Can Chiropractic Care Help Me Sleep Better