Chiropractic care can help you with your sleep problems.

The pain of no sleep can almost be a physical feeling.  Whether you suffer from occasional insomnia, frequent night waking or just an inability to fall asleep in time to give yourself enough recuperation for the following day, lack of sleep can make everything else in life so much harder.  An inability to concentrate, no energy to get through the day, feeling sleepy at work, or being just so tired that you grab a drive-through instead of making yourself a healthy evening meal, all can be detrimental to your health.  

The effects of sleep deprivation for children is just as dire as it can be for an adult, however the symptoms will display differently; children who don’t sleep often have developmental delays, behavior problems, and a lack of focus.  So if this is you, or your child, what steps can you take to improve your sleep? First, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor.  Did you know that your chiropractor can be of great benefit to helping restore you optimum sleep cycle? The use of chiropractic care can be effective when trying to diagnose the reasons for no sleep. When chiropractive care is used in conjunction with other therapies, it can be more than effective in getting to the root of the problem and provide treatments that can lead to that all important night of restful sleep.

Traditional Chiropractic and Chiropractic Neurology “Sleep disorders are prevalent and often disabling, but most are diagnosable and effectively treatable using chiropractic applications,” says Frederick R. Carrick, DC, PhD, DACAN, DABCN, DACNB, FACCN, and president of the ACA Council on Neurology. “Sleep is one of the most important functions of the brain. The ability of the nervous system to regulate sensory input is considered a prerequisite to sleep. Specific areas of the brain change in their function to prevent transmission of sensory information that might keep us awake. Patients suffering from pain or other sensory conditions that contribute to a continual activation of the brain may have difficulty sleeping.” BNET

In addition to getting chiropractic adjustments, Dr. Paul and Dr. Susan might suggest some of the following remedies:

• Acupuncture: Has been shown to help people relax and enable better sleep overall, for those with insomnia it can be very helpful in promoting a regular sleep pattern.
• Magnesium: One of the many problems often seen due to a lack of magnesium is sleepless nights. Peter Gillham’s products are a great resourse to read about calcium and magnesium supplements; this may be the fastest fix you find.  For children you might try adding one cup of Epsom salts to the bath tub (mixed well before they step in), be sure to rub your child with a flannel to stimulate the skin before you put them in the tub. Use only the suggested dose, as too much may cause loose stool, however, if this supplement works ~ it works fast. 
• Iron supplements: If you suffer from restless leg syndrome, your child suffers with periodic limb movement disorder, if frequent night waking occurs with your child, or if your child wakes crying with pain, kicking, punching in their sleep, try one teaspoon of iron a few times a week and you may find the problem resolves itself.  We were told about this at our son’s sleep clinic. The Dr. explained that many children and adults do not metabolize the iron they need and a supplement may help. It’s certainly worth a try before going to heavy prescription medication to resolve a sleep problem. Try Flora’s Floradix, this is a plant-based, non-constipating formula that is less severe on your organs.  One should be aware that long term iron use can cause liver problems, but you can try the solution for a week or two and see if you have any positive results. If it helps, a simple finger stick blood-test from your GP can ensure you are not over doing the iron.
• Valerian root: Valerian root will help keep you asleep, whereas the more well known supplement – Melatonin, will help you drop off to sleep.  Both are available at your local health food store.
• Regular schedule (maintain sleep schedule): Often fixing a sleep schedule will help restore sleep, especially for children.  Try to turn off the TV an hour or two before bedtime, as studies have shown that the flickering lights from the television can confuse the brains night/day internal clock, the same is true for the computer.  After an early meal, draw a warm bath and wind down before bed, read, relax before lights out to establish a set, quiet time for bed. Wake at the same time every day if possible. It’s good to remember that too little sleep can also be the cause of a sleep problem, when the body is overtired and restless, sleep can be disturbed and hard to come by. Make sure to get enough sleep, to have ‘productive or deep’ sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following sleep requirements for youth: 11 – 13 hours for preschoolers, 10-12 hours for elementary school students, 9-11 hours for pre-teens,  and 8.5 – 9 hours for teenagers. 
• Keep the caffeine to your morning latte; drinking coffee, or eating / drinking chocolate late in the day can cause sleep problems.
• Humidifier: The room could just be too stuffy to sleep comfortably, install a ceiling fan to keep the air moving and use a humidifier if the air is too dry. The goal is to help keep the airways open and stop annoying wake-ups from thirst, dry mouth, or persistent coughing.  If you or your child sleep poorly from a cough or cold, try rubbing a little Vicks vaporub on the bottom of the feet, the vapor will ease discomfort and help promote sound sleep.
• Mattress and Pillows: Make sure you bed is comfortable, this sounds silly, but too many people are sleeping on  an old, worn-out, mattress. It is suggested that you change your mattress every 6-8 years. Turn your mattress periodically to ensure there is no indents on the mattress, these lumps can aggravate and annoy any existing joint pain.  Make sure your pillow isn’t too high - restricting those breathing pathways, or a neck strain caused from high or uncomfortable pillows, will result in poor sleep.
• And finally, check the room temperature: keep the room cool, sleep is easier to maintain if your body temperature is comfortable, there is nothing worse than waking up in a sweat, and if you are hot you will wake up many times a night. 

Make an adjustment, stay healthy ~ be happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at (303) 674 1500 to schedule a consultation or email office@fontanachiro.com

Feedback