Getting 8 hours of restful sleep can be quite difficult for some people.
Early on in my career, I remember meeting a patient who came to my clinic with a variety of health concerns: digestive troubles, migraines, pain and other inflammatory symptoms.
Having recently moved to Winnipeg for work, she could not figure out what had gone wrong since, according to her, she was doing everything right when it came to her health.
Her nutritional profile looked good - a strict, no refined sugar, no refined carbohydrates, no toxin diet. She exercised daily (sometimes twice a day) and would proudly state how important it was for her to take care of her body with regular chiropractic care.
Stumped, I was preparing myself for a "tough case." As we began our case history, the topic of sleep came up. Me: "How many hours of sleep do you get a night?" Her: "Sleep? Who has time for that?"
Early on in my career, I remember meeting a patient who came to my clinic with a variety of health concerns: digestive troubles, migraines, pain and other inflammatory symptoms.
Having recently moved to Winnipeg for work, she could not figure out what had gone wrong since, according to her, she was doing everything right when it came to her health.
Her nutritional profile looked good - a strict, no refined sugar, no refined carbohydrates, no toxin diet. She exercised daily (sometimes twice a day) and would proudly state how important it was for her to take care of her body with regular chiropractic care.
Stumped, I was preparing myself for a "tough case." As we began our case history, the topic of sleep came up. Me: "How many hours of sleep do you get a night?" Her: "Sleep? Who has time for that?"
Sleep deprivation is a common problem and most people do not achieve eight hours of quality sleep each night. Without proper sleep, all systems of the body are thrown out of balance: The immune system is depressed, hormones are disrupted, digestion is compromised and the effects of sleep deprivation can mimic many elements of the aging process itself.
In her book: "Lights Out! Sleep, Sugar and Survival", T.S. Wiley points out that sleep deprivation is also on the CDCs list of known carcinogens. Sleep deprivation has also been known to contribute to weight gain, depression and anxiety.
The primary purpose of sleep is repair and recovery. Unfortunately my high stress, very active patient was driving her body hard during the day with very little recovery at night. This is a recipe for disaster.
Contrary to popular belief, the brain is extremely active at night. The Central Nervous System actually speeds up at night to facilitate healing and repair. The brain will cycle through three phases of sleep (REM, light and deep sleep). It's during deep sleep that the body will restore itself.
As a result, the quality of sleep is equally important as the amount. Here are three tips for achieving a deep, restful sleep:
Sleep in a cave - A dark, quiet, cool room is essential for a good night's sleep. Make sure all light is blacked out (including TVs and alarm clocks) and its not too hot in the bedroom.
Minimum 8 hours - Get at least 8 hours of sleep, 9 would be better. Early riser? Try going to bed sooner.
Stimulants - Alcohol, caffeine computer screens and TVs are all stimulants and should not be used at least 2 hours before bed.
Finally, after 3 weeks, my patient who claimed to be "too busy to sleep" was symptom free and on her way back to optimal health. After an honest reassessment of her time, she realized that her 3 hours of late-night TV watching before bed was stealing her sleep time.
While there are many factors involved in getting a good night's sleep, often it is the simple changes that have the greatest benefit.
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