Your Chiropractor Wants You to Sleep Well Every Night

Sleeping well every night is one of the best things you can do to improve energy levels, help reach and maintain a healthy weight, age gracefully, and empower your body to heal and keep you pain-free. Chiropractors have methods to help you sleep great; however, that can get inadvertently sabotaged without you realizing it.

Here are three tips on how to promote the best night's sleep possible followed by how chiropractors can help you sleep well.

1. Creative the Optimal Sleep Environment

We all have an ideal sleep temperature, a Goldilocks zone on the thermostat that cues our body to realize it's time to rest up. Anything too hot or cold and our bodies grow restless, and we struggle to fall asleep. Your body temperature drops a couple of degrees before bed, cueing the release of melatonin. Without that temperature change, your body remains restless.

Lighting also matters. Make your room as dark as possible so as not to confuse your circadian rhythm. Set your cell phone face down so it lighting up during the night doesn’t disturb you, and use a blue light filter on devices to help avoid tricking your body into staying alert.

In addition to lighting and temperature, do your best to remove all distractions. No TV in the bedroom. Put your phone on silent or vibrate after a certain time and let your brain unplug from all the chatter. It can wait until tomorrow. Your brain needs time to acknowledge the fact that it’s time to sleep.

2. Practice Deep Breathing as You Drift Off

There are many breathing techniques out there that help your mind wind down, body relax, and ease you into sleep. Deep breathing cues your body to slow down, release tension and even slow your heart rate. There is an abundance of breathing techniques and guided videos that can help you breathe your way to a good night's sleep.

There's also a big perk to better breathing: weight loss/management. Approximately 85% of burned fat is expelled through your breath. That’s how your body gets rid of it. So when you get that deep, restful sleep, you’re helping your body get rid of unwanted fat.

3. Get Adjusted By Your Chiropractor

Another way to increase those zzz's is by taking care of your spine. Chiropractors are an excellent drug-free pain management resource and are essential to maintaining optimal spinal health. Whether it’s back pain, neck pain, joint pain, headaches or even some form of chronic pain, a chiropractor can evaluate and identify and treat the root cause of your pain.

Additionally, poor sleep ergonomics and less than ideal sleep equipment (old and/or inadequate mattresses and pillows) can lead to pain, discomfort and annoyances that interfere with good sleep. Most chiropractors are also happy to provide guidance on proper sleep ergonomics and suggest appropriate pillows and mattresses to help make your nights restful. 

When you're out of pain, your body finds it easier to relax. When you can relax, you'll find it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. That means less stress for you, more energy and more enjoyable days.