When was the last time you woke up feeling truly refreshed and ready to start your day full of physical and mental energy? If you honestly can’t remember, you aren’t alone. Many people suffer from sleep disorders. In fact, the American Sleep Association (ASA) estimates that as many as 50 million people in the United States struggle with some sort of sleep disorder.
Many people are surprised to learn that chiropractors can help with sleep issues. Nevertheless, studies have shown that regular appointments for chiropractic treatment can help patients to fall asleep more easily, stay asleep, and achieve both quality and quantity.
The odd night of insomnia or a few days of poor quality sleep may not have too much of an effect on your day to day life. Sure, you may feel tired and will be more prone to over-exaggerated emotional responses – such as having less patience or a quicker temper. However, chronic sleep deprivation has been proven to lead to both emotional and physical health problems that can make even simple tasks seem impossible. Some of the issues associated with sleep deprivation include:
Chronic daytime fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability/mood swings
Memory issues
The weakened immune system, which could put you at risk of developing more illnesses and diseases
Delayed reaction time, which is very dangerous when driving and in some jobs.
Anxiety
Depression
Low sex drive
The effects of sleep deprivation are also accumulative, and this means that over time, they will get worse. Studies have found that long-term sleep deprivation can increase our risk of developing health conditions including:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Seizures
Immune system dysfunction
Fortunately, chiropractic appointments can help you to avoid problems associated with sleep disorders.
Chiropractic care is most commonly associated with back pain and injuries affecting the musculoskeletal system. However, making chiropractic adjustments to the body can help patients to overcome a range of other health issues, including sleep disorders. This is because realigning the spine is proven to help the whole body function more efficiently, including helping our bodies to relax and fall asleep.
Posture and sleep position plays a huge role in the health of our bodies and our ability to sleep well. If the spine is misaligned, you might naturally compensate for this with poor posture, which in turn compromises your body’s ability to relax. Poor posture can also trigger other back problems which could be preventing you from getting enough sleep. Meanwhile, your chiropractor can also assess your sleeping position in case the way that you try to fall asleep isn’t working effectively. You may even be recommended to try a new mattress that better supports your sleeping position.
Many of us naturally hold tension in our bodies, and sometimes it is this tension that prevents us from falling or staying asleep. Chiropractic treatments help to alleviate tension from within the body, encouraging blood flow which enables the muscles to relax and make it easier for you to fall asleep. They also help your body to be more efficient at using energy so that it is easier for your body to relax at the end of the day.
For many people, it is discomfort or pain that is preventing them from getting a good night’s sleep. Spinal adjustments performed as part of chiropractor care provide natural pain relief in several ways. Firstly, it encourages the flow of o blood around the body, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to areas that require healing. Secondly, it encourages our body to produce our own natural pain-relieving chemicals which keep the discomfort under control.
If you aren’t sleeping soundly and would like more information about how chiropractic care can help, please don’t hesitate to contact our medical team today.
