i.e. subliminal affirmations etc)

There is no data to suggest that these claims would be true. However, the brain does process information while sleeping.

What are the most common mistakes you see with people who have sleep problems?

The number one problem I see is that insomniacs and people who have problems sleeping get in bed too early and stay in bed too long. All this does is increase people’s anxiety that they are not sleeping.

The second largest problem is caffeine. Most people never realize that caffeine has a half life of up to 12 hours, so the Diet Coke you had at noon could be what is keeping you awake at midnight.

Light. Light is the single greatest influence on the internal biological clock that tells us when you should fall asleep and when you should wake up. Most people continue to get light exposure up until the moment they shut their eyes. I have people set the mood for sleep with lower lighting.

Finally, the last “biggie” is the lack of a regular sleeping schedule. The body likes structure, so it needs it every night. If it is used to going to bed at a certain time then it will continue to get sleepy at that time.

Any tips for helping your children/babies sleep?

This is not my best area, however I can tell you that the only thing that got my son to stay in his bed were bribes of Hot Wheels cars each morning.

Is there any substitute for sleep?Proponents of meditation and flotation tanks make claims that these devices reduce your need for sleep. Is that true?

There is no data to suggest that either of these or any techniques can replace sleep. Every living creature that moves has a period of inactivity. The issue is we still do not know why.

Do you believe that dream interpretation books are of any use?

Again there is no data to support any of these interpretations. You or I can interpret a dream and we would both be right and both be wrong.

Tell us about your own sleep habits. Have you had insomnia?

I have been fortunate enough to have never experienced prolonged insomnia. During times of high stress I can have a sleepless night or two.

What exactly do you do for Crowne Hotels?

My work for Crowne Plaza was twofold. I helped develop the Sleep Advantage Program (this is a sleep awareness and hygiene program that is currently in 60,000 rooms across the Americas) and I was the spokesperson for this program as well.

Getting help

At what stage should people seek help?
It is easiest to go to my website, Sound Sleep Solutions, and take the in-depth adult analysis. The results are great to print out and give to your doctor.

What information should people take to their doc if they are concerned about their sleep and think they need serious help?

I like it when people can be as specific as possible. I suggest taking a log of their sleep habits over the course of a week and give me time to bed, time in bed, time to fall asleep, number of awakenings, caffeine intake, naps, wake time and feelings of being refreshed. With this type of information I can really get to the bottom of the problems right away.

Dr Mike aka The Sleep Doctor is the author of Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health and a relaxation CD

He is also offering a FREE download of a Body Relaxation Audio Track to all those who sign up to receive his Beauty Sleep Newsletter. I guess that means I'll be signing up again to get the freebie!

A Good Night's Sleep

After more than 25 years of insomnia I've read my share of books on sleep and this is by far the best. Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health by Dr Michael Breus is more than a fix for insomnia. The book also emphasises the importance of sleep to health, beauty, your sex life and your mood. A study using the Day Reconstruction Method found that

an extra hour of sleep had more on an impact on how participants felt throughout the day than earning more money.

I only have to think how I’m feeling today to acknowledge the truth of that statement. Last night my dogs barked at 1am and again at 1:30am and 2:30am. The result? This morning I am unaccountably irritable and clumsy. I don’t seem to be able to concentrate and find myself dropping things and getting frustrated at the smallest things. Unfortunately this isn’t a one-off problem. I’ve had years of poor quality sleep and have been really looking forward to putting into practise Dr Mike’s recommendations for a good night’s kip.

The book starts with a comprehensive guide to sleep hygiene which includes everything from choosing the best mattress, to sound proofing your room, developing good bedtime habits and understanding your own issues. I had already put in place a number of changes to help me with my sleep. I shut the bedroom door to keep four legged critters from disturbing my sleep.

I try to go to bed at the same time each night. Did you notice the word try? Unfortunately I keep trying to fit in extra things at night and find my bedtime running past my planned time. That’s where Dr Mike’s power-down hour comes in. He suggests devoting an hour each night to relaxing activities that won’t stimulate your mind and body as well as the little things that have to be done each night; letting the pets out to go to the toilet, brushing your teeth or tidying away your meal.

