Q: Good morning, Dr. Ketch. Please my mum is 56yrs old and is having BP issues. She’s been on Lexotan for 2 weeks now, because she’s having difficulty sleeping. Is there any other remedy to help her sleep well at night apart from drugs because she’s scared she might be addicted? Also tests were conducted on her last week and the result shows she has high cholesterol level which she needs to cut down on. Please, what are the things she needs to avoid and what can help cut down cholesterol fast? Please, this is very urgent as she’s getting more worried. Please help!!!

A: Not getting enough sleep is a challenge at any time and your mum is right, becoming dependent on a sleeping pill is not the way to go.

Sleep problems may show up as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep if one wakes up in the night, waking up too early and being unable to fall back asleep or waking up feeling very tired etc. This is called insomnia. These problems may (secondary insomnia) or may not (primary insomnia) be related to other health/disease conditions. Women over 60 years of age are more prone, people who are stressed and travel long distances across time zones are also more likely to have insomnia.

Causes of insomnia include stress of life (divorce, death of a loved one etc), medications, depression, anxiety, pain or discomfort etc
Insomnia without underlying medical conditions can be treated with lifestyle modifications like the under-mentioned ones:

Have a regular sleep routine that allows you (an adult) about 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. Go for the higher limit, by the way 😀 Cultivate good sleep habits (no TVs in room, no work before bed time, a warm bath before bed etc). Lay off the caffeine and alcohol before bed time too. Regular exercise helps relieve everyday tension but vigorous exercise before bedtime may lead to inability to sleep too. Make your room a haven for sleep and clear out all clutter and be sure that you have invested in a good mattress and pillows. It’s a good idea to ventilate the day’s issues before you actually start getting ready for bed, so you can mentally file every issue away in a ‘to-do’ or ‘done’ box ahead of the next day.

Insomnia due to underlying medical condition needs the medical condition to be addressed.

High cholesterol level can be addressed with lifestyle modifications:
Exercise can help increase your level of good cholesterol. Aim for 150 minutes of activity weekly. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting on an exercise regimen, especially if you have been sedentary for a while.
Smoking reduces the level of good cholesterol. So, if you smoke, stop and if you don’t smoke, don’t start
Eat more fiber. Soluble fiber in wheat and oats can help reduce cholesterol levels.
Fatty fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel), walnuts, soya beans etc contain Omega-3 fatty acids which help reduce cholesterol levels.
Use healthier oils to cook. Oils high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids provide health benefits for the body

Her doctor will determine if this is sufficient or she needs medication.

I hope y’all had a great day! 😀

Big hugs 🙂