No one can predict how much time we’ll spend on this earth, but there’s a general perception that everything goes downhill after 80 years. In some ways, that’s true in regard to physical capabilities. There’s arthritis, high blood pressure, and all those other physical conditions that the elderly must cope with. However, this old dog learned 10 new tricks after her 80^th birthday. Since that milestone, I have learned to:

1. Start a blog. This was like learning a whole new language. I could never have done it without the generous help of younger folks at Ivy Tech Community College and the Vigo County Public Library.

2. Make a smooth omelet. My omelets were always lumpy and falling apart. Finally, I went on You Tube and learned the secret is using a blender to whip up the eggs before pouring them on the skillet

Old Dogs Learn 10 New Tricks. You can learn to play Mahjong after 80 — Old Dogs Learn 10 New Tricks. You can play Mahjong at any age.

3. Play Mahjong. I was a bridge player since college. Years ago, I attempted to play Mahjong, but soon gave up, as it seemed too complicated. And then, three years ago, I was lucky enough to find the right teacher. I still enjoy bridge, but Mahjong is just as challenging, without the pressure of pleasing a partner. And you can play online!

4. Navigate Netflix. We started sending for Netflix CD’s several years ago. But when the pandemic hit, we kept hearing about all the Netflix series that could be streamed . It seemed way too complicated, but a Netflix customer service person walked me through all the details. Binging on a Netflix series like Bridgerton helped us through the long winter of Covid-19 isolation.. We’ll be watching less TV this spring, but I’m so glad I learned how to stream.

5. Rebloom an amaryllis bulb. Three years ago, my husband ordered a pot of amaryllis just in time for Christmas. I had never seen anything so miraculously blooming in the winter. After reading the instructions, saved the bulbs, and repotted them the next winter. It was exciting to see the leaves shooting up slowly, and 6 weeks later when the flowers bloomed again. Now I’m hooked. My basement has nearly a dozen bulbs hibernating until next winter.

6. Stop a nosebleed. My husband is prone to them because he’s on blood thinners. Usually, we called the doctor if it happened. But during the pandemic, we didn’t want to sit in a doctor’s office with other patients. We got online and found this advice: : Have the patient lean forward, not back. Take a cotton ball and soak it in liquid nasal decongestant. Put the cotton up the nostril that’s bleeding. If you have a nose pincher, use that. Otherwise, pinch with your fingers. Within 15 minutes, the bleeding has usually stopped.

Other new skills acquired were: 7) Online banking: transferring money and paying bills via the internet, 8) Practicing daily meditation using the Calm app. 9) Texting messages and sending photos on my cell phone 10) Completing jig saw puzzles.

If you dread turning 80, or have already reached that milestone, just remember: It’s never too late for old dogs to learn new tricks.

Even after retirement, I didn’t have problems falling to sleep. But that changed when we stopped going South last winter. We looked for something to get us though the long winter nights. Our grown children had been talking about Netflix for years, so we decided to bite the bullet and embrace technology. We, too, could binge on House of Cards and Ranch on those long, cold evenings. Instead of yearning for spring, we would liven up the season with some great television shows. And that’s when I began to lie awake long after I’d gone to bed.

At first, I resigned myself to my fate. The experts said it was normal. The elderly have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, and that’s the way it was going to be. The sleeplessness continued even when spring arrived. and during the long hot summer,.

And then, last week, I stumbled across a story about “blue light,’ and what it does to our sleep patterns. According the the National Academy of Sciences, “the use of a light emitting electronic devise…before bedtime prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep…suppresses melatonin*, reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep, and reduces alertness the following morning.”

For the first 30 years of my life , children went to bed after dark, while grownups listened to the radio, watched black and white TV and read books. No one had ever heard of blue light.. Then along came television and e mail and i phones.

TV emits blue light, blocks the prodution of melatonin, and may keep you awake

Watching television two hours before bedtime could keep you from falling asleep promptly

And now, our new habit of watching Netflix before going to bed was exposing me to hours of blue light , and keeping me awake. Computers also emit blue light, so I would have had the same problem if I’d been online for the same amount of time.

Last week, I found glasses on the internet that block UV light, and promptly ordered some. Since they hadn’t arrived, , I put on a pair of sunglasses while watching television. Within an hour, I felt groggy and struggled to stay awake. By the time our programs were over, I stumbled into bed, and fell asleep within minutes.

I’m hoping my new UV blocking glasses will have the same effect as the sunglasses. There is plenty of evidence that blue light affects when our bodies create melatonin. So, if you watch television a couple of hours before bedtime, these glasses might help stop you from staying up later than you want.

There are many factors that affect the quality of your sleep, but blue light may be one of them.

*Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in sleep. The production and release of melatonin in the brain increases when it’s dark, and decreases when it’s light.

Tag: netflix streaming

OLD DOG LEARNED 10 NEW TRICKS

WARNING: ONE THING MAY RUIN SLEEP

*Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in sleep. The production and release of melatonin in the brain increases when it’s dark, and decreases when it’s light.