The book is full of handy quizzes that help you identify problem areas and provides comprehensive solutions for you to address these issues and get a good night's sleep. After 25 years of reading everything I can lay my hands on I thought I had a pretty good handle on sleep but Dr Mike introduces a lot of facts and information that were new to me. It had never occurred to me that sleep cycles might change according to menstruation. In my case I feel that my sleep is uniformly bad, but I will be keeping a diary over the next 28 days in the hope of uncovering new patterns to my insomnia.

If you're impatient (like I was) to jump into the four week program you can start that immediately but I would strongly recommend reading the preceding chapters so you can eliminate problems from light, noise, pets, uncomfortable pillows and the like.

Good Night covers all the basics of getting a good night sleep, including recommendations on snacks to help you get to sleep (unfortunately a nightcap of your favourite brandy is not on the list of sleep recommendations) and ideas for decorating your room to minimise distractions..

The book distinguishes between disordered sleeping and sleep disorders covering off the common sleep disorders and how they are diagnosed. I have experienced both initial insomnia (trouble falling asleep) as well as disturbed and poor quality sleep including frequent waking during the night (middle insomnia). These fall into the category of disordered sleeping.

The pros and cons of various remedies including sleeping pills and alternative remedies are also covered. This book is primarily aimed at non-pharmacological sleep solutions that you can manage in your own home.

For anyone interested in weight loss or wanting to look younger or remove those black circles under the eyes, Good Night tells you why sleep might be interfering with your energy, appetite and appearance as well as providing guidelines to look and feel younger healthier and slimmer. What could be better?

Resources
If you’re having trouble sleeping I recommend you check out the following resources

Sound Sleep Solutions
has a questionnaire to help you identify sleep problems. In addition there are action plans to address problems with insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs or sleep apnoea as well as articles and tips on sleep.

Sleep Discovery Center
Follows the journey of a sleep deprived journalist through his consultations with sleep specialists and a sleep study – entertaining and informative.

Sleep Yourself Slim

In his book, Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, Dr Michael Breus describes how sleep affects appetite by affecting the appetite triggering hormone ghrelin and it's counterpart leptin, an appetite suppressant.

His conclusion?

The more you sleep, the better your body can regulate the chemicals that control hunger and appetite

In short, getting more sleep makes it easier to lose weight. Dr Breus sums it up in the following equation:


Sleep Deprivation (or inadequate sleep) leads to
increased appetite and decreased metabolism

An excerpt from his book explains the mechanism:
The two digestive hormones that hold the remote control to your feelings of hunger and appetite are ghrelin and leptin. As with many hormones, these two are paired together but have opposing functions. One gives the green light that says Go and the other emits the red light that says Stop. Ghrelin (your “Go” hormone) gets secreted by the stomach when it’s empty and increases your appetite. It sends a message to your brain that says, “I’m hungry. Feed me.” When your stomach is full, the other hormone—leptin—sends your brain the message that says “Stop eating. I’m done.” You can thank your fat cells for sending leptin out, allowing you to push away from the table. So how do these hormones tie into sleep?

Inadequate sleep creates an imbalance of both ghrelin and leptin. One study at the University of Chicago in 2004 showed that when people were allowed just four hours of sleep a night for two nights, they suffered a 20 percent drop in leptin and an increase in ghrelin. These sleep-deprived participants had a 24 percent increase in hunger and a 23 percent increase in appetite. Hunger is the feeling of wanting to eat and your appetite is the physical need to eat until full. (Think of hunger as the sensation that precedes eating.) If your brain isn’t getting the message that you are full, you keep eating and eating and eating.

Reproduced with permission from A Good Night's Sleep: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health


Drs Roizen and Oz make a similar point about leptin and ghrelin in their book YOU on a Diet. In addition they suggest that lack of sleep may trigger appetite for sugary foods by not secreting the normal amounts of feel good chemicals serotonin and dopamine and that inadequate sleep also increases levels of neuropeptide Y which decreases metabolism and increases appetite.

Dr Breus explains that serotonin, the pleasure hormone, benefits from adequate sleep

Inadequate sleep translates to less of this critical hormone getting release in the brain, and to compensate, you'll gravitate to foods with sugar (comfort foods).

I can definitely relate to that. After a bad night's sleep I feel grumpy, lethargic and my mood is flat, and I go searching for carbs to boost my mood - anything from buttery toast, to extra fruit, muesli bars or a quick dip into the cookie jar. When you're feeling grumpy you're grateful for anything that can help you feel less irritated.

