Updated on December 1, 2022 by Dr. Kyle Smerglia
Insomnia plagues hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans. Fortunately, insomnia sufferers have numerous treatment options available, including specialized chiropractic care.
What Is Insomnia?
Is it difficult for you or a loved one to sleep at night? The American Sleep Association (ASA) reports that 50 to 70 million people suffer from sleep disorders. With insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early.
Insomnia can negatively affect many areas of your life. For example, a lack of sleep can prevent you from performing at your best the next day. This article discusses how chiropractic care can help you sleep better, combat insomnia, and improve your quality of life.
Why Does Insomnia Happen?
Stress, anxiety, and pain often cause insomnia. Other factors include a poor sleeping environment, such as an uncomfortable bed, bright lights, or loud noises. Mental health conditions like depression can also prevent you from falling asleep or sleeping well.
In addition, certain prescription medications may have side effects that keep you awake. Physical illnesses and conditions often result in irregular sleeping schedules and bad sleep habits. Many people experience insomnia as a result of a combination of these factors.
Why Is Sleep So Important?
Good sleep improves your mood, health, and brain function. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult for you to think clearly and respond quickly, making driving or working hazardous while impacting your mood.
Insomnia can also lead to a weakened immune system, trouble concentrating, and memory problems. The risk of many diseases and disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression, increases without quality sleep.
Who Is Affected by Insomnia and Why?
Any age group can have insomnia, but several factors often contribute to sleep deprivation. For example, a high-stress life, anxiety, unhealthy daily habits, and personal circumstances play an important role in difficulty sleeping and staying asleep.
Another common cause is not having a regular bedtime, which interferes with your circadian rhythm. As a result, your body’s circadian rhythm changes, so you start waking up earlier and have trouble falling asleep.
How Do You Break the Insomnia Cycle?
Several factors cause insomnia, such as chronic pain, anxiety, bad sleeping schedules, long work days, etc. You must address the causes and apply the appropriate treatments to break the insomnia cycle. Chiropractic adjustments can help by relieving aches and helping to improve sleep habits.
In addition to chiropractic adjustments, you can try the following to improve sleep:
· Turn the AC on
· Exercise Daily
· Avoid electronics at night
· Avoid smoking and caffeine
· Get plenty of sunshine
· Listen to soothing music
Will a Visit to the Chiropractor Help Me Sleep Better? How Can a Chiropractor Address These Issues?
Although seeing a chiropractor may not be your first thought regarding insomnia treatment, chiropractic care with personal guidance can lead to better sleep. Chiropractors can guide you on what you can start working on and how to find relief from insomnia symptoms.
Here are specific ways a chiropractor can help with insomnia:
- Alleviate sleeplessness caused by pain and discomfort: A misaligned spine causes some people to feel uncomfortable when lying down. A spinal adjustment improves blood flow, allowing you to relax and fall asleep.
- Work on building sleeping patterns: Depending on the results of your chiropractic evaluation, your chiropractor may recommend another sleeping position. Sometimes they advise patients to buy a supportive mattress or pillow for optimal sleep.
- Improve body efficiency and ease muscle tension: A spinal adjustment releases the built-up tension in your muscles. As tension releases, your body starts to relax.
Mechanical Stress
Mechanical stress includes daily physical stress placed on the body. Gravity applies force, pulling down your body, and making it work to remain upright. This wears down your spine, especially as you walk and stand.
The following conditions cause physical stress:
· Bad body mechanics
· Injury
· Arthritis
· Repetitive movements
· Poor posture
Signs of physical and mechanical stress include stiffness, back pain, reduction in motion, joint pain, and muscle aches. Fortunately, massages, exercise, and chiropractic care can help alleviate mechanical stress.
Chemical Stress
Chemical stress causes a hormone imbalance or a problem with your endocrine system. Nutrient deficiencies, toxic substances, pollution, and preservatives in food can lead to chemical stresses in the body. Symptoms of chemical stress include:
· Heart disease
· Cancer
· Diabetes
· Obesity
· Allergies
· Food intolerances
· Skin conditions
Chemical stress can also affect hormones, so your body doesn’t function properly. Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce chemical stress symptoms by ensuring the nerves and organs secreting hormones continue to communicate correctly with each other.
I recommend eating right, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding pollutants in your home to reduce chemical stress. Between the physical aspect of the adjustment affecting the nervous system as well as the education, chiropractic care definitely can help those with mechanical stress or chemical stressors.
How Does Pain Contribute to Poor Sleep?
Suppose you’re lying in bed at night with a nagging pain in your lower back. You are unlikely to get quality sleep as the chronic pain keeps you tossing and turning. Addressing this chronic neck pain through chiropractic care can not only alleviate the discomfort but allow you to attain quality sleep.
Our chiropractic clinic provides wellness adjustments to improve insomnia symptoms and conditions. Regular chiropractic care can treat many sleep-related problems, including back pain, breathing problems, and restless leg syndrome. According to the National Sleep Foundation, one-third of people who opted for chiropractic adjustments reported less pain and improved sleep.
What Else Can I Do to Help Me Sleep Better?
Chiropractic care is just one of the ways to treat insomnia. To improve your sleep, you must first determine how you developed your sleep issues. Once you discover the cause of the problem, you can work on reversing it.
Most adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep. We recommend creating routine sleep habits, bedtimes, and wake-up times. You will be able to function at your best if you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
In addition, you should avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and other activities that may cause you to stay awake at night. In severe cases, behavioral therapy may be necessary if you cannot wind down and fall asleep.
Smerglia Chiropractic Can Help
Are you suffering from insomnia or chronic pain? We can help. At Smerglia Chiropractic, we strive to help you and your family maintain optimal health and quality of life. It’s important to us that we get to know you as a person to provide personalized care and attention. We focus on long-term results with chiropractic adjustments and home exercises to keep you in the best shape. Reach out to begin your journey to better sleep, and better health, today.
