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Page 8, Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, April 29, 1987 Some info on sleep and its characteristics Mental Health and You is provid- ed as a service of the North of Superior Community Mental Health Program. The purpose of these articles is to inform the community about mental health issues. These articles will now resume to once every two weeks and will cover a variety of mental health issues. We invite feedback from the community at large by writing the News office. Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the manage- ment of the North of Superior Community Mental Heatlh Program. By Hadley Koltun Sleep We spend % of our lives sleep- ing. Also, we spend % of our sleep dreaming. However, both sleeping and dreaming remain a mystery. The next two articles will look at both sleeping and dreaming so that we can make some sense of these two important parts of our lives. Why we sleep remains a mystery. We know that sleep is im- portant all throughout life to help us to rest. The average amount of sleep is 8 hours per night for an adult. On the other hand, individuals do vary in the amounts of sleep they need at certain times in their lives. A newborn infant will spend between 14 and 16 hours in sleep. As we get older, we generally need less sleep; in fact, individuals around the age of 65 years may need only 3 or 4-hours of sleep dur- ing the night. Insomnia- hypersomnia At certain periods during our lives, we may experience problems with too little sleep (insomnia) or too much sleep (hypersomnia). Both insomnia and hypersomnia may or may not be a symptom of an ailment. Quite often, insomnia, by itself, may be a problem. Establishing a regular sleep ' routine, decreasing your intake of caffeine from coffee and soda pop, warm milk or just relaxing before Lag may help you to get those s. Even snoring from your spouse can be a cause of insomnia. If symptoms persist after you have taken these steps, it is wise to seek the advice of a health professional. The next question is how do we sleep? Research has shown there are two types of sleep; we have periods of sleep with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and periods of sleep with No Rapid Eye Move- ment (NREM). When we sleep, we fall into in- creasingly deeper sleep during our NREM stages. In between each of the NREM stages, there is a REM stage. During the NREM stages, our hearts and breathing rate decreases, brain wave activity decreases, and we simply relax. Sometimes children experience nightmares, which are not dreams. These night terrors occur during the NREM stages and is due to the growth of the central nervous ATTENTION: NON-PROFIT HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS Create non-proiit housing in your community, plications are due May 15. Meeting Ontatios housing needs. As first advertised last January, applications are being accepted for the development of 6,700 new non-profit housing units across Ontario. Construction of these units will begin in 1988. Interested groups should apply now as the May 15th deadline for preliminary applications is fast approaching. The Government of Canada through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Housing, will be cost- sharing assistance directed to needy households. Market units will be fully funded by the Prov- ince of Ontario. The program is open to all municipal non-profit, private non- profit and non-profit co-operative organizations. Local community organizations wishing to sponsor non-profit housing projects can apply for government grants to cover the costs of establishing non-profit housing corporations. Affordable housing for those in need. This program helps non-profit agencies to create affordable. housing for households in need of housing assistance. These include families, senior citizens or physically, developmentally and psychiatrically handicapped persons able to live independently. In addition, some of the units will be specifically targetted to low-income singles. Call now for complete details. Organizations wishing to spon; sor such housing projects must submit their preliminary appli- cations by May 15, 1987. For more information and application packages, contact your nearest Regional Office of the Ministry of Housing as soon as possible. Canada ~@ Ontario Regional Offices of the Ministry of Housing Southern Office Eastern Office Northwestern Office 55 Hess St. S. 1150 Morrison Dr., 2nd Fir. 435 James St. S Hamilton, Ontario, LP 4R8 Ottawa, Ontario, K2H 8S9 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 5G6 London, Ontario, N6A SBS (416) 521-7500 (613) 820-8305 (807) 475-1465 or dial '0' and ask or dial toll-free or dial toll-free for Zenith 20450 1-800-465-5015 1-800-267-6108 Southwestern Office Northern Office 380 Wellington St., Suite 1100 1191 Lansing Ave. (519) 679-7110 (705) 560-6350 or dial toll-free or dial toll-free 1-800-265-4733 1-800-461-1190 Central Office 4950 Yonge St., 4th Fir. Sudbury, Ontario, P3A 4C4 Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6K1 (416) 225-1211 or dial '0' and ask for Zenith 20450 system inside the child. It is quite natural and normal! The child is unaware of these night terrors because he or she is still in a deep sleep stage. As I said earlier, in between each of the four stages of NREM is a short period of-sleep with Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Even though we are still asleep, many of our physical signs elevate to near awakening levels. It is dur- ing this period of time when we are dreaming. In the next article, I will discuss dreaming and what dreams could mean. You can contact the Community Mental Health Worker in Ter- race Bay at 825-3238 or in Schreiber at 824-2597. Take care this summer Some Ontario residents are serious- ly injured every year while engaged in common activities such as barbecuing, mowing lawns and yard work. Although the type and severity of the accidents vary, most are caused by carelessness. It's so easy to become complacent about using propane barbecues and other equipment we handle regularly in our own yards. "Unfortunately, when safety is taken for granted, the results are often tragic,"' says Monte Kwinter, minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. Check propane cylinders Propane barbecue cylinders should be inspected for dents and corrosion- if damaged they should be looked at by certified dealers. Check the date stamped on the rais- ed collar. This indicates the manufac- ture date and the dates of any later inspections. If more than 10 years have passed since the most recent date, the cylinder is due for inspection or replacement and it cannot be legally refilled. If you are unsure of the last inspec- tion date take it into a certified propane inspection dealer for a check. Check for leaks When attaching a cylinder to a barbecue, be sure the rubber seal is in good conditon. Once the cylinder is in place check for leaks by pouring a soap and water solution over all lines and connections, The appearance of bubbles indicates a leak and the main valve should be shut off immediately. Have an expert repair the leak before using the barbecue. Read instructions Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Make sure the burner ports or openings are clean and the burner surface is clear of dirt or dust. Arrange the hose so that it does not come into contact with the hot body of the barbecue. A common cause of backyard ac- cidents is improper use of fuels. Use only approved containers for gasoline. Don't leave any fuel sitting in the sun. Store it ina cool place away. from the house and any source of ignition. Never transport fuel in a closed trunk. Explosive fumes could turn the car tnto a bomb on wheels. Further information For further information of backyard safety, contact the Ministry of Con- sumer and Commercial Relations at (416) 963-1111 collect or your nearest office of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines at the lower floor Peninsula Building, Box 280. Marathon, Ontario, POT 2E0. For local calls, call 229-1153 or for areas outside of Marathon, ask your operator for Zenith 33160. Note: For residents of Terrace Bay or Schreiber who find themselves needing assistance from the Northern Affairs Officer, you may book an appointment in Terrace Bay by calling Joan at the recreation centre- 825-3542, or call- ing Gerri at the township in Schreiber at 824-271]. Appointments can be made every Thursday.