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How Chiropractic Care Can Improve Your Sleep

In recent years, Americans have placed a renewed emphasis on the benefits of high-quality sleep for adults. As the Huffington Post states, “Quality shut-eye is some of the best medicine available. It leads to more energy, helps you handle stress and improves overall well-being. Your system also benefits in countless little-known yet important ways when you get the seven to eight hours nightly that experts recommend. Sleep is your body’s time to heal, recharge and restore itself.” With the new-found awareness on the many benefits of sleep, it’s no surprise that many adults are heading to bed earlier than in years past.

But – what about quality of sleep? Does that have any bearing on the overall benefits of sleep? And, what about those who always have trouble sleeping, no matter what time they go to bed? Good news – chiropractic care can help. Read on to learn how chiropractic care can improve your sleep.

Improving Your Sleep with Chiropractic Care

What causes insomnia?

Before diving into how chiropractic care can help improve quality of sleep, let’s first explore why poor-quality sleep happens in the first place. “Insomnia” is the inability to sleep and can refer to being unable to fall asleep or waking up in the middle of night and being unable to fall back asleep. Many times, insomnia happens because of high levels of stress and/or emotional distress, certain medications and/or anxiety and depression.

Other external factors could be a contributing factor as well; some examples include a poor mattress and/or pillow, too much caffeine or alcohol, snacking before bed, smoking and too much stimulation in the form of televisions, computers or smartphones.

For others, however, insomnia happens seemingly without rhyme or reason, and the sufferer has no idea why. For these people especially, chiropractic care can help to improve their quality of sleep – and, oftentimes, chiropractic care can provide benefits immediately.

How can chiropractic care help?

In a study titled “Insomnia: does chiropractic help?”, a number of patients perceived that chiropractic care offered at least temporary respite from insomnia. According to the study, “One third of the 154 patients who completed the semistructured interview reported their sleep pattern was changed immediately after their chiropractic adjustment. All but 1 of these 52 patients reported improvement.”

In another study, the Journal of Sleep Medicine and Disorders suggests that some insomnia cases could be caused by complex chemical interactions in the brain resulting from subluxation. Scientists and researchers are still conducting studies, and further information will almost certainly be uncovered in future years.

Here’s what is known at this time: chiropractic care can improve quality of sleep in two main ways. Firstly, chiropractic care is concerned about the health of the spine and removing the subluxations that compress the nerves and reduce communication between the spine and the brain. Subluxations can force the body into a stress response, putting the body out of balance and making it that much more difficult for you to sleep well. When the spine is healthy, there’s less (or no!) pain and tension to keep you up at night. When your body is comfortable, it is easier for you to relax and the drift into sleep.

Secondly, regular chiropractic care enhances the body’s nervous system, making for more efficient bodily function. Efficient bodily function means that energy is not being wasted, easing the time and effort it takes for your body and mind to calm, wind down and start catching Zzs. Chiropractic care can also solve several problems that might be the unknown cause of your sleepless nights. Back pain, breathing problems and restless leg syndrome can all be improved through regular chiropractic adjustments.

The chiropractors at Van Ness Chiropractic are happy to consult with you on your sleep patterns and offer suggestions for sleeping positions, mattresses and pillows, nutritional supplements, lifestyle changes and more that can help you find peaceful slumber night after night. Schedule your complimentary new patient consultation by visiting www.vannesschiro.com.