Do you have trouble with morning tiredness?

I found this interesting article on natural remedies to morning tiredness. Isn't this something that can happen to nearly all of us? I know there are definitely days when I find it hard to get going in the morning!



Dr Cathy Wong suggests opening your curtains to get the light in. My solution is to eat my breakfast outside - unless it's raining - as the light and fresh air helps me "wake up".

Dr Wong also suggests replacing your coffee with green tea, using energising essential oils and trying diaphramatic breathing.

As sleep difficulties can contribute to morning tiredness stress management techniques may be helpful, and you may also like to check whether you have any breathing problems such as sleep apnoea, sinus or allergic rhinitis

The latest news on Sleep & Weight Loss

While You Were Sleeping... You Were Losing Weight

There has been a lot of research released recently on the value of an extra hour's kip and weight loss. Read more about it here

40 Facts about sleep you probably didn't know... (or were too tired to think about)

Did you know?

A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.

Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men (I'm sure that's because we think more!!! Our brains need extra rest...)

Read more amazing sleep facts here

Check out our free forum on emotional eating,
insomnia, depression, stress management and more...

More on the impact of allergic rhinitis on sleep

In yesterday’s post I discussed a press release from GlaxoSmithKline on the impact of hayfever and other allergic rhinitis symptoms on sleep.

I didn’t mean to imply that lack of sleep is not a public health issue! There is no doubt in my mind that the fatigue and fogginess that can arise from poor quality sleep impacts on your abilities to drive, work and interact with people.

My concern is the methodology behind the linking of allergic rhinitis with poor sleep. The results of the study are based on self report. That means they asked approximately 1,000 people to describe their sleep and correlated this to their health. The trouble with using self-reporting is that it is entirely subjective. You may think you had a bad night’s sleep but you may have slept for longer or more deeply than you realised.

The only way to be conclusively prove that hayfever interferes with sleep is to conduct scientific or objective studies. These could take the form of a Polysomnogram study while the individual is sleeping. A polysomnogram records heart rate, brain and eye movement activity as well as breathing. This would provide clear evidence of sleeping problems. Another option would be to have the individuals perform tests that simulate driving or other day to day activities to determine if their performance has been impaired.

Intuitively I believe that hayfever and allergic rhinitis do interfere with sleep, and may even contribute to sleep apnoea, but I don’t believe that self-reporting provides sufficient proof of that theory. Just my two cents worth (except we don’t have two cent coins any more so I guess it’s my ten cents worth).

Check out my free forum on emotional eating, depression, stress management and more...

Hayfever and allergic rhinitis impair sleep

As a long time sufferer of both allergic rhinitis and insomnia it comes as no surprise that hayfever and other forms of allergic rhinitis interfere with sleep.

Let's face it - it's pretty hard to get to sleep (initial insomnia) when you have to reach for a tissue every 30 seconds, or you find yourself sneezing and coughing. And even when you do get to sleep the quality of your sleep is likely to be impaired. If your nose is blocked you find yourself struggling to breathe and often wake with a sore throat from breathing through your mouth.

According to the study, funded by the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline nearly half the people with allergic rhinitis reported difficulties falling asleep and nearly two-thirds reported that they had inadequate sleep.

Not surprisingly the helpful folks at GlaxoSmithKline put in a plug for their products suggesting that:

"Treating allergic rhinitis or other nasal symptoms may improve dramatically the quality of sleep. In the long term, such a strategy would have positive repercussions on a societal level; for example, the numbers of road and work accidents would be reduced. Considering the high incidence of allergic rhinitis and the high rate of associated sleep disorders, the issue is one of public health."

It seems a bit of a stretch to go from hayfever and poor quality sleep to "positive repercussions on a societal level" however I do believe that hayfever-type symptoms interfere with sleep.

I have tried a variety of treatments, both conventional and alternative. I have tried several nasal sprays, such as Eltair, Rhinocort and Beconase as well as anti-histamines and nasal decongestants, such as Sudafed. I have also tried aromatherapy inhalations of peppermint oil and eucalyptus. Unfortunately not much works. Vicks smeared under the nostril provides temporary relief, as does aromatherapy inhalations. The nasal decongestants and anti-histamines are pretty hit and miss. Sometimes they work, and sometimes the same medication has little or no effect.

