Health & Exercise Forum

Part II of II

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 is Veteran’s Day. In 1918, on the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of the year, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I. This date became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938, a day set aside to remember with gratitude, those veterans who sacrificed for our freedom.

It is well known that many Veterans have suffered greatly, mentally and physically from their service. Sleep disorders, often associated with other mental and physical problems, are among them. In fact, 2 in 5 (40%) veterans report problems with sleep compared to 30% of adults in the US.

According to recently released CDC data, nearly 13% of American adults used some type of sleep aid most days or every day in the past month. That includes prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and supplements, and marijuana or CBD products.

Despite being completely exhausted, your body hurts, your eyes are heavy, you finally get into bed, and suddenly your brain has decided that now is the appropriate time to think about everything. Tomorrow. Something you forgot to do. Something you said five years ago. The grocery list. That one weird noise in the house. Unfortunately, sleep is not always as simple as being tired.

Sleep is Important

Sleep is important to overall mental and physical health and well-being. While we sleep, the body is still working. Sleep supports memory, immune function, metabolism and recovery. Researchers are also continuing to learn more about how sleep may help the brain clear metabolic waste products. A recent review in Physiology looked at the relationship between sleep and the brain's glymphatic clearance system, which is involved in moving metabolic waste out of brain tissue. Sleep, particularly deeper stages of sleep, appears to play an important role in this process. Your brain does not just shut off for the night. It changes gears.

New research in the area of sleep is encouraging. Dr. Richard Miller is working with veterans and active-duty military personnel practicing Integrative Restoration, or iRest, a modern adaptation of the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra. His work has been studied in military and veterans, including people experiencing symptoms related to post-traumatic stress. In one feasibility study, veterans with combat-related PTSD participated in iRest and described improvements in areas including relaxation and well-being, although larger studies are still needed.

10 Steps of iRest

The beauty of iRest is that it does not ask you to force yourself to sleep. It asks you to lie down and rest. Yoga Nidra is often translated as "yogic sleep," but it is not meant to replace actual sleep. Think of it more as guided deep relaxation which incorporates some of the principles of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). You lie comfortably, usually with your eyes closed, and listen to someone guide your attention through different areas of your body. 10 steps from the iRest Institute:

• Connect to your Heartfelt Desire
  • Bring to mind your heart’s deepest desire – something that you want more than anything else in life that instills a sense of value, purpose, and meaning. Consider this…how does life want to live through you? Perhaps it is a desire for health, compassion, well-being, or awakening. Feel this heartfelt desire with your entire body while imagining and experiencing it in this moment as if it were true.
• Set an Intention
  • Reflect on your intention for your practice today. It might be to relax and rest, or to inquire into a particular sensation, emotion, or belief. Or you may reflect on intentions that will support living your heartfelt desire in everyday life. Whatever your intention, welcome and affirm it with your entire body and mind.
• Find Your Inner Resource
  • Bring attention to your Inner Resource, a safe haven within your body where you experience a feeling of security, calm and well-being. How and where do you feel this in the body? If helpful, you may imagine a special place, person or experience that helps you feel secure, at ease, and a sense of well-being. Feel into your Inner Resource at any time during your practice or in daily life even when you feel overwhelmed by an emotion, thought or life circumstances and wish to feel secure and at ease.
• Feel Your Body
  • Gradually move attention through your body while welcoming the various sensations that arise.

• Become Aware of Your Breath
  • Sense the body breathing. Observe the natural flow of air in the nostrils, throat, and rib cage as well as the rise and fall of the abdomen with each breath. Imagine each breath as flowing energy coursing throughout your entire body.
• Welcome Your Emotions
  • Without judging or trying to change anything, welcome sensations and emotions that are present in your body and mind. Also, notice opposite feelings and emotions. Sense both  opposites simultaneously. Welcome everything just as it is.
• Witness Your Thoughts
  • Notice and welcome thoughts, memories, and images that are present in your mind. Without judging or trying to change them, observe any thought, memory or images and notice corresponding sensations in your body. Welcome your experience just as it is.
• Experience Joy
  • Welcome sensations of joy, well-being, or bliss emanating from your heart or belly and spreading throughout your body and into the space around you. With every exhalation, experience sensations of warmth, joy, and well-being radiating throughout your body.
• Find Lasting Peace
  • Set aside thinking and dissolve into awareness, awake and conscious of the Self.
• Reflect on Your Practice
  • As you complete your practice, reflect on the journey you’ve just taken. Recognize the feeling of peace that is always present. Integrate this into your everyday life, in both pleasant and difficult moments.

iRest 36 min guided meditation link:

Varying lengths iRest guided meditation link: https://shop.irest.org/pages/try-irest-n

SOURCES: National Institutes of Health, National Center for Health Statistics,Transforming trauma: a qualitative feasibility study of integrative restoration (iRest), Yoga Nidra on combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Guest Columnist: Shelby Yeakel is a Physical Therapist Assistant and Doctor of Physical Therapy Student at Mackarey Physical Therapy. She is a certified yoga instructor and proudly served our country as a United States Marine from 2014 to 2017.

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This article is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. If you have questions related to your medical condition, please contact your family physician. For further inquires related to this topic email: drpmackarey@msn.com

Paul J. Mackarey PT, DHSc, OCS is a Doctor in Health Sciences specializing in orthopedic and sports physical therapy in Scranton and Clarks Summit. Dr. Mackarey is in private practice and is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. For all of Dr. Mackarey's articles, visit our exercise forum!