Chiropractic and Sleep Issues

Sleep problems can be defined in 3 different ways:  insomnia, disturbed sleep, and restless sleep.  Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep.  Disturbed sleep is the inability to stay asleep for a full night’s rest.  Restless sleep is when you can fall asleep and stay asleep, but the quality of sleep isn’t good.  The end result of any of these types of sleep problems is that you wake up tired, or even exhausted.

 

Poor sleep, especially if it’s chronic can manifest in many ways: § slower healing from injuries or disease

§  inefficient or ineffective functioning throughout the day 

§  impaired social relations

§  increased pain sensitivity

§  weakened immunity

§  reduced mental acuity; poor memory

§  irrational logic or behaviour

§  clumsiness, poorer coordination

§  irritability and hypersensitivity

 

Sleep issues rarely occur independently.  They are usually secondary to other, perhaps greater, issues.  Just like the vertebral subluxation complexes (VSCs) that chiropractors detect and correct for in their treatments, sleep issues can have physical, mental or chemical causes.  The causes can also be subdivided into external or internal factors.

 

 

 

Physical causes of sleep problems are those that affect the body in terms of discomfort or pain.  

External Physical Causes: §  poor sleeping conditions (bed, pillow) §  irritating lights, noises, odors §  bedmates moving around

Internal Physical Causes: §  pain inside the body (backache, shoulder pain) §  organ dysfunction (waking to urinate, sleep apnea)

 

When your mind can’t relax enough to fall asleep or to get enough deep sleep, this is characterized as a mental cause of sleep problems.

External Mental Causes: §  disturbed body clock from shiftwork, irregular sleep schedules §  ignoring sleep cues by watching TV, using the computer, etc

Internal Mental Causes: §  stress, worry, thinking too much § overexcitement, over fatigued §  depression, mental disorders §  dreaming too much, or nightmares

 

Sometimes the hardest causes to pinpoint are those that are electrochemical in nature.  These can alter body chemistry, enzyme functioning, and electric activity in the body.

             

            

External Electrochemical Causes:

§  medications and foods, stimulants

§  chemical irritants, off-gassing

§  electromagnetic fields from smart meters, hydro power lines, electronic devices

 

Internal Electrochemical Causes:

§  chemical imbalance from hormonal changes, disease processes

§  electrical imbalance along acupuncture meridians

When it comes to sleep issues, wellness chiropractors follow a five-step approach to helping patients.

 

1.      Listen.  We listen to patients to see if the case history can uncover the underlying cause(s) of the sleep issues, and whether it is physical, mental or electrochemical.  

2.      Simple Steps First.  If there are simple changes a patient can do to discontinue the cause(s) of the sleep issues, we will bring these up.  Most commonly it is addressing habits like sleep routines, sleep location, diet, and exercise.

3.      Chiropractic Examination.  This is especially important for chronic sleep issues, because the same stressors that result in sleep problems also cause Vertebral Subluxation Complexes (VSCs).  VSCs occur when stressors become imbedded in the spine and create problems in the body’s ability to take care of itself.  These problems can manifest as pain, dysfunction, hypersensitivity, and impairs healing.  

4.      Chiropractic Spinal Adjustments if Indicated.  Specific chiropractic adjustments can undo VSCs, allowing for better nerve transmission, resulting in more effective brain functioning, organ functioning and healing.  An adjustment to the upper neck area (C1 in particular) has the most direct impact on the sleep centre in the brainstem.  Other areas that may need help are those related to the area of pain, malfunctioning organs, compensatory areas, and perhaps elsewhere whose connection may not be fully understood at the time.  The goal of chiropractic adjustments is to help the body function the best it can, to improve the internal condition of the body, and to improve the resilience of the body (and mind) to external stressors.

5.      Keep in Mind the Bigger Picture.  As Holistic health practitioners, chiropractors keep an open mind that some causes cannot be easily avoided or resolved, even with an optimally functioning nervous system.  Some patients need to consult with other health professionals to overcome or manage challenges affecting their sleep, such as acupuncturists, counsellors, medical doctors, or massage therapists.  Other patients need the support of family, friends, or social services.  

 

For those who are suffering from sleep problems, there is hope.  It may take more than one type of health professional to get to the root of the problem and change it, and it may take some time and effort, but better sleep is possible.  If what you’ve tried isn’t helping, be open to other options out there.  To find out if chiropractic care may be right for you, please call Dr. Clemence's office for a complimentary consultation.

 

 

Learn more about Dr. Elton Clemence at the clinic at www.family1stchiro.ca or call us at 403-347-3261 for consultation and to set up a time to have your spine and nervous system checked.

The importance of sleep

Importance of sleep:

Lack of sleep has many consequences, from minor to major, depending on your accumulated sleep debt. Short term, lack of sleep tends to have an immediate effect on your mental and emotional states.

Over the long term, poor sleep can contribute to a whole host of chronic health problems, from obesity and diabetes to immune problems and an increased risk for cancer. Plus it raises your risk of accidents and occupational errors.

Part of the problem is our propensity for using artificial lighting and electronics at night, in combination with getting insufficient exposure to full, bright, and natural sunlight during the day.

This disconnect from the natural cycles of day and night, activity and sleep, can turn into a chronic problem where you’re constantly struggling to sleep well.

It is essential to re-establish a healthy sleep pattern.

Even a single night without sleep can have health implications.

Going just one night without proper sleep starts to impair your physical movements and mental focus, comparable to having a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent.

In essence, if you haven’t slept, your level of impairment is on par with someone who’s drunk.

According to researchers, 24 hours’ worth of sleeplessness breaks down cognitive faculties to such a degree that you’ll be 4.5 times more likely to sign a false confession.

Overall, you become more susceptible to "suggested" memories, and start having trouble discerning the true source of your memories. You might confuse something you read somewhere with a first-hand experience.

Lack of Sleep Linked to Internet Surfing and Poor Grades

Other research has linked lack of sleep to more extended internet usage, such as browsing through Facebook rather than studying or working. The reason for this is again related to impaired cognition and the inability to focus, making you more prone to distraction.

Not surprisingly, academic performance also suffers. In one recent study, the less sleep high school students reported getting, the lower their average grades were.

Sleeping well is also important for maintaining emotional balance. Fatigue compromises your brain’s ability to regulate emotions, making you more prone to crankiness, anxiety, and unwarranted emotional outbursts.

Recent research also shows that when you haven’t slept well, you’re more apt to overreact to neutral events; you may feel provoked when no provocation actually exists, and you may lose your ability to sort out the unimportant from the important, which can result in bias and poor judgment.

After 48 hours of no sleep, your oxygen intake is lessened and anaerobic power is impaired, which affects your athletic potential. You may also lose coordination, and start to forget words when speaking. It’s all downhill from there.

After the 72 hour-mark of no sleep, concentration takes a major hit, and emotional agitation and heart rate increases. Your chances of falling asleep during the day increases as does your risk of having an accident. 

In some cases, hallucinations and sleep deprivation psychosis can set in — a condition in which you can no longer interpret reality. Recent research suggests psychosis can occur after as little as 24 hours without sleep, effectively mimicking symptoms observed in those with schizophrenia. 

Sleep Deprivation Decreases Your Immune Function

Research published in the journal Sleep, reports that sleep deprivation has the same effect on your immune system as physical stress.

In a nutshell, whether you’re physically stressed, sick, or sleep-deprived, your immune system becomes hyperactive and starts producing white blood cells — your body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders like infectious agents. So your body reacts to sleep deprivation in much the same way it reacts to illness.

Unfortunately, sleep is one of the most overlooked factors of optimal health in general, and immune function in particular.

Sleeping Poorly Raises Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A number of studies have demonstrated that lack of sleep can play a significant role in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In earlier research, women who slept five hours or less every night were 34 percent more likely to develop diabetes symptoms than women who slept for seven or eight hours each night.

The Many Health Hazards of Sleep Deprivation

Aside from directly impacting your immune function, another explanation for why poor sleep can have such varied detrimental effects on your health is that your circadian system "drives" the rhythms of biological activity at the cellular level.

For example, during sleep your brain cells shrink by about 60 percent, which allows for more efficient waste removal. This nightly detoxification of your brain appears to be very important for the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep is also intricately tied to important hormone levels, including melatonin, the production of which is disturbed by lack of sleep.

Tips to Improve Your Sleep Habits

Small adjustments to your daily routine and sleeping area can go a long way toward ensuring you uninterrupted, restful sleep — and thereby better health.

Optimize your light exposure during the day. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night. 

Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. This raises your core body temperature, and when you get out of the bath it abruptly drops, signaling your body that you’re ready for sleep.

Avoid watching TV or using electronics in the evening, at least an hour or so before going to bed. Electronic devices emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime. Normally, your brain starts secreting melatonin between 9 pm and 10 pm, and these devices may stifle that process.
Develop a relaxing pre-sleep routine. Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day helps keep your sleep on track, but having a consistent pre-sleep routine or “sleep ritual” is also important.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine and other drugs, including nicotine before bed time.

Two of the biggest sleep saboteurs are caffeine and alcohol, both of which also increase anxiety. Caffeine’s effects can last four to seven hours. Tea and chocolate also contain caffeine.

Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it makes sleep more fragmented, less restorative and restful.
Nicotine in all its forms is also a stimulant, so lighting up too close to bedtime can worsen insomnia. Many other drugs can also interfere with sleep.

Chiropractic can help with sleep by optimizing your nervous system and helping with all those aches and pains that keep you up at night.

Dr. Stephen Kelly

Dr, Kelly works at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

A Healthy Lifestyle Includes Getting Proper Sleep

Good sleep is one of the cornerstones of health that should not be overlooked. Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep. Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger. But that's not all. Interrupted or impaired sleep can also:

·         Dramatically weaken your immune system

·         Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions

·         Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you've already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight.

·         Seriously impair your memory even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day and impair your performance on physical or mental tasks

One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause.

For more infor mation visit our website at www.family1stchiro.ca about our clinic and practitioners, Family First Chiropractic and Wellness is located at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer 403-347-3261