The following is an excerpt from “Sex Matters: Drugs can affect sexes differently”, which was aired in Feb. 2014, by Lesley Stahl CBS News
“The differences between the sexes are dangerously understudied and that pervasively and fundamentally, sex matters. This is being realized by more and more, scientists.
The American Food and Drug Administration made an unusual and surprising announcement, last year. It cut the recommended dose of the most popular sleep drug in the country, Ambien, in half for women. It turns out men and women metabolize Ambien, known generically as Zolpidem, very differently, leaving women with more of the drug in their bodies the next morning, and therefore at a greater risk of impaired driving. Ambien, Zolpidem, is now the only prescription drug in the country with a different suggested dose for men and women.
But we’ve discovered it is far from an isolated example of differences between the sexes we never imagined.
Take aspirin. Low-dose aspirin lowers the risk of heart attacks in healthy men; but in healthy women, it turns out it doesn’t, though it does protect women against stroke. And drugs are just the beginning. Sex differences have been found in pain receptors, liver enzymes, even the wiring of the brain”.
There are alternatives that may be even better and which eliminate the worry of drug differences between the sexes ?
- Reflexology and Craniosacral therapy will help manage your stress and restore peace and calmness to your body and mind.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends
- Don’t go to bed hungry, stuffed, thirsty or waterlogged
- Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep
- Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes
- Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, but not too close to bedtime
1 minute health tip: Our goal should be to simplify our lives with health habits centred on basic principles.
Reflexology and Craniosacral therapy relieve stress and tension so you can have the balance and relaxation needed for healthy sleep, without drugs.