Sleep - how to!

As we discussed in the last post, a good night's sleep can be critical for your physical and mental health.

But be careful.  This article from NPR talks about the dangers of using commonly prescribed sleep medication.  That stuff isn't good for you!  You don't need it.

Here's some advice from lifehacker on how to get better sleep without that stuff.  Just simple lifestyle changes.

And if you can't sleep longer, maybe you can sleep better.  Ninety minute increments is one key.

If you can't swing seven or so hours a night, you might get some of the same benefits with power napping.  Although its uncertain if that lends as much to your health as a good night's sleep.

If you're technologically oriented, there are other resources for drug-free sleep at night and power naps.  One that I like (and use) is pzizz.  A really interesting (free!) app for ios or android.  And no, I'm not a paid sponsor...I just find it handy.

So use the links above.  Get some rest.  You deserve it.

Sleep - What you don't know can hurt you

Sleep.  

You need it.  


Your brain needs it.

According to the CDC, insufficient sleep is both a public health crisis and an "epidemic" in America.  Whether its stress, lifestyle or simply trying to keep up with the job and home, we don't get enough sleep and that's bad for our brains.


When we sleep, the brain is "detoxified".  The beta-amyloids associated with Alzheimer's are decreased.

Additionally, lack of quality sleep, whether from apnea, insomnia or simply lifestyle, increases stroke risk.

It's been suggested that one of the single most important things you can do for your health is to get a nightly dose of good, quality sleep.

Try it!

Indiana ranks 45th in the country for Mental Health

Not good....you can read about it here.

But, from the article, "Both Flora and Courtney say there’s a stigma around mental illness in Indiana, but communities are slowly starting to treat the problem as a health issue — as opposed to a moral one."

So that's encouraging.

Free CPR class for the community

30 June 2016

18:00 Eastern

(6 p.m.)

Southern Jasper County Ambulance Service is hosting a free 'HeartSaver' CPR class for the community.

Come to the ambulance station and join us.

You'll be glad you did!





If you have questions, please feel free to contact us via sjcas101@gmail.com
 

Hope.

Its a long, long way away, but there's some hope on the Alzheimer's front.


This article from Nova Next explains a recent article published in Nature on using light to stimulate the recovery of memories in mice.

Yes, recovering the memories of mice is a long way from dealing with Alzheimer's in people, but these mice develop the same amyloid protein clusters, or plaques, that are indicative of the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

And, in a disease this devastating, this cruel, any news is good news.

How to: survive your first heart attack

This is important stuff, right?

AARP (of which I'm a dues paying and proud member!) recently posted an outstanding article on surviving your first heart attack.



It's reasonably short.

It's written in plain english.

And it's well worth your time. 



Find it here: http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2016/heart-attack-hospital-er.html

No, really.  Go do it.  Do it now.

Technology...

When we think about technology and EMS, we often think of what goes on in the back of the ambulance.

But, as this article points out, there are some very interesting developments related to actually finding patients.  

 A new company, RapidSOS, is also engaged in developing a robust set of protocols that, when you signal for 911 service from your cell phone, will try to get the location to 911 dispatch using gps, text, cell networks, 4g, whatever type of connection they can make.

Very exciting tech that isn't about what happens after the ambulance finds you...its all about the "finding you" part.