My latest treatment is a completely natural nasal rinse containing baking soda and salt. So far I've used it twice and it seems to work. Fingers crossed it will help me achieve a peaceful night's sleep.

Check out my free forum on emotional eating, depression, stress management and more...

Can a kidney bean improve your sleep?

According to Dr Lark's advertisment for her latest book on cures for women's ailments a kidney bean holds the key to improved sleep.

Use a kidney bean to give yourself
the best night’s sleep of your life!
Tape a kidney bean to the inside of your right wrist, three finger widths
below the crease of your wrist.

Now try to stay awake!
You have just found one of the most powerful sleep-promoting points in Oriental medicine.

If you doubt that it works, try it tonight, just before you go to sleep. My patients have been amazed and they’ve stopped taking their tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antidepressants.

Last night I put these claims to the test. I didn't have a kidney bean handy but I started by applying my finger to the appropriate pressure point. The sandman didn't race to collect me for a night of luscious sleep! Tonight I'm going to employ some bracelets that have pressure points on them (bought for travel sickness) and pop them around my arm before I go to bed. I confess I'm skeptical but if it works I will be first to buy this book...

Mindfulness Meditation

This is part 2 of my discussion on The Chemistry of Joy, a book that proposes a three step system for overcoming depression. In part 1 I discussed the different types of depression and the need to tailor dietary changes to address deficits (or excesses) in neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and the use of Ayurvedic body types in determining lifestyle changes.

The final step proposed by Dr Emmons is the daily use of Mindfulness Meditation. In his discourse on the benefits of Mindfulness, Emmons claims that in as little as 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week you can feel calmer, sleep better and get on better with your family and workmates. I couldn’t wait to put it to the test!

Emmons uses Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness which he describes as:

"awareness from moment to moment, on purpose, without judgement"

He also suggests that we give up on self-improvement and instead focus on accepting ourselves and loving ourselves, as we are, complete with faults. Instead of trying to fix ourselves Emmons suggests that we will find happiness in self-acceptance. An interesting concept. My own take on it is that self-improvement IS essential. After all, mindfulness and self-acceptance involves learning new skills and changing the way we think. These are simply self-improvement tools. I don't see how one can be separated from the other.

On the subject of the practise of meditation Emmons makes some good points. He advises that you may not always feel restful and relaxed when you meditate. Also that sitting meditation (which is usually the first type of meditation that most of us are taught), is one of the most challenging forms of meditation. That's good news for me - I have to confess there are days I can not sit still to meditate. Instead I enjoy meditating while moving. Most people are led to believe that seated meditation is the ONLY type of meditation. This is not true - you can benefit from a variety of forms of mindfulness meditation.

I find meditating while dancing or walking is easy. Meditating while stuck in one spot makes me want to wriggle and squirm. Oh, and the itches and the aches and pains that I swear I feel when I am confined to a chair!

This is Emmons' own account of meditation:

"I can testify from my own experience that sometimes you'll feel deeply relaxed, and other times you'll be so restless you wonder why anyone bothers with this annoying practice. Sometimes when I meditate I feel real contentment; other times, I feel bored; still other times, I ache with the pain of difficult emotions, troubling memories, or just a diffuse grief that seems to have no source."

Regular mindfulness meditation has not cured my insomnia or magically improved my relations with friends and family but I do feel calmer and more positive and my coping skills have improved. It definitely works, although perhaps not quite as well as Dr Emmons suggests.

The Chemistry of Joy is an excellent book - 5 stars - and a wonderful resource for anyone looking to combine Eastern and Western philosophies and make lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate depression and anxiety.

Want to talk more about depression or stress?
Join our free forum here

How to have sweet dreams each night!

Sleep is characterised by four different stages during which heart rate, blood pressure and temperature drop and brain waves slow. These four stages are collectively known as non-REM or non rapid eye movement sleep stages.

A fifth stage is the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage during which the eyes move rapidly under the closed lids of the eyes. Throughout the REM stage the body’s voluntary muscles, such as arms and legs become paralysed but brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature increase. It is probably a good thing that the muscles are inhibited during REM as dreams occur predominantly during this stage of sleep. The paralysis prevents people from acting out the impulses that they experience during dreams.

If we wake during this REM stage of sleep then we are highly likely to remember our dreams, but if we wake during non-REM periods of sleep where dreams occur less frequently we are unlikely