Improving Sleep Generally

Many things can interfere with sleep, ranging from anxiety,annoyance  to an unusual work schedule.Insomnia is the word used to categize sleep difficulties.

It makes sense to address some common enemies of sleep and tips for dealing with them.

1. Cut down on caffeine
Caffeine drinkers may find it difficult to fall asleep. Once they drift off, their sleep is shorter and lighter. For some people, a single cup of coffee in the morning means a sleepless night. That may be because caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter thought to promote sleep. Caffeine can also interrupt sleep by increasing the need to urinate.

When you wake up in the morning, are you refreshed and ready to go, or groggy and grumpy? For many people, the second scenario is all too common especially on Monday mornings. *winks*

Most importantly, today you’ll learn what you can do to get the sleep you need for optimal health, safety, and well-being.

People who suffer from insomnia should avoid caffeine as much as possible, since its effects can endure for many hours. Because caffeine withdrawal can cause headache, irritability, and extreme fatigue, some people find it easier to cut back gradually than to suddenly stop. Those who can’t or don’t want to give up caffeine should avoid it after 2 p.m., or noon if they are especially caffeine-sensitive.

2.Stop smoking or chewing tobacco

Cigarretes and local snuff powders a.k.a utaba/angur contain tobacco.Tobacco contains nicotine.Nicotine is a central nervous system stimulant that can cause insomnia. This potent drug makes it harder to fall asleep because it speeds your heart rate, raises blood pressure, and stimulates fast brain-wave activity that indicates wakefulness. In people addicted to nicotine, a few hours without it is enough to induce withdrawal symptoms; the craving can even wake a smoker at night. People who kick the habit fall asleep more quickly and wake less often during the night. Sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue may occur during the initial withdrawal from nicotine, but even during this period, many former users report improvements in sleep. If you continue to use tobacco, avoid using for at least one to two hours before bedtime.

3.Use alcohol cautiously
Alcohol depresses the nervous system, so a nightcap can help some people fall asleep. However, the quality of this sleep is abnormal. Its effects disappear after a few hours. Drinkers have frequent awakenings and sometimes frightening dreams. Alcohol may be responsible for up to 10% of chronic insomnia cases. Also, because alcohol relaxes throat muscles and interferes with brain control mechanisms, it can worsen snoring and other nocturnal breathing problems, sometimes to a dangerous extent.

Drinking during one of the body’s default sleepy times — midafternoon or night — will induce more sleepiness than when taken at other times of day. Even one drink can make a sleep-deprived person drowsy. The combination of alcohol and sleepiness also significantly increases a person’s chance of getting into a car accident.

4.Be physically active
Regular aerobic exercises like walking, running, or swimming provides three important sleep benefits:
A.You fall asleep faster
B. You attain a higher percentage of deep sleep
C.You awaken less often during the night. Exercise seems to be of particular benefit to older people. In one study, physically fit older men fell asleep in less than half the time it took for sedentary men, and they woke up less often during the night.

Exercise is the only known way for healthy adults to boost the amount of deep sleep they get. Research shows that older men and women who sleep normally can still increase the amount of time they spend in deep sleep if they do some form of aerobic activity.

Avoid exercising within two hours of bedtime, because exercise is stimulating and can make it harder to fall asleep.

5.Stick to a regular schedule
A regular sleep schedule keeps the body's sleep/wake cycle synchronized. People with the most regular sleep habits report the fewest problems with insomnia and the least depression. I advise getting up at about the same time every day, even after a late-night party or fitful sleep. 

Napping during the day can also make it harder to get to sleep at night. Though this does not apply to me.*winks*

Keeping a sleep diary may help you uncover some clues about what’s disturbing your sleep. If possible, you should do this for a month, but even a week’s worth of entries can be useful.

If your goal is to sleep longer at night, napping during the day is a bad idea. Because your daily sleep requirement remains constant, naps take away from evening sleep.

If your goal is to improve your alertness during the day, a scheduled nap may be just the thing. Insomniacs who are anxious about getting enough sleep may also find that a scheduled nap improves the quality of their nighttime sleep by reducing anxiety.

An ideal nap lasts no longer than an hour, and even a 15- to 20-minute nap has significant alertness benefits. 

Dr Dileem
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria

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5 Ways To Slash Salt Intake

Salt is essential to the body. The sodium in salt helps transmit nerve impulses and contract muscle fibers. It also works with potassium to balance fluid levels in in the body. But you need only a tiny amount of salt to do this — less than one-tenth of a teaspoon per day. 

The average Nigerian gets many times that much.

