Jennifer Aniston has acknowledged that she sleepwalks. Jimmy Kimmel talks about dealing with narcolepsy. But you can’t find folks -- stars or not -- who are so willing to talk about another, far more common sleep problem. That’s nocturia, or having to urinate multiple times a night, chronically disrupting sleep.
Around 30% of folks over age 30 experience nocturia -- and the number climbs to more than 50% of folks ages 60 to 70 and 80% to 90% of those older than that. This can happen when your body makes too much urine or can’t store it for six to eight hours. It can also be triggered by drinking too much fluid before bedtime, especially caffeine or alcohol; the timing of certain medications, including diuretics, some antibiotics, antiseizure meds, excessive vitamin D and more; or sleep apnea and insomnia. Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, prostate obstruction, menopause and vaginal prolapse are also possible causes.
Because poor sleep has a cascade effect on your physical and mental health and aggravates health issues you’re already dealing with, you want to talk to your doctor about your nocturia.
There are four ways to remedy the situation: identify and correct underlying health problems; change your behavior (like cutting down on how much you drink in the two hours before bedtime); change the time of day you take some meds; and take medication to treat an overactive bladder. If you and your doc work together to find a solution, you’ll sleep better sleep and have a more energetic, enjoyable tomorrow.
Your Super Bowl win needs a bowl full of cancer-fighting foods
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their first NFL season in 1976, they won zip -- 14 straight losses. They lost the first 12 games in their second season, too! But by 2002, they turned it around, winning Super Bowl XXXVII. We hope you can turn your losing seasons around that well -- and a whole lot more quickly.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that most of you need to sharpen your game -- and your diet -- if you want to lower your risk for cancer. The researchers say 63% to 70% of you are not making it to the goal line when it comes to eating enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and about 90% don’t even make a first down when it comes to reaching the recommended 30 grams of fiber every day.
But there’s hope for a victory: You can win if you follow these 10 recommendations for a cancer-fighting diet. Be a healthy weight and physically active; eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans; limit red and processed meats (we say cut them out entirely!); limit sugar-sweetened drinks (ditto); limit alcohol and fast/processed foods high in fats, starches and sugars; and depend on food to get your nutrients. Plus: Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed if they can, and anyone who has had cancer is urged to follow these guidelines as well. Extra points: You’ll reduce your risk for high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and obesity as well as cancer.
