LACK OF SLEEP AND AGGRESSION - The Casual Link

Sleep is an important physiological mechanism which everyone needs daily to maintain a balanced life. Sleep is associated with a high degree of brain activation. Sleep is regulated by several basic mechanisms, and when these systems go awry, sleep disorders occur.sleep-related motor vehicle accidents represent a major public safety concern.

Results have shown increased mortality among individuals who habitually slept significantly more or less than normal. Specifically, men of age 30 years or older who slept less than 4 hours per night were 2.8 times more likely to die within 6 years than were those who slept 7 to 8 hour per night. Around 10% of the global population have sleep problems.

"I love sleep.My life has a tendency to fall apart if i dont sleep well and stay awake" - Ernest Hemmingway.

Lack of Sleep and Aggression:

We all know that aggression has become more common in this modern world.Researchers have found that lack of sleep can alter the transmission of the brain neurons and also increase the stress hormone levels which can directly lead on to aggression.Sleep has two components. NREM Sleep and REM Sleep. The deprivation of REM sleep is said to be more prone for aggression.

The reasons for aggression due to lack of sleep is said to be due to lack of concentration, memory disturbances, cognitive difficulties. Whatever the size of the sleep deprivation problem in the community, experimental evidence does suggest that a consistent reduction of the total sleep time by more than about 1 to 2h compared with the individual's unrestricted sleep period is likely to affect daytime performance and behaviour.

Hence maintaining a proper sleep hygiene of about 7-8 hours is essential for a healthy body and mind. "Sleep well Stay Healthy"


"Let's Make a Difference"
                                                   - DR.Bevin Sathya

STRESS : How to cope with ?

Stress as we all know has been a part of everyone's day to day life. Are we able to lead a happy life depends on the levels of stress we are able to cope with is'nt it. Well it may vary from person to person based on his temperament, work style, education and many other factors.But more than all it is  our fight towards stress which make one successful in the fight against it.

                     

The following are the EIGHT tips to follow to reduce and cope stress better.

1) EXERCISE: Daily morning exercise helps us to reduce the stress levels by producing instant changes in your mood by raising the endorphins level in the brain

2)  START EARLY: Start your daily routine activities early to avoid chasing time later in the day.

3) EAT HEALTHY: Eat healthy diet containing vegetables, fruits, egg, milk at regular schedule to reduce the acid levels in the stomach which indirectly increase stress levels.

4) TAKE BREAKS: Avoid continuous work and take necessary breaks to stay healthy and reduce stress.

5) FRIENDS & FAMILY: Spend time with your family and friends which helps to forget your problems, share them and also ask ideas to tackle them.

6) EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Playing music, dancing, yoga , meditation all can help to calm the body and mind by reducing the stimulating neuro-transmission in the brain.

7) AVOID ALCOHOL AND SMOKING: Alcohol and smoking can cause changes in the brain which could lead to increased stress levels.

8) GOOD SLEEP: Having proper rest and a good sleep can produce refreshing mood changes and help your to work productively the next day.

10 Enduring Truths About Friendship:

Friendships are among the most essential and supportive types of relationships you will ever establish, because while family relationships are (typically) non-negotiable, friendship is a voluntary institution.

The voluntary nature of friendships, and our mutual commitment to the relationships are the hallmarks of any friendship’s very existence. Unless two people consider their relationship a friendship, it simply doesn’t exist.

Unfortunately, recent research indicates that most people are unable to accurately identify those who have truly earned a place in their friendship network. In fact, according to the research, only about half of the relationships that we perceive as friendships actually are friendships.

In our culture, more is always assumed to be better. But the real measure of your relationships might be found in asking yourself how many of your social media friends or followers would be willing to lend you cab fare or offer you a place to sleep if you turned up unexpectedly. That’s the kind of investment in a relationship that true friendship warrants and that true friends provide.

Is there a downside to moving through life thinking more people are our friends than actually are? It depends on expectations: If you don’t expect a lot from a friend, it probably doesn’t hurt to assume each likes you as much as you like them. Following the old adage to treat others the way you would like to be treated isn’t a bad idea.

Treating everyone like they are a good friend may make your path through life a little easier. Being kind, providing favors, and helping others can actually make you feel better about yourself and life.

Friendship can offer an enduring lifelong bond and become an unrivaled source of mutual support, both emotional and instrumental—but it is important to recognize that a friendship untended can quickly become a friendship ended.