The body can generally rid itself of excess sodium. In some people, though, consuming extra sodium makes the body hold on to water. This increases the amount of fluid flowing through blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure. This is why salt control is a main stay of hypertension control

Many people don't even know they have it, because high blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs. But when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and heart accelerates exponentially. Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat with regular physician visits. Sometimes people can keep blood pressure in a healthy range simply by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, increasing activity, and eating healthier

Most of the salt that we consume comes from prepared and processed foods. The leading culprits include snack foods, sandwich meats, smoked and cured meats, canned juices, canned and dry soups, pizza and other fast foods, and many condiments, relishes, and sauces — for starters. But enough of it comes from the salt shaker at home that it's worth finding alternatives. So the habit of adding extra table salt when sitting at a meal is not a good habit.Here are five ways to cut back on sodium when cooking or at the table:

Use spices and other flavor enhancers:

Add flavor to your favorite dishes with spices, dried and fresh herbs, roots (such as garlic and ginger), citrus, vinegars, and wine. From black pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric to fresh basil, chili peppers, and lemon juice, these flavor enhancers create excitement for the palate — and with less sodium. As a rule, I use only these in my kitchen. I do not use boullion cubes, or monosodiom glutamtes in my cooking!!

Go nuts for healthy fats in the kitchen:

Using the right healthy fats — from roasted nuts and avocados to olive, canola, soybean, and other oils — can add a rich flavor to foods, minus the salt.

Sear, saute, and roast:

Pan searing or sauteeing foods in a pan builds flavor. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of many vegetables and the taste of fish and chicken. If you do steam or microwave some dishes, perk them up with a finishing drizzle of flavorful oil and a squeeze of citrus.

Get your whole grains from sources other than bread:

Even whole-grain bread, though a healthier choice than white, can contain considerable sodium. Bread contains quite a bit of salt — not just for flavor, but to ensure that the dough rises properly. You can skip that extra salt when you look for whole grains outside of baking. For example, instead of toast with breakfast, cook up steel-cut oats, acha, local rice or other intact whole grains with fresh or dried fruit. You can also learn to bake with whole grains and freeze

Know your seasons:

Shop for raw ingredients with maximum natural flavor, thereby avoiding the need to add as much (if any) sodium. Shop for peak-of-season produce from the market or your local supermarket. I find Yankaba and Yankura markets great. I find shop rite and we'll care supermarkets great

Dr dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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Walking for Health

Its a myth here in Nigeria that walking is the exclusive preserve of the poor or that walking is for wealthy folks who have dogs. Some also think walking is for protests or a cause.
I believe we can start walking for health.
In my experience, a number of patients who obviously need to loose weight are beset with problems of lack of motivation and as many excuses as you can imagine. Those who just need to keep fit don't even see the reason why.
Here is a simple start:

Walking is:
Readily available
Free
Do-anywhere
No-equipment-required
Practically no side effects
Walking  been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and keep you mentally sharp.
In fact, walking regularly could save Nigerians over millions of NAIRA a year in health care costs

So, as a physician,I'm handing you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted (along with other forms of regular physical activity) as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug” .
With the explosion of sit-at-table jobs in Nigeria our state of health has to be consciously addressed.
Walking can have a bigger impact on disease risk and various health conditions than just about any other remedy that’s readily available to you.

Walking for 2.5 hours a week—that’s just 21 minutes a day—can cut your risk of heart disease by 30%.
Even a quick one-minute jaunt pays off .
A University of Utah study in 2014 found that for every minute of brisk walking that women did throughout the day, they lowered their risk of obesity by 5%. No more “I don’t have time” excuses!
Start walking, and you’ll be helping to make your community stronger, too. Social scientists have found that as more people take to the streets, neighbourhood crime rates fall and the local economy improves. It’s also a wonderful way to meet new people and connect with neighbours. Take a walk with your children after dinner. It can promote better communication, reduce behaviour problems, and improve academic performance.
Walking can even help your mood. A number of studies have found that it’s as effective as drugs for decreasing depression. It can help relieve everyday stresses, too. Tension starts to ease as the road stretches out in front of you. Mood-elevating endorphin levels increase. Walking helps clear the mind, too—you may even find the solution to a problem that’s been bugging you.
I recommend 10,000 steps daily.
You can download the free ACCUPEDO app on android and start your step count
So don’t wait for your next doctor’s appointment to get inspired. Put on your shoes, step out the door, and rediscover
The joys of walking.

Dr Dileem,
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria.

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Boosting Good Fat

So every one talks about cholesterol.

I have received many questions about cholesterol. I will help to de-mystify cholesterol. 

