How Chiropractic Care Can Help With Sleep
Sacramento Chiropractor Helps With Sleep
The national center for biotechnology information estimates that as many as 50 million people in the United States struggle with some sort of sleep disorder.
At Barham Chiropractic we help hundreds of patients with sleep every week.
Most of the time unintentionally.
Believe it or not, our results at our Sacramento Chiropractor office are not uncommon.
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.
Sleep’s Role In Health And Wellbeing
Sleep is a basic biological need that lets our bodies and minds rest, heal, and get stronger. If we don't get enough sleep, it can hurt our health in a number of ways, including making us tired, and irritable, and decreasing cognitive function. It can even make us more likely to get long-term diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
To understand the importance of sleep in more detail, let's take a closer look at the many ways in which sleep impacts our health and wellbeing:
Physical health:
Sleep is critical for physical health. Sleep allows our bodies to repair and regenerate tissues, maintain a healthy immune system, and regulate hormone levels. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. At Barham Chiropractic, we notice that once we are able to help patients get more restful sleep, they recover from their general problems significantly faster.
Mental health:
Sleep also plays a critical role in mental health, as it helps us to manage stress, regulate mood, and improve cognitive function. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and even an increased risk of suicide. As a matter of fact, it has been proven in scientific studies that moderate sleep deprivation is worse than drinking.
Performance:
Adequate sleep is essential for optimal performance, whether it be in the workplace, on the field, or in the classroom. Lack of sleep can impair cognitive function, reaction times, and decision-making skills, leading to decreased performance and productivity. Sleep deprivation can be a major safety hazard if you work with heavy machinery or in a dangerous job because it dramatically reduces performance.
Safety:
As we concluded in the last point, sleep is also critical for safety, because it helps to maintain alertness and attention. Fatigue caused by sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of accidents, particularly in high-risk occupations such as truck driving or aviation.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Improve Sleep
There are two main ways chiropractic care can help improve sleep.
The first way that chiropractic care can help improve sleep is by correcting underlying sleep disorders.
Unfortunately, we will not cover that in this article because our intention is to build out an entire series of articles explaining all of the disorders chiropractic care can help with.
If you are interested in learning more about chiropractic care and sleep disorders, we highly recommend you check in on our blog weekly, because we will be continuing to update the blog in this area.
The second way chiropractic care can help improve sleep (that we will actually discuss here) is that it promotes natural health benefits that help improve sleep.
The natural health benefits that improve sleep are the following:
Promotes natural relaxation:
When your muscles relax, it naturally helps the body sleep. Often, the body braces itself to prevent injuries that could be caused by subluxations. The problem is, that when the body stays tense in self-defense, it can’t fully relax to get restful sleep. By correcting subluxations, chiropractors often put the body in a position where it can safely relax and therefore have a more restful sleep.
Reduces inflammation:
Subluxations can inflammation, not just because they can cause micro-injuries but because they also may reduce the proficiency of the lymphatic and nervous systems. Reducing inflammation can have a secondary effect of improving sleep because the body will be able to move (and lay in bed) with more ease.
Reduces cortisol:
Cortisol is the stress hormone! We are confident you have heard of this hormone before. But did you know this hormone is also the wakefulness hormone??
By reducing cortisol with chiropractic care, you help your body actually feel sleepy because you can help it have balanced levels of cortisol.
Increases feel-good hormones
Chiropractic care also increases endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good hormones that, when balanced, can promote sleep.
Alleviating pain
This one is a situation that we see far too often at our Sacramento Chiropractor's office. Pain you may have gotten used to and not know is there, could be destroying your rest. The human body is amazing and can often help us to deal with pain by completely desensitizing us to it. This can lead to a laundry list of sleep disorders, but once you correct subluxations and take away the cause of the pain your body will finally be able to rest.
How Long Does It Take For Chiropractic Care To Help With Sleep?
The length of time it takes for chiropractic care to help with sleep can vary depending on the individual and the underlying cause of the sleep issues.
For some individuals, relief may be felt after just a few chiropractic adjustments, particularly if the sleep issues are related to musculoskeletal problems like pain, discomfort, or tension. In these cases, chiropractic adjustments can help to alleviate symptoms and improve sleep quality relatively quickly. At Barham Chiropractic we have had patients report improvements with sleep as soon as the first adjustment.
However, for other individuals, particularly those with more complex sleep disorders or underlying health issues, it may take longer to see significant improvement with chiropractic care. In these cases, we often recommend a consistent corrective care plan, incorporating a variety of techniques such as adjustments, soft tissue therapy, and lifestyle modifications to address underlying issues and promote better sleep.
Bonus: Chiropractic Helps Babies sleep
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Your Baby Sleep Better
Are you a new parent struggling to get your baby to sleep through the night? It can be exhausting, both physically and mentally, to deal with a baby who wakes up frequently during the night. However, chiropractic care may be able to help. We have had many of our tiny patients sleep like… well… babies, after getting taken care of.
Alleviating Tension and Discomfort
Babies can experience tension and discomfort in their neck, back, and hips, just like adults can. This can be caused by a variety of factors, such as the position of the baby during delivery, or the strain of holding their tiny baby heads up. Chiropractic adjustments can help alleviate this tension and discomfort, allowing your baby to feel more comfortable and relaxed.
Improving Digestion
Digestive issues can also disrupt a baby's sleep. Chiropractic adjustments can help improve digestion by addressing any misalignments in the spine that may be interfering with the nervous system's ability to communicate with the digestive system. The little guy in the photo above actually had a little breakthrough going number two after his tiny adjustment.
(Any parent knows this can definitely help babies fuss less and sleep soundly)
Balancing the Nervous System
When the nervous system is functioning properly, the body is better able to regulate sleep and wake cycles. Chiropractic adjustments can help balance the nervous system, which can lead to better sleep for both babies and adults. We actually wrote an entire article and how chiropractic care treats colic. Check out this blog if you want to learn more about chiropractic for babies.
If you're interested in trying chiropractic care for your baby, it's important to find a chiropractor who is experienced in working with infants. At Barham Chiropractic we have several tiny patients that get treated and we are very comfortable taking care of any baby's spine and addressing any issues that may be contributing to sleep problems.
Thanks for stopping by!
Chiropractic care can be a safe and effective way to help your baby sleep better. By alleviating tension and discomfort, improving digestion, and balancing the nervous system, chiropractic adjustments can help your baby feel more relaxed and comfortable, leading to better sleep for the whole family.
If you or a loved one struggle with sleep issues, please consider reaching out to us during our office hours or by filling out the contact information on our New Patient Offer.
We would love to earn the opportunity to help you in your health journey.
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You can also reach out to our Sacramento Chiropractor Office via phone call at (916) 542-6273 during office hours.