PCA: December 2007 - Commentary

Just because you’re old, experts tell us, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to get a good night’s sleep.

Can’t prove it by me. I used to be able to sleep anywhere any time. But no longer. Every night, I’m up for varying periods of time. Worse yet, I can’t always stay awake the next day, when I want to (I never see the end of “Jeopardy”).
Well, fellow insomniacs, we are not alone. Even fish get insomnia.
Or so California researchers would have us believe.

Stanford scientists, studying sleep disorders in humans, found that zebrafish, a common aquarium pet, sleep 30 percent less than other fish, and when they finally drift off, they remain asleep half as long. This, according to the study, is due to a mutant gene that disrupts their sleep patterns in a way similar to those of human insomniacs.

If you thought about it at all — and I suspect you didn’t — you probably
didn’t know that fish sleep, did you?

Since they don’t have eyelids, it may be hard to tell when a fish is sleeping or not. Nevertheless, I’ll take the scientists’ word that zebrafish do sleep — if badly.

This may not seem important (unless you’re a fish), but lead researcher Emmanuel Mignot explains, in the Public Library of Science-Biology, that we’ll never know what sleep is all about unless we learn how the brain produces and regulates it.

The clues to this may lie with the zebrafish.

So, I say: Go for it, guys. At 3 in the morning, when I’m wondering whether I’ll ever get back to sleep, I’ll be rooting for you — and for the zebrafish, who may also be tossing and turning at that time (although they don’t get entangled in the bedsheets). Maybe your research will lead to a scientific breakthrough, and one of these evenings, I’ll find out who wins on “Jeopardy.”

I wonder whether zebrafish stay awake through “Jeopardy.” That might be worth another scientific study.

Speaking of scientific studies, a “Senior Sentiment Survey,” conducted by Financial Freedom, a reverse mortgage lender, reached the astonishing conclusion that (are you ready for this?) old couples bicker.

Imagine that!

Most seniors surveyed (78 percent) admit to bickering with their partners; the other 22 percent said they never argue. They’re lying, of course.

What do old folks bicker about? The most (26 percent) list “personal habits,” such as leaving the toilet seat up or the lights on. About 22 percent bicker over money. Tied for third, at 17 percent, are “Daily Chores” and the “honey do list.” Perhaps the most honest response, at 8 percent, was “anything and everything.”

The survey was conducted among 62-to-75-year-olds, but I’ll bet the results would be similar in any age group. Besides, one couple’s “bickering” is another’s “exchange of views.”

The survey also concluded that most seniors who keep working say it has nothing to do with the money. Many say they continue working because their spouse is driving them crazy; 16 percent of married seniors say they spend too much time with their spouses.

Bickering, probably.

Maybe a good night’s sleep would cut down on the bickering.
I wonder whether zebrafish bicker.

That, too, calls for a scientific study.

A message from the mayor-elect

Dear Milestones readers:

One of the greatest challenges we face as citizens of Philadelphia is how to make this city a better place to live.

One of the greatest resources we have in Philadelphia to meet this challenge is our rapidly growing senior community. Senior citizens provide strength and wisdom to their families and neighborhoods.

The commitment and leadership needed to make Philadelphia the next great city must come from the senior community, and I need your continued support to ensure that our vision for the future of Philadelphia is realized.

Making Philadelphia a better place to live means providing all of our citizens with safe, healthy neighborhoods. Many of our senior citizens cannot afford to care for themselves or their families, and that is unacceptable. There are health centers across the city that provide communities with necessary health services, and they need strong support from City Hall.

As mayor of Philadelphia, I will work to ensure that all residents have access to the healthcare they deserve.

It is also essential that Philadelphia’s streets are safe, and it is the responsibility of the city government to protect residents.

As mayor, one of my first initiatives will be to implement my Safety Now plan. As part of that plan, I will focus on the importance of community policing. We need police officers in our neighborhoods; getting to know the people who live there, in order to provide better service and protection. The police force and residents need to have a proactive partnership, working together to make Philadelphia’s streets safer.

Philadelphia’s senior community provides the city with a strong foundation of volunteer service and leadership. My campaign was

successful because of the many senior volunteers who came to my campaign office everyday and gave their time.

The wealth of knowledge and experience that you as senior citizens can share is enormous, and that resource should be utilized. Young Philadelphians stand to gain valuable life experience and advice through support and mentorship from their elders. This city needs more of our senior citizens to volunteer in their communities to help shape the lives and futures of our children.

We are a great city, and we face great challenges. We have the strength, the courage and the commitment to take on those challenges, and overcome them. I was not afraid to fight for our city when I served in City Council, and I will continue to fight for the well being of Philadelphia’s citizens, young and old, as mayor.

Michael A. Nutter