I will be addresing one question- Is Cholesterol good for you or bad for you?? 

Simply put:

HDL is also known as Good Cholesterol.

LDL is also known as Bad Cholesterol.

One of the fundamentals of heart-healthy living is that if your LDL (bad) cholesterol is high, you need to take steps to lower it. This is determined after a test has been run using your blood. Bad cholesterol contributes to artery clogging deposits leading to blockages. Doctors encourage raising our HDL (good) cholesterol. That’s because people with high HDL tend to be at lower risk of heart disease.

Heart-healthy lifestyle that tends to raise HDL and lower LDL is good for you.

HDL(Good Cholesterol) is thought to be healthy because it transports fat from arteries into the liver for disposal or for re-use

LDL (Bad Cholesterol) forms fatty deposits in the  arteries of the heart that can cause heart attacks. 

Raising your HDL with a healthy lifestyle reap benefits. “

High LDL increases the risk of heart attack, and lowering high LDL can decrease this risk.For every reduction of 40 mg/dL in LDL, cardiac deaths drop 19%.

How to boost your good cholesterol

• Exercise more: Vigorous exercise is best for boosting your HDL (good) cholesterol, but any extra exercise is better than none.
• Lose weight: If you are overweight, losing 5% to 10% of your current weight can raise HDL, along with reducing blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Avoid trans fats: Not eating these artificial fats — found in hard margarines, many baked goods, and fried fast foods — raises HDL cholesterol. Reducing your intake also helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Cut back on refined carbs: Switch from refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) to whole grains. It also helps to add more lean protein to your diet. Eat vegetable rich foods too.
• Don't smoke: Quitting smoking improves HDL and helps your health in many other ways.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation: Moderate drinking means one or two drinks per day. Moderate alcohol consumption supports healthy HDL levels, but it isn't something you should start doing specifically to boost good cholesterol.

Dr Dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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Memorize the FAST signs of a stroke

Hello there,
These days, statistics show an increase in stroke patients in Nigeria.
A great chunk of our populace cannot even tell the signs.
In Kano where I practice , many even suffer a stroke and are brought to the hospital after days or weeks of suffering a stroke.

I will quickly share a few memorable signs.
The acronym is F.A.S.T.
F.Face drooping.
Is the face equal on both sides
Can the person smile?
Is the smile equal on both sides of the face?
A.Arm Weakness. Is one arm  or leg weak or numb? If the person raises both arms or legs does one drift down?
S.Speech difficulty. Is the person's speech slurry?Can the person repeat simple sentences you give them?
T.Time to get medical attention. Note the time so as to have accurate timing of when the symptoms began.

We do better when we know better.
Dr Dileem
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria

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5 Steps to Keeping Your Memory Sharp

Hello dear readers,
Did you know that the way you live, what you eat and drink, and how you treat your body affect your memory as well as your physical health and wellbeing? Well,yes.
I have five suggestions about what you can do every day to keep mind and body sharp.

Manage your stress levels: The constant beat of daily stresses such as deadline pressures or petty arguments can certainly distract you and affect your ability to focus and recall. If you don’t have a strategy in place for managing your stress, protecting your memory is one reason to get one. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and a “mindful” approach to living can all help.

Get a good night’s sleep. People who don’t sleep well at night tend to be more forgetful than people who sleep soundly. A good example is brain block on exam day after cramming all night.*You know what i mean*. A good night’s sleep is essential for consolidating memories. That's why it’s best to try improving your sleep habits.

If you smoke, quit. Easier said than done, you know. I quite agree. If you need additional motivation, know that smokers have a greater degree of age-related memory loss and other memory problems than nonsmokers. People who smoke more than two packs (40sticks) of cigarettes a day at midlife have more than double the risk of developing dementia in old age compared with nonsmokers. However, those who stop smoking by midlife and those who smoke less than half a pack a day have a similar a risk of dementia as people who have never smoked. So its not too late to drop the habit.

If you drink alcohol, do so moderately. Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk for memory loss and dementia. The loss of memory after being drunk already attests to this. People with alcoholism have difficulty performing short-term memory tasks, such as memorizing lists.

Protect your brain from injury. Head trauma is a major cause of memory loss and increases the risk of developing dementia. Always use the appropriate gear during high-speed activities and contact sports. Wear seat belts when riding in cars. Car accidents are by far the most common cause of brain injury, and wearing seat belts greatly reduces the chances of severe head injury. Wear a helmet when bicycling, riding on a motorcycle. This has to be consciously practised as one cannot deny the Nigerian factor here especially in Kano State.* Winks*

Dr dileem,

The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria

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