Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson

Dear Counsellor,

I have a sleep problem. Sometimes I am unable to sleep and I feel stressed. I work many hours per week and sometimes go without sleep to complete assignments or projects. I find that I feel very stressed or unhappy at times.

- Megan

Dear Megan,

Our sleep requirements vary according to our daily schedule. If we are overworked and need to catch-up on sleep then we will need long hours of sleep. Your work schedule seems to create a sleep debt that has to be paid. You will therefore find that you will need to sleep for more hours than usual.

Individuals who are stressed may find that they are unable to sleep at night. Stress management needs to be a part of our daily routine. Sleep is vital, essential and necessary. You need to monitor the stresses in your life and make plans to be relieved of them sometimes. It means that you need to take vacation and mental health days. Taking time off from work will help you to cope better with the work pressures. Daily de-stressing can occur before you go to bed. Get a journal and write down your thoughts each night before you sleep. Many individuals find that they feel better when they write. Thinking of creative solutions to problems will help to put you in a good frame of mind. Working with your thoughts is a form of therapy called cognitive therapy. You need to assess your thoughts and think positive thoughts before you go to bed. Cognitive therapy helps individuals to sleep better at nights.

Stress and depression interfere with sleep. When individuals are depressed they are in a negative or pessimistic cycle. Depressed individuals are unable to see the brighter side of life and the life journey becomes an arduous task and they give up easily. One of the tasks of life is to endure all things and persevere with the task at hand. You may therefore need to speak with a psychiatrist. These days we are approaching the time when we will need our personal life coach to help us to cope on a daily basis.

Adolescence stress

Dear Counsellor,

My son is 16 years old and has recently started to do poorly in his studies. I am wondering if he is taking drugs or involved in gangs. I am worried.

- Anna

Dear Anna,

It is wise to be concerned about your son. You need to sit and talk with your son about life and the challenges that he faces everyday. The pressures that adolescents face are quite enormous. They have to deal with academic workloads, negative peer pressure and unwanted influences. Some adolescents need to have a father figure as mentor and supporter. Many adolescents get depressed and their school work suffers. At times adolescents experiment with drugs and get involved in risky situations.

Encourage your son to talk with you or take him to a counsellor to find out what is going on. It is good that you are aware of your son's school performance because emotional problems can affect school grades. As the work gets harder at school, students need to put out greater effort and spend more time studying. He should get the syllabus and past papers and set up a study schedule. He should try and revise his work every evening. In reviewing his work he may find that he doesn't understand certain areas. He can then speak with his teachers who will explain the material to him. Ongoing studying is important and you should encourage him to do this.

Dr. Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson; Tel: 791-1778 or 978-8602; or email: yvonniebd@hotmail.com