“Dying to sleep.” ~ Cynthia G. Creel
As I turned my head the alarm clock came into view my thoughts came to me in discus and worry, “3 am!!! I only have 3 hours before I have to be up.” There was no stopping the feeling of “dying to sleep.” There was no way of creating a full night’s sleep. It was too late for that, tonight, all I could do was try to relax and fall asleep.
I turned the TV on and waited until “Mr. Sandman” returned. I knew from reading all I needed to do was relax and sleep would follow. If I took a drug, it would only allow my body to relax enough to possibility get to sleep, just promoting drowsiness as sleep medications work on the brain to promote drowsiness I had read on WEBMD.(2) I thought I would be able to create the conditions to fall asleep and despite the negative effects of the light I did fall asleep. Years later, I would discover how to maintain the balance to create a sleep pattern on automatic, no waking at night unless there was a problem like a little wet nose poking my face as a result of a request from the cat wanting to be petted.
The next morning I was a little more tired and it would take great efforts to stay on track. Back then I didn’t understand the full effects of what I did. I was lucky to have the thought, “I just didn’t want to take any kinds of drugs.” So I didn’t, if I had not considered the side effects of drugs I am sure I would have elected for another option like sleeping pills.
The sleeping pills would have never corrected the underlying problem and only setting up a possible way to fall asleep with many other side effects. It takes the words “dying to sleep” to a new level of reality. One of the newest side effect from sleeping pills was discovered by A new study from 1Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center, La Jolla, California, USA and Jackson Hole Center for Preventive Medicine, Jackson, Wyoming, USA, saying “…patients prescribed any hypnotic had substantially elevated hazards of dying compared to those prescribed no hypnotics”. The study included common drugs such as zolpidem, temazepam, eszopiclone, zaleplon, other benzodiazepines, barbiturates and sedative antihistamines. The drugs gave a “significant elevation of incident cancer increasing the risk more than 3 times the risk even when the prescription was less then 18 pills a year. The study also concluded that the resulted took into affect of pre-existing disease. (1)
A possible side effect of taking a prescription drug to help with sleep is cancer. The why may be a combination of elements intertwining. Like people who have a hard time sleeping reach for a drug out of desperation this does not mean they are getting enough of the right kind sleep. The reason why is unclear, the part that is clear is if a person decides to take a prescription drug to help get to sleep there is an elevated risk of cancer.
This is another reason to support the philosophy to think before you take. There is risk to everything and prescription drugs are strong enough to change the body’s response it is strong enough to hurt or help. Thinking prescriptions are like an emergency measure, it is best to be conservative in the use and use them as directed. However, there is another way to create sleep by stepping on to the path of True Health allowing the body to work the way it is designed to work. One of the side effects of True Healthy is a healthy sleep pattern and no need to take a prescription drug to gain a nights sleep.
There are many items in this modern world that interfere with a restful nights sleep, if you are not getting a restful night sleep take that as a sign you are far off the path of True Health leaving a higher risk for other signs to show up until a large event happens that truly can not be ignored. Eliminating one need like, prescription sleeping pills, eliminates an added risk of cancer.
One question to ask is this the first sign or have there been others like snoring which is a sign of heart disease. (3) The more and faster we understand the more time we have to change.
Knowing and doing are two different ideas. Most everyone has a choice of what they do in life. The most important choice I believe I made was the choice I put my body and mind over all else. If my mind and body did not work I would not be able to think clearly and if I could not think clearly I could not help myself or anyone else effectively. I decided I was worth the effort. I wanted to be here on Earth to help myself and those around me.
The most difficult step of all is just to decide to step away from the familiar, good or bad, even if there were great benefits to gain. May your choices create an easy path to move forward to eliminate the thought of “dying to sleep” and create an act of just sleeping, waking up rested and hungry in the morning. To create a life that is good.
By Design ~ “Life is good By Design.”
2-13-2013
all rights reserved ©2013 written permission is needed to duplicate
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel.
Photo is by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013 This is an image to recognize the difficulty it is for some to have a restful nights sleep. The dark represents sleep and the light represents being awake with the night having a pattern of falling asleep, then waking, then falling asleep and so on. It affects millions of people crating loss of productivity and a side effect of creating a feeling of not caring If a person is too tired it usually affects their ability to care. . I often wonder how many people suffer needlessly.
Links:
(1) : http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000850.abstract
(2) http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/sleeping-pills-what-need-know
(3) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=423165877763315&set=a.360148227398414.82539.359900677423169&type=1&theater and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21743341
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