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Sleep troubles? Take action to get the rest your body needs

Sleep troubles? Take action to get the rest your body needs
Sleep troubles? Take action to get the rest your body needs

This content is sponsored by Aspen Australia.

If you're over 55 and finding you're not sleeping as well as you once did then you're not alone. As we age, getting adequate and restful sleep can become frustratingly elusive for some.

While sleep issues affect all ages, they can increase with age because our bodies tend to make less of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, causing changes in our circadian rhythm - our natural body clock.

For Corinne Messana, sleeping problems began in her mid-50s and continued for seven years, eventually becoming so debilitating she sought help from her health care practitioner.

"I felt like I had no energy to start the day. It was almost an out of body experience - like being a zombie, with a haze over everything," she said.

"The feeling would fade as the day progressed but it ate into so much of my day and I never felt 100 per cent. When you've been so energetic and active all your life this sensation is truly debilitating."

Affecting quality of life

While getting to sleep was not a problem for Ms Messana, waking up feeling rested was. Some nights she would sleep for only a couple of hours before waking up and starting her day feeling unrefreshed.

"I'd wake at about 1am or 2am and not fall asleep until virtually sunrise, only to have to get up shortly afterwards," she said. "Getting back to sleep if I woke early was becoming impossible.

"It just compounds an already stressful situation when it starts happening night after night. Combined with a busy schedule, a lot of travel and usual life stresses, the impact from lack of sleep was affecting my quality of life. It became an increasing issue for me."

Ms Messana attempted to overcome her sleeping problems with a variety of different methods, from medication and drops, to homeopathic remedies. But none helped her remain asleep through the night and get the deep sleep she needed.

The solution eventually came in the form of Circadin® prolonged-release melatonin tablets suggested by her pharmacist.

Circadin is formulated to mimic melatonin release in a person's body and to support the circadian rhythm (1). It works with the the body's natural processes to induce a restful, restorative sleep (1) by gradually releasing melatonin over and eight to ten hour period (2).

"I have an amazing relationship with my pharmacist," said Ms Messana."It's so important because they can take into account your overall health requirements and lifestyle and advise accordingly.

"I benefited from using this medication immediately - it helped me maintain a good quality sleep and if I do wake up for some reason I'm able to go straight back to sleep quickly, and wake up feeling refreshed."

Healthy sleep habits 

One of the benefits of taking control of her sleep problems for Ms Messana is the knowledge she now has about what a good sleep cycle looks - and feels - like.

If she identifies her sleep cycle is beginning to veer off course she's able to quickly get back on track before it starts to affect her health and wellbeing.

"I find my sleep cycle is great for eight to ten weeks," she said, "but the moment I start getting a couple of nights of interrupted or disturbed sleep, and I start waking at 2 or 3am, I know it's time to take Circadin again.

"By getting on top of it quickly it tends to take me only seven to ten days to fix it again. When proper sleep resumes I can just stop taking it. It's been life changing for me."

Circadin is clinically proven in people aged 55 and over (3) to help them fall asleep quicker, sleep better, wake refreshed and in turn improve quality of life. It is for the short-term treatment of people aged 55 years and over and must be supplied by a pharmacist.

ASK YOUR PHARMACIST - THEY MUST DECIDE IF THIS PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.

Find out more about Circadin by visiting the website here.

References:

  1. Circadin Consumer Medicine Information (January 2021)
  2. European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Assessment report for Circadin. Procedure No EMEA/H/C/695. 2007. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/scientific-discussion/circadin-epar-scientific-discussion_en.pdf .
  3. Wade AG, Ford I, Crawford G, et al. Efficacy of prolonged release melatonin in insomnia patients aged 55-80 years: quality of sleep and next-day alertness outcomes. Curr Med Res Opin 2007; 23(10): 2597-2605.

This content is sponsored by Aspen Australia.