I went to sleep last night at about 5:30 last night and pretty much slept all the way through unt
il 4:30 this morning. What's up with that! I just absolutely could not keep my eyes open - it was unreal. Mike tried to wake me up when he got home but I think I just grunted at him and went back to sleep.
It's been a while since I was up early enough to see the sunrise! Felt good. Speaking of Sunshine, yesterday I bought a "Full Spectrum Light & Dawn Simulator". I have been reading about the "Dawn Simulators" for awhile now because they say, "Dawn simulation products help to maintain proper
circadian rhythms and adjust sleep phase disorders. In studies involving light therapy dawn simulation
alone has been successful in about 40% of the cases." I am hoping that it will help with my sleep ailments - probably not a whole lot but I am willing to give it a try.
I was also reading up on "MS & Vitamin D". Here is an excerpt from an article published this morning in the Netherlands by, "Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU Medical Center,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands" and it was confirming many other articles I have been reading lately that suggests that Vitamin D3 (the lack thereof or the Seasonal Variation of) coupled with a vitamin D metabolic or genetic disorder can be either the cause or cure (or both) of Multiple Sclerosis.
As early as 1974 several Doctors had begun exploring the link between vitamin D and MS while others focused the geographical distribution of MS cases and trying to locate or determine the environmental cause or "trigger" of the disease.
Today, their work appears to be overlapping and many researchers now believe that vitamin D3 (which is photochemically produced in the skin when exposed to UV rays ) - plays a very important role in the prevention, cause & perhaps even a cure of the disease.
Areas with a temperate climate equate to low levels of sunshine hence lower levels of vitamin D3 and UV rays (acknowledging that excess unprotected exposure is harmful). But it is not as simple as just the amount of sunlight received daily because, for example, while Spokane, WA has much greater amounts of sunlight than Seattle - Spokane has the highest rate of MS in the entire United States. In a nutshell - it is thought that the amount of SUNLIGHT
received in the winter (this is especially important in children between the ages of 6 - 15 as you will read later) matters more than the amount of sunlight received in the summer. So, because it is much colder in Spokane than Seattle people tend to stay inside more during the winter.
Alternately, in lieu of enough sun exposure, vitamin D3 can be ingested through fish,
mainly salmon, mackerel, sardines tuna etc (Omega-3 fats), therefore,
and to a much lesser extent, dietary traits are also linked to the
environme
ntal & geographical aspects of the disease. Again, Spokane with it's sub-zero winters - coupled with the fact that it is inland (no fish) helps begin to
explain why the distribution of MS appears so geographically erratic at first
glance. In Canada, for example, one of the highest rates of MS is found in Pincher Creek, Alberta with the prairies as a whole having much higher
rates than either the west or eastern provinces of the country. This is of course a very simplistic version of a very complicated disease.
Sooooo.... anyway - that is why I am buying a "Full Spectrum Light" (FS light) for my office. Do I think that this FS light will be my saving Grace ~ well, at this point, only God knows but I figure it is a cheap insurance policy.
But this much I do know, while the exact role vitamin D plays in either the cause or cure of MS remains as of
yet unknown Dr. William B. Grant, et al. have theorized, that " The mechanisms whereby vitamin D reduces the risk of MS are now fairly
well understood." so - while it may not cure me - making sure that your young kids are getting enough sunshine (2 -3 hours) during the WINTER months is a known aid in the prevention of Multiple Sclerosis.
I say .... Why take a chance - fresh air & sunshines is never a bad thing. Right! So put on your coats and get outside ... everyday. I guess Aidan's daycare is spot-on in making the kids play outside everyday ... rain or shine.
If you are interested - much of the information given above can be found by digging around these sites:
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Center of UK at http://www.msrc.co.uk/
National Center for Biotechnology Information at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
International Journal of Health Geographics at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=149400
and several other sources I'm too lazy to type them all out right now. Off to a crop ... bye bye
Have a good night! Oh Ya, Kate is home tomorrow night and Saturday we are heading up North on a Poker & Potato Chip run!!! See you soon..
-N-