Track and React the Impact of Arthritis

I get Arthritis Today, the magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation, and I generally read it cover to cover. The July/August 2013 issue has several things I plan to share here. The first is an online tool called 'Track and React'. As the magazine says, "Track which daily activities impact your arthritis with the push of a button". When you register to begin using the tool, it asks if you have arthritis, then gives you a long list from which you choose the one type that affects you the most (tough decision for those of us with multiple issues).
In the 'Profile' section, besides basic identification, this is the place to enter all your meds, so you can keep track of taking them. There are fill-in-the-blank fitness goals, and a space for other goals.
 The 'Track' section is the the meat of the tool. There are six pages, for nutrition, fitness, sleep, meds, your day, and symptoms. On each page are several questions, with slider bars to give your responses from low to high. Each page also has a space for your own input. There are also links you can click on for more information about each topic.
The 'Results' page creates graphs, showing the relationships between what you do, and how you feel. You can choose a graph based on nutrition, fitness, meds, your day, or all of these combined. You can also choose a single day, or a span of any number of days to be calculated into a graph. The graph is fairly basic, with just a bar representing how well you are caring for yourself, and a line indicating your symptom level. Over time, you may notice trends in how the bar and line fall. The 'Track and React' tool can't tell you how a specific food or activity is affecting you, but it can indicate if things are going smoothly or if you might need to change your diet or exercise routine, or see your doctor.
I think this is a useful tool for keeping tabs on how you are doing. When I first read about it in the magazine, I thought the graphs would be really informative, and the reason I would use this tool. Now I think the real benefit of this tool is the 'Track' section. It is a quick and easy way to check in with yourself in multiple areas on a daily basis, the graphs are an added bonus.
Give 'Track and React' a try at www.arthritis.org/trackandreact.  It is also available as an app, so it can go with you anywhere. When you are done with that, explore the rest of the Arthritis Foundation website.They have so much useful information, and so many useful tools, it can keep you occupied for hours.

Tips for Sleeping Better

My most recent Chronic Illness/Chronic Pain Support Group meeting was on sleep.  It is an area that many people struggle with, especially those of us with illness and/or pain. I am sharing with you my list of tips to help you sleep better. 

Tips for sleeping better

1. Reduce caffeine, especially late in the day.
2. Limit alcohol- it may help you fall asleep, but the quality of the sleep will be poor.
3. Eliminate smoking- nicotine is a stimulant.
4. Don't eat a large meal right before bedtime. Eat a small nutritious bedtime snack of protein and complex carbs, such as fruit and yogurt.
5. Exercise early in the day.
6. Take rest breaks during the day if you need to, but don't nap. Naps can reduce the quantity and quality of sleep at night.
7. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, whether you are working or not.
8. Treat any medical condition that may be affecting your sleep.
9. Make sure your bed and pillow are comfortable. Use extra pillows as needed to support knees or arms.
10. Eliminate noise or mask it with a white noise sound machine.
11. Keep your bedroom dark or wear a mask over your eyes.
12. Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature- some people sleep better if the room is cool.
13. Reserve the bedroom for sleep and sex only, so you associate the bed with relaxation, not with work.
14. Reduce stress during the day. Don't take problems to bed. If your mind is thinking about a problem, tell yourself that you will have time enough to work on it the next day, and turn your mind to relaxation.
15. Do what you need to do to make your body comfortable- moisten eyes and mouth, etc.
16. Give yourself time to wind down.
17. Establish a bedtime ritual that will signal to your body that it is time to relax. Some ideas include a warm bath and relaxing music.
18. Don't force yourself to sleep, or get anxious if you aren't falling asleep.
19. If you can't sleep, get up and do something relaxing such as reading until you are tired and can sleep.
20. Use relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing.
21. Imagine yourself floating on a cloud, or on a raft on the sea. Visualize yourself going down an escalator, or floating down on a leaf. The lower you go, the more relaxed you become.
22. If sleeping difficulties persist, consult your doctor.
23. If you have nightmares, try this: Write down your nightmare. Write a new, more pleasant ending. Repeat the new ending over and over in your mind for 3 minutes before going to bed.
    
    
    Pleasant dreams! 

White Noise Blocks Other Noise

A couple of days ago, I was talking to my sister on the phone, and she commented on hearing our grandfather clock chime.  I told her that I like the sound, except if I am trying to take a nap in the living room.  She asked if we hear it in the bedroom, and I said “No, there is too much white noise”. 

White noise is similar to white light.  White light is made up of light of all the different colors or frequencies of light waves.  White noise is sound made up of all the different frequencies of sound waves. Think about the sound a fan makes, or the sound you get when you turn a radio dial off of a station.  White noise is good at masking other sounds, because the other sounds get mingled with the white noise, and you can no longer pick them out.  My husband and I were at a hotel last week, and the people next door were making a lot of noise.  We turned on the fan, and the party next door no longer intruded.  White noise is also used to mask tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

I use a CPAP machine, which helps me breathe at night.  It blows air into my nose, and the sound it makes is white noise -white noise # 1.  In our bedroom at home, we also have a HEPA air filter running- white noise # 2.  Then there is the humidifier we run during the winter-white noise # 3.   These three sounds surround me, no other noises intrude.

When trying to get to sleep, I often focus my mind on the white noise, and it helps to block out thoughts as well as sounds.  It is like mindfully focusing on a blank sheet of paper- nothing is there to distract me.  You can buy machines that make white noise to use in your bedroom, or to take with you on trips to block out other noises.  These machines usually have several sounds to choose from besides the white noise, including ocean waves and rain.  Choose whatever sound you find most soothing and relaxing.  

Just don’t overdo it with the white noise.  Many years ago, before I started using the CPAP, we had one of those sound machines, which we set to play sounds of a bubbling brook.  We also had an air filter and humidifier going.  My brain kept trying to hear the brook separately, and I had a hard time relaxing, which was the whole point of the sound machine.  We ended up getting rid of the sound machine, and just letting the other machines provide our white noise.  Ahhh, peaceful sleep.