Ever had one of those rough nights of sleep; where you go through the next day fueled by coffee, but still feel like a living zombie? Yeah, we’ve all been there…
We’ve all heard the importance of a good night’s sleep and the negative side effects a lack of sleep can have on your body. There is always a new, great product that will help you sleep better popping up on the market; from new mattresses and white noise machines to supplements and medication.
A recent poll found that 27% of the adults in the US report they struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep.3 And we’ve heard countless stories about children who prefer to party it up at night versus settling down for a good night of rest. Considering the stats show that we spend one-third of our life sleeping, we wanted to take a few moments to showcase how seeing a chiropractor can improve the quality of your zzz’s.
See Ya Later, Discomfort
The number one reason for poor sleep? That darn discomfort! It’s to blame for keeping us awake or waking us up through the night. Chiropractic care is known to improve the neck and back pain that may be putting a damper on your nightly slumbers. For many people, chiropractic care equals less discomfort, allowing them to sleep better. This one is straight forward, so let’s move on!
Return to Relaxation
Chiropractic care focuses on removing nerve interference, allowing your nervous system to function at its very best. There are two sides of your nervous system, the sympathetic (fight or flight) side and the parasympathetic (the rest and digest side of your nervous system!) When your body is living more on the sympathetic side of your nervous system, relaxation does not come easy. Think of it like this: the gas pedal of your nervous system is always foot-to-the-floor and the brakes are shot. (Not a great scenario, folks!) Removing nerve interference and having your nervous system functioning at its best can help fix those “brakes” and bridge that gap to relaxation. And we know the more relaxed you are, the easier it is for your body to get into a restful state.
Improvement in Stress/Anxiety
How many of us have spent hours awake worrying about something that may never come to fruition, watching the minutes on the clock tick by? Many of us have, which is why another common problem we hear about sleep is the inability to quiet the mind.
At River Shores Chiropractic, we focus on the function of the nervous system as a whole and how different stressors in your life may be negatively impacting it. Stressors, whether they be physical, emotional or chemical, can impact your nervous system by getting it stuck in the fight or flight side (remember that gas pedal?). Chiropractic care aims to help your body and nervous system better adapt to the stressors in your life, which often allows for easier sleep.
In our office, we ask patients about all the different stressors in their busy lives. We want to see how they may be adding up and impacting their nervous system’s ability to function at its best.
Your Natural Resource
We love being a holistic resource for many of the families in Washington County and are honored to help you discover natural health options for your family. We have many tools in our natural toolbelt to help improve sleep, whether it be discussing proper sleeping positions, calming essential oils, or relaxation techniques to add to your normal nighttime routine.
Seeing a chiropractor to improve sleep is becoming much more common practice in children and adults due to high levels of success and little risk2 (we are even getting shout outs on big-name sleep websites like Sleep.org!)1 If bedtime struggles have become the new normal in your household, know that they don’t have to be and that chiropractic care can be a safe and effective option for you and your entire family.
Sources:
- “At Sleep.org We’re Dedicated to the Benefits of Sleep Health.” Sleep.org
- Consumer Reports. “Why Americans Can’t Sleep.“
- Jamison, Jennifer R. “Insomnia: Does Chiropractic Help?” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2005