Genuine friendships take more than a post on a network to keep them strong, although no one could argue that those are convenient places for friendships to begin. Shared interests and proximity—real or virtual—are the fastest paths to finding friends, and if that intersection of two lives begins online, it can yet develop into its own type of relationship over time.

Remember: Not every friendship is going to be a “friends forever” type of relationship; sometimes, it is about “friends of convenience” and those we need most in a situation. And if things grow less convenient, and that individual isn’t available in the way that he or she once used to be, that’s actually quite allright.

Studies show that most adults have only one or two close friends beyond their significant others.

How to Reduce the Effect of Stress on Your Fertility

1. Reduce the stress in your life. This of course if obvious, as well as easier said than done. Reducing the stress in your life is so important on many different levels. It will not only help your fertility and health but also your quality of life. If your job is really stressful, maybe begin to look for a different job or occupation. If that is not possible, some of the tips below will help you to deal with your stress differently than how you currently are.

2. Change how you react to stressful situations. When faced with an ongoing stressful situation there is only one thing you have control over… how you react. Pay attention to how you react to the stressful people at work, or to your stressful situation. Do you turn it over in your head all night long, do you create scary future visions of what could happen? Getting control of how you react will have a big impact on what happens inside of your body when a stressful situation presents itself. This takes some attention and practice.

3. Have a practice or habit that helps you to reduce stress. Here are some suggestions of practices or daily habits that help reduce the effects of stress on your health.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep

Get an adequate amount of healthy exercise daily

Meditate

Start practicing Yoga

Seek counseling

Consume natural, calming herbs and supplements

Acupuncture

Prayer

Reading a book in the park

Journal

Take warm baths

Surrender and let go

4.Fertility Meditation:

Chronic stress may cause hormonal imbalance, lowered egg and sperm health, as well as create a lack of libido. Herbs that support a healthy stress response, nourish the nervous system and support endocrine function are good choices.In an effort to reduce and remove stress from your life to achieve healthy fertility, it is important that you try to avoid harsh chemical medications that are prescribed to help individuals become less stressed. These medications can cause infertility themselves, or have a negative affect on your fetus if you do happen to become pregnant.

There are many ways that a person can combat stress in an effort to increase their fertility. Stress is a powerful component in a person’s life, and can quickly run the body down. While some stress is completely natural and expected, too much stress will cause the body to go into survival mode so that your system can continue to function. Part of this survival mode is making sure you do not become pregnant. If pregnancy is your ultimate goal, you will need to find some way to get rid of the stress safely and naturally

Pocket killers

                                              A few days back when I was resting on my couch with a cup of coffee and watching TV I came across an interesting program on a TV channel. It was promoting an herbal product regarding deaddiction. Many TV artists came and introduced about that product and suddenly an ad popped out saying the product was successful in the deaddiction of nearly 50 lakh people in the state.  Wow is it possible? Is it true? What does it have?  And many other questions came to my mind. This is the background in which I started to write this blog. 

 Well friends I am personally a strong believer in deaddiction. Deaddiction is no joke and no easy task to any treating physicians or psychiatrists as many have found it. But is it possible to release a person from the stronghold of alcohol, tobacco and drugs? The answer is a strong yes. But it takes a good amount of patience from both the patient and the treating doctor and also from the caregiver to succeed in this ultimate battle. By saying a person is addicted we usually not only consider the physical dependence but also their psychological dependence. They both form two sides of the coin. Most of the time the physical dependence is treated but the psychological dependence is found wanting. To completely relieve a person from any form of addiction means treating   both these factors in the background of his personality, the support of family members and also the society. 

Deaddiction is no joke as it is being currently misused by many unqualified personnel with little knowledge in this regard. Deaddiction is just another medical treatment which needs medical expertice. The person who treats should know all about the addicting agents, their medical complications, the drugs used to treat them and so on. Also deddiction is a long process and it requires constant monitoring until complete cure. So when I came across these ads I just remembered the plenty of patients and caregivers who report to the hospital feeling disappointed after using these types of products. Friends beware of these products and ads. These products have no scientific proof or no prior research. All the data they project is false. Well these products have the same dose to all patients, same for all addicting agents and no contraindications or precautions. Is it possible? “Well I can just remember a comedy in a Tamil movie in which a comedian asks for a single medicine for a no of his physical complaints”. Well friends think twice before you buy these products. Are they registered under the drugs act? Do they have a batch no? Do they carry a manufacturing and expiry date? The answer is a big no. they are very clever to use the word herbal to fool the public and escape many govt restrictions. Well friends if you are reading this article please beware of these false promises and consult your nearby treating physician or a psychiatrist who are qualified to treat you. The take home message is these herbal products are not addiction killers but your pocket killers. Beware. 

