Mind & Mood Archive

Sedative effects of drinking can also initiate other physical responses in the body

Image: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Thinkstock

Many people think that a little nightcap will help them sleep soundly through the night. Although alcohol's sedative effects can make you drowsy, they also have other effects that can interfere with quality sleep.

Several hours after that nightcap, the alcohol raises the body's level of epinephrine, a stress hormone that increases the heart rate and generally stimulates the body, which can result in nighttime awakenings. Indeed, alcohol may account for 10% of cases of persistent insomnia. Alcohol also relaxes throat muscles, and this relaxation can worsen sleep-related breathing problems and contribute to sleep apnea. What's more, alcohol may increase the need to urinate during the night — just another way in which it can disrupt sleep.

Telltale signs include needing more assurance than usual and restricting activities because of fears or concerns.

By Dr. Anne Fabiny, editor in chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch

A couple of studies published in the American Psychological Association's Health Psychology journal in June 2014 suggest that staying mentally and physically active and having strong social connections can improve your overall health.

Subtle changes in memory that concern you may be an early warning sign of declining mental skills. Get an assessment.

Forgetfulness becomes more common with age for most of us. But even if your doctor says your memory is perfectly normal for your age, you may still be concerned about memory slips that seem new or unusual. Recent research suggests that sometimes (but not always) these changes may be early warning signs of future decline. But this merits a closer look, not a panic attack.

"We don't want to worry the public that if they forget where their keys are they are on the path to Alzheimer's disease," says neuropsychologist Rebecca Amariglio, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. "But there is a growing appreciation we should not dismiss those concerns. It may be worth talking to a doctor and getting a baseline assessment."

Learning to focus the mind can be a powerful antidote to the stresses and strains of our on-the-go lives. The ability to pay attention to what you're experiencing from moment to moment — without drifting into thoughts of the past or concerns about the future, or getting caught up in opinions about what is going on — is called mindfulness.

This basic mindfulness meditation exercise is easy to learn and practice.

Want to get a little mental boost? Spend some quality time with the grandchildren—but not too much time. A new study from Australia finds that hanging out with the little ones once a week is good for your mental acuity. The study, published April 9, 2014, in the journal Menopause, included 186 women, ages 57 to 68.

The women took three different tests of memory and mental processing speed. Those who watched their grandkids one day a week performed highest on two out of the three tests. However, women in the study who watched their grandkids five days a week or more actually scored worse on tests of mental function. "We know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later, but too much of a good thing just might be bad," Dr. Margery Gass, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, said in a statement.

Stay away from simplistic check-the-box memory quizzes. They may lead to unnecessary worry—or false reassurance.

Memory tests are all over the Internet, but they are notoriously poor at evaluating your memory and mental skills. If you are already concerned about your memory and wonder if it means Alzheimer's disease, talk to a professional. "If people are that worried, they really should make an appointment with a doctor," says Dorene Rentz, clinical neuropsychologist and co-director of the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Harvard Medical School.

Try repeating words, using a day planner, and associating new names
and faces with vivid mental images.

More than two dozen antidepressants are approved to treat mood and anxiety disorders, and one person in 10 takes them.

Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. But using them can be tricky. "We can't predict exactly how someone will respond to treatment because we're all biologically different," says Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.