_ We all want to change. Whether it is changing your sleep habits, getting used to your CPAP or losing weight or adding a healthy sleep routine to your life. The problem many face is that if you are trying to change those who are closest to you may not be as supportive as you hope or need.

When you change the changes can be threatening to those who you life with. This is especially if you are changing something that they do not want to change themselves. People like what they know and what they are used to but when you change it makes it necessary for them to either change themselves or to keep you from changing.

If this is your issue than sitting down with the person and discussing this issue may help. If it does not than it might be best to look for support outside your immediate family. You should take advantage of the many resources at your disposal.

• Internet- There are some great resources on the internet for support no matter what your goal is. You should not have to pay for it. For information and support on CPAP you can go to cpaptalk.com or sleepguide.com. For weight loss sparkpeople.com is a great resource for support with other people going through the same thing as you.
  
  
• Local Support Groups- A.W.A.K.E. Groups are throughout the country and can be a great place to meet other people who are trying to get used to CPAP therapy and may give you some ideas you never thought of.
  
  
• Your Sleep Lab or Sleep Physician-These are the people who work with CPAPs every day and are there to help you be successful over the long term. Call them and ask your questions. If they do not have the answers they will know who does.
  
  
• Your Medical Equipment Company-Again they work with the equipment every day and they understand when you are having problems and can give you advice on what to do next if you are having problems.
  
  

Support is essential to success in any goal you set. Look for and ask for help. You never know where you will get it if you do not ask. The final goal is for you to make a change with as little stress to you and your loved ones as possible.

The commercials show a family all smiles enjoying a meal laughing and enjoying great conversation. They all look relaxed happy and well rested. The truth is that the holidays can be a stressful, depressing and hectic time of year. However, with a little planning and setting a few priorities you can enjoy your holidays and not look like you just trained for a marathon.




Make bedtime a priority. You will feel better if you go to bed at the same time every night. This does not mean you should never go out and enjoy a night out with friends, but this should not be an every night. Sleep deprivation will make you fuzzy, grouchy and tired the next day. You can sleep in the next day and you will make up for some of the lost sleep.




Take time to unwind. With all the excitement going on during the holidays we take very little time to relax and unwind. This is the time of year when a sleep routine is most helpful. Take twenty minutes to relax, read a little, journal, an do a little stretching to help you unwind. It will be one of the best ways for you to fall asleep faster.




Get some exercise in the morning. A little physical activity in the morning will help you start off the day with a little more energy. It will be even more helpful if you can spend that time outside. The light and the increase in oxygen and blood flow will help you to be more focused during the day.




Drink your water. Dehydration can keep your mind fuzzy and increase you stress. If you are dehydrated you can also have muscle cramps that can keep you up at night. It is one of the easier things to keep you healthy.




Don't sweat the small stuff. A little planning and the acceptance that some things will go wrong during the holidays will allow you to enjoy the holidays with less stress. The holidays are not about perfect place setting but about laughing and hugging. These will help you to relax and when it is time to go to bed you will find you will be able to fall asleep faster.




The goal of the holidays is to all your to enjoy food, fun and family. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas take some time out to enjoy it and make sure that you plan your sleep time into your day.

There are so many myths about sleep and so many people who believe that the rules apply to everyone but them.  The truth of the matter is that our bodies need so much sleep and they are designed to work with our environment.  This includes the fact that it is light out during the day and dark at night.   So here are five myths about sleep that everyone thinks do not apply to them and why you should not ignore them.

1.       I do not need 7-8 hours of sleep.  There are a small group of people who are short sleepers and trust me you probably are not one of them.  Life everything 7-8 hours is an average.  But our bodies need this much sleep so we can go through the different stages of sleep.  If you do not get enough sleep you will not wake refreshed.   During the first third of the night you will be in slow wave sleep which is where your body heals and grows.  The last part of sleep is when you have your extended REM cycle, when you dream, this allows your brain to reboot.  If you wake too early you miss out on the last REM or worse you will wake during it.

2.       I need the television on to sleep.  This one is so untrue it hurts.  Television is actually designed to wake you up by using the flashing of light and dark.  If you have a sleep disorder that causes you to wake during the night or that keeps you from maintaining sleep having the television on will keep you from returning to sleep.  Again the light will stimulate you and keep you from going back to sleep.  You do not need the television to go to sleep.  You need a stronger sleep routine prior to going to bed so you can go to sleep faster.  If you are waking during the night you should talk to your doctor because it may be a symptom of another issue that is not being treated.

3.       If I stay up all night and cram for work, a test or anything I will do better.  The truth is our minds move things from short term to long term memory when we sleep.  So if you give up sleep you will not recall information as easily or as quickly.  Also sleep deprivation causes issues such as poor memory recall and the inability to concentrate.

4.       I can make up my missed sleep by sleeping in on the weekends or on weekdays.  There is an element of truth to this but our body is not designed to constantly miss sleep and then make it up a week or two weeks later.  Our body craves routine.  This is why you should have the same bedtime every night.  That does not mean you cannot go out once in a while but a routine of regular sleep is what will help you achieve optimal health.

5.       Alcohol helps you to sleep better.  Although a drink can help you to go to sleep faster over the night it will actually cause disruption of your sleep.  Your body goes through a certain cycle of sleep and alcohol keeps the second half of the night from going the way it should.  Instead you will have multiple awakenings and will not be able to go into dream stages properly.  If you do drink you should stop three hours before going to bed so it will not affect your sleep.

Sleep is probably one of the easiest ways to help you be healthy.  However if you do not take it seriously you can develop problems from sleep deprivation.  Create your routine, go to bed at the same time each night and make sure you get enough sunlight in the morning and you will soon see that you will have more energy and a sharper mind.