Let’s Make a Difference.

Dr.Bevinsathya.

“ Don’t treat as patient treat as Human being.”

Health is wealth we all know this. But what is health?  Have we understood the word health?

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity is the definition of health giving by world health organization in the year 1948.  Well friends many of us are found wanting when it comes to understanding this definition.

Once a middle aged man who was working as a software engineer developed sudden chest pain and was admitted in a private hospital. Doctors who examined him told him that he had suffered a severe myocardial infarction and advised surgical intervention as soon as possible. So as per doctors’ advice he was operated within a week and his medical condition stabilized. He was discharged and was doing well. Within few days he again developed recurrent palpitations, sweating, chest discomfort and sleep disturbances. He consulted the doctors again who found everything normal in him. The software engineer was not satisfied so he consulted many doctors with no improvement. He started surfing the internet with no satisfying answers. He developed severe sleep disturbances and started to be very irritable towards others. He preferred to be alone. Hence he consulted a psychiatrist. On interview he told he had many financial constraints and had frequent worries about his health and how he is going to take care of his family. He was counseled and advised few medications and advised follow up. He improved within a week and he started to go work as usual. Within few months all his somatic complaints disappeared and he felt as healthy as before.

Another old woman came to a psychiatrist with complaints of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus even after regular insulin injection, severe itching in her legs, sleep disturbances and frequent worries about her future. She started to develop suicidal ideations and had frequent crying spells. Her records showed she had consulted many doctors with no improvement. On detailed interview she told she was a retired teacher.   She had lost her husband and her children have deserted her. She had no one to take care of her. She told she was not able to share this to anyone as no one was keen enough to listen to her. She was counseled and put on drugs and advised follow up. After two months she improved well .Her blood sugar levels came under control. Her skin lesions disappeared and she was able to sleep well. In both the incidents the persons were not given time to share their mental suffering which deteriorated their physical condition. Many of us think treating a person’s physical condition is enough. Treating a mental suffering is his own problem. Mental sufferings can worse a physical condition and a physical condition can worse a mental suffering and vice versa. We should understand this basic fact. You can’t be happy when you are depressed even though you are physically healthy. 

“ Don’t treat as patient treat as human being.” This was told to me by one of my senior teachers. Yes, friends many a time spending a little bit of time and speaking to a person in suffering is all he needs. It can solve many of his problems. So as a care giver as a family member as a friend and as a doctor it is our responsibility to respect others suffering not just by helping in their physical suffering but also  sharing a few minutes with them and listening to their mental suffering and thereby helping them in social well-being.

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being -Jackie Robinson:  first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.

” LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE. "

Who the Real Culprits Are..?

 Once a teenager was taken to a doctor with complaints of behavioral disturbances due to poly -substance abuse. When his history was probed he told that “my father is a chronic alcoholic. He sends me to buy alcohol. He even uses cannabis for smoking. But I never scold him. Let him enjoy his freedom. I want to enjoy mine.’’ Then when the doctor spoke to the father he told that “sir I drink daily. But I go to work properly. Look at him. He is not studying or going to work. Then how can he drink?” The father politely came close to the doctor and questioned “sir I have used many substances but my son is using a new one a white substance to sniff what is that? Is it more euphoric? “What should the doctor tell the father? If the answer was yes the doctor would have turned the father too towards glue sniffing. The poor man never understood the real problem in the house. He was always blaming his son.

 A young couple bought their four year female child to a pediatrician with complaints of not obeying the parents. Their told the child was watching pogo channel continuously and refuses to change another channel or switch off the TV. The child was not doing the school homework regularly and often the class teacher complaints about that to them. They wanted to assess the IQ of the child. The child was assessed and IQ was found to be normal. During the course of interview the mother told that during infancy the child used to cry a lot and refuses to take food. So the mother switches on the TV, keeps a cartoon channel for the baby to see and feeds the child. She was doing that for nearly two years until the child went to playschool. Since both the parents are working they don’t have time to spend with child. Don’t have time to sit and talk and help the child in her homework.

From the two experiences which we had, the readers would have understood who the culprits were. Yes friends childhood period is one which is very important for every child. We should always be able to spend time with our children and sacrifice a few of our interests for the good nurturing of our child. Denying the proper support and then worrying for it makes no sense.So friends spend time with your children. The way you behave to them is the way they are going to behave back to you. 

LETS MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Dr. Bevinsathya.