Lessons from Rip Van Winkle
Sleep is one of the essential pillars of good health. Sleep enables us to thrive by giving our bodies the opportunity to grow and heal.
Lack of sleep not only makes you feel more tired, but also has more subtle side effects:
Lack of concentration
Cravings for more sugar and caffeine
Irritability
Increase in headaches
This can become a vicious circle - poor sleep and more of those side effects.
Quality versus Quantity
In terms of quantity the recommended amount is around eight hours per night - but this varies from person to person.
Sleep quality is more complicated to measure. Good quality sleep should meet the following criteria:
Falling asleep quickly - less than 30 minutes
Sleeping continuously
Getting back to sleep quickly if you wake
Feeling refreshed in the morning
Look for these measures when assessing your sleeping patterns, rather than focusing solely on the number of hours you have slept.
What gets in the way of good quality sleep?
A number of things, but they can be broadly determined by four factors:
Physical - you are in pain or suffering with a physical condition which is keeping you wake (a temperature, sleep apnea, acid reflux, frequent urination and so on)
Mental - stress, anxiety or an inability to switch off. This leads to difficulty in getting back to sleep, if you wake during the night
Chemical factors - medication, alcohol, caffeine, eating late at night or at different times due to shift patterns
Environmental - light, temperature, gadget overuse (blue light), continually changing sleep times due to work
What can you do to improve your sleep?
Simply, address the factors you can control:
The easiest - making adjustments to your environment
More effort - adopt a healthier lifestyle. This should help reduce that vicious circle you could be stuck in: poor sleep - poor diet - poorer sleep and so on. It may also help to add in some exercise or medication which will change the chemical structure of your body, aiding relaxation and sleep.
Time to ask for help - if you're in pain or worrying about something where outside support can help. Sometimes chiropractors are good at this stage!
Chiropractors can help not only explaining pain, but also alleviating it. We can recommend exercise and sleeping positions which may help you to fall asleep quicker or stay asleep longer.
Our goal is for you to be well rested and pain free!