Sleep

[Bjorn Brimble]

Middle-aged folk need good quality shut-eye. So important.

Researchers have found that physically active short sleepers in their 50s and 60s suffer cognitive decline as fast as those who do less exercise.

Middle-aged people not getting enough sleep are less likely to see the benefits of exercise when it comes to protecting against a decline in skills such as memory and thinking, scientists have said.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that those in their 50s and 60s who performed regular physical activities but slept less than six hours a night had a faster decline in these skills overall.

The team found that after a decade, their cognitive functions – such as attention, memory and learning – were the same as those who did less physical activity.

The researchers said their study, published in the Lancet Healthy Longevity journal, highlights the need for sleep to protect against cognitive decline as people get older.


So how do we make sure we get the recommended amout of quality kip? The older you get the harder it becomes to get a good night's unbroken sleep

I'm thinking plenty of outdoor exercise, good diet, and cut down on booze and screentime in the evening. What about you guys?

[ex nihilo]

Originally Posted by Bjorn Brimble

So how do we make sure we get the recommended amout of quality kip? The older you get the harder it becomes to get a good night's unbroken sleep

I'm thinking plenty of outdoor exercise, good diet, and cut down on booze and screentime in the evening. What about you guys?

It's easy to get out of sync with natural sleep rhythms, especially if you travel a lot or have to cope with irregular sleep hours.

Personally, exercise and no booze 4 hours before bedtime. Switch off the devices an hour before bedtime and make sure the room is dark. If you don't get the mental hygiene rules right, poor sleep will result.

If I find myself getting out of sync, I use sustained release melatonin. A POM in the UK but something you can buy OTC in most other countries. It's pointed at jet lag but really works by enhancing the release of the hormone melatonin by the pineal gland, when the sun goes down. And it's safe...

[Bjorn Brimble]

Originally Posted by ex nihilo

If I find myself getting out of sync, I use sustained release melatonin. A POM in the UK but something you can buy OTC in most other countries. It's pointed at jet lag but really works by enhancing the release of the hormone melatonin by the pineal gland, when the sun goes down. And it's safe...

Yep never understand that. Anyone can buy it freely in the States. Your own body produces it naturally so it must be safe. It should be able to buy OTC here too IMO

[ex nihilo]

Sometimes, it’s like jumping through a hoop to get an appointment for a prescription in the UK.

There are so many countries where you can, as an informed person, have an in-depth discussion with a professional pharmacist, as to obtaining a pharmaceutical product. It works because they have time, have dedicated stores displaying the green pharmacy logo and don’t have pharmacists selling consumer products alongside counting pills, like in our supermarkets/chain stores.

Obviously, there are items that require a diagnosis or could be misused and dangerous if proper vigilance is not performed, making a doctor prescription necessary. But there are so many things, that could be offered OTC, to help everyone out in their busy lives...