Close to 70% of homes have a pet, ranging from dogs and cats to fish. Many people report that sleeping with a cat or a dog is commonplace. Is that good for health and self-care?

Research shows a broad range of potential benefits when people positively interact with pets. The unconditional love shown by a dog or another pet is increasingly linked with decreased stress, improved emotional and social skills, and even heart health.

In fact, as the National Institutes of Health reports, a positive experience with animals can decrease both levels of cortisol (a hormone that can complicate stress reactions) and blood pressure. Many people appreciate a loyal companion, and studies show that a pet can reduce feelings of loneliness and increase feelings of support, with the net result of an overall boost to your mood.

So under the right conditions, having and taking care of a pet can be an important part of self-care, taking steps to elevate your health.

The option of having a pet is one dimension of self-care. As I advise my patients, taking care of ourselves is important for both short- and long-term health, and that includes mental health.

Boosting mental and emotional health

Achieving and sustaining positive mental and emotional health represents an important pillar of personal self-care. For example, smartphones provide many important services that help make our lives productive, but too much screen time and “doom-scrolling” can result in imbalance.

Creating opportunities for a mental and emotional reset can provide many benefits. Practicing practical mindfulness and stretching and breathing exercises can refresh and invigorate our emotional outlook. If you’re wondering what that might look like, check out the SICHC YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@sichc_healthcare/videos) for short videos that can be used by adults and children alike.

Negative self-talk also is a common issue that can lower our quality of life and inadvertently heighten stress. By simply recognizing these thoughts and actively working to replace them with positive affirming thoughts of appreciation and self-worth can have a long-lasting positive effect. Thinking positively is also linked with the production and release of neuropeptides that can relieve symptoms of stress.

Simply making an effort to stay in contact with important people in your life can improve quality of life and be a vital part of personal self-care. Finding things that make one laugh is sometimes inadvertently neglected.

In fact, the Mayo Clinic recognizes the high value of laughter on many levels. A good and hearty laugh increases breathing in oxygen-rich air, which positively stimulates critical organs and muscles. Research found that simple smiling and laughter can actually improve the response of your immune system over time. So find something funny and enjoy a good laugh!

On the serious side, sometimes life presents us with challenges that can dampen the enjoyment of life and threaten to overwhelm us. If you find yourself in such a place, seeking professional help is a great and approved way to deal with it. Don’t let any old stigmas block your way here.

Actively check your boxes of physical health 

All self-care personal initiatives should include both light (and regular) exercise and eating nutritional food each day. Doing those two things will likely produce elevated health — and help keep you out of the doctor’s office.

And what about sleeping with your pet? There are pros and cons, often depending on personal preference. Having a purring cat can actually stimulate the production of the feel-good hormone oxytocin and improve sleep quality. Pets also like their personal life cycles, which include getting up in the morning, which they will share with you, whether you want to get up or not. So if it works for you (and it doesn’t disrupt your sleep), feel free to share your bed with your favorite pet.

The main point? Take the time to take care of yourself – and reap the benefits!

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has actively practiced medicine in southern Indiana for more than 30 years. Read more about him at https://sichc.org/providers/

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The online humor and amusing memes are merciless: people older than 55 wake up and provide a “damage report” from the aches or stiffness they encountered during the night. Or a good night’s sleep is defined by only having to visit the bathroom twice during a given night.

In reality, people aged 55 and older need restful, quality sleep lasting 7-9 hours just as much as they did when they were younger. Sleep quality and duration directly impacts daily energy levels.  As seniors know, a lack of quality sleep can contribute to daytime irritability, feelings of depression, elevated memory challenges, or a higher risk of falling or injury.

Quality sleep is restorative. It resets our minds and bodies. Rested people often have higher quality of life.

So sleep is important at any age! People aged 55 and up may face sleep complications from chronic pain or sickness issues, so it’s important to relay these issues to your provider so you can find relief.

What can you do to promote restful sleep?

• Engage in regular moderation exercise. Taking a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes three-to-four times a week can have an amazing impact on your sleep quality. Many local gyms, YMCAs, churches, and other facilities offer programs tailored for seniors and retired people. Besides getting out and getting some important exercise, such activities also offer opportunities for social fun.
• Strive for a regular sleep schedule and go to bed around the same time every evening. Your body and mind operate according to what’s called a Circadian Rhythm, a 24-hour cycle that maps out your internal “clock” of wake and sleep cycles. Disrupting that cycle can cause wakefulness and lower quality of sleep.
• Turn off anything that has a screen at least an hour before bedtime. That includes cell phones, televisions, game consoles, and computers.  Watching devices with bright lights can delay or curtail the natural production of melatonin, which is a hormone that promotes restful and high-quality sleep. Your internal clock is set to start producing melatonin at a specific time, and watching TV can disrupt that cycle. Aligning with that internal clock also can better align your body with the internal brain messages and signals that help us stay asleep through the night.
• Avoid napping in the late afternoon or early evening. Naps for older people are perfectly fine and can give us a needed reset or energy boost. However, if one naps late in the day or early evening, the nap can confuse our internal clocks as when is one’s “real” bedtime and later disrupt regular sleep.
• Generally avoid drinking coffee or tea that has caffeine, cola drinks with caffeine and energy drinks after the noon meal. Even a little bit of caffeine in the late afternoon can later disrupt regular sleep and cause issues.
• Prepare a space just for sleeping. Try to avoid taking your cell phone or tablet to bed with you or watching TV from bed. Getting caught up in a late movie, digital book or game can increase brain activity and disrupt the process of falling asleep.
• Sometimes we find that just when we’re thinking it’s time to go to sleep, our mind starts racing with disruptive thoughts (this can also happen in the middle of the night). Where a half hour earlier we felt sleepy, our racing mind now keeps us lying there in the dark. Learning and practicing some simple relaxing breathing and mindfulness techniques can help us avoid firing up the mental race cars at night.

As mentioned, sometimes sleep is regularly disrupted by chronic pain or issues that impact us. That can include excessive worry, depression or anxiety from a variety of sources. If something like this is impacting you, let your provider know.

Board-certified in family medicine, Curtis Thill M.D. has practiced medicine in Crawford County for more than three decades.

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