Let's talk about sleep

This is my first time writing a blog post and I find myself unsure about where to start. See, I want to write about sleep, that ever-elusive goal for some. However, being a pharmacy technician, this topic is a bit outside my professional umbrella. As I order yet another supply of travel tablets, I am left with the feeling that our profession can do a lot better in addressing insomnia. So, I am giving this a go!While research has yet to completely understand sleep, we can all agree on two facts: it is necessary, and failure to achieve it to sufficient levels will eventually lead to undesirable outcomes. Since nobody seems to enjoy wakeful nights, I recognize the appeal of sleep aids. And as evidenced by the variety and abundance of products claiming to help users achieve quality shut eye, so does the pharmaceutical industry. Tylenol, NSAIDs, cough and cold lines all come in nighttime formulations. While relevant and beneficial when used for the right symptoms, they are sometimes purchased to alleviate the wrong condition. Without a certain level of discussion, some clients will use more medications than they need. This fact alone warrants a few questions. Read: What is ‘cognitive shuffling’ and does it really help you get to sleep? Two sleep scientists explainFor those who elect to utilize single entity OTC remedies, they should consider monitoring their usage overtime. Occasional use might be beneficial, but sleep quality leaves much to be desired on those medications and alternatives are often preferable to regular consumption. Another option, melatonin, was added to the list two decades ago, but opinions on what constitutes an optimal treatment dose still vary amongst professionals.While consumers are often eager to leave the pharmacy with the product they have elected to purchase, we should not forget that it is our job to provide them with tools to achieve their health goals. I consider it particularly relevant for our clients to be familiar with the concept of "Sleep Hygiene." Not everybody is familiar with some of the basic habits we develop over time that potentially have negative effects on our nights. For instance, screen exposure while browsing the internet or reading an e-book tends to keep users awake. Swapping to paper copies in the evenings is an easy change that can have surprisingly beneficial outcomes. There is also a tendency to complement unsatisfactory nights with daytime naps, feeding into a vicious cycle. While naps are not necessarily bad on themselves, our bodies rejuvenate from them and are not nearly tired enough to allow for a long slumber just a few hours afterwards. While you and I both take these pieces of information for granted, our patients don’t necessarily know them. We collectively need to do a better job sharing that information. Read: Menopause can take a hammer to your patients’ sleep qualityWhen it comes to factors that can affect snooze-time duration and quality, the list is long: caffeine consumption, pain, anxiety, restlessness, level of tiredness, noisy bedroom partners, young children, demanding pets… Physicians assisting their patients to achieve their nighttime goals must inquire about many aspects of a person’s life if they are to identify the root cause of the issue. One area that is often missed, unfortunately, is alcohol and THC use, especially in higher amounts. At a greater level, both can result in insomnia or related symptoms. Unfortunately, due to associated taboo, clients are reluctant to accurately share their consumption habits with their physician, who can’t provide effective solutions when they are missing a significant piece of the puzzle. We should encourage our clients to be more forthcoming with their healthcare provider. Precisely because I am a pharmacy technician, I feel responsible to ensure the people I assist are not receiving sub-standard care, especially in an environment where OTC products are readily available and too often dismissed as risk-free. As part of the pharmacy team, I consider it my duty to identify areas where better care can be achieved and bring them to the attention of those concerned: clients and their healthcare team. I do not hesitate to ask questions, hand out a readily available “Sleep Hygiene” handout, and, of course, refer them to a pharmacist as appropriate. I encourage you to do the same. Because our patients deserve to feel rested. Selena Despres is a pharmacy technician who practises in a small rural community pharmacy on the beautiful ancestral land of the Syilx people in B.C. An avid outdoors enthusiast, she promotes and facilitates healthy life habits outside the pharmacy through a community wide walking program and other outreach initiatives.

Let's talk about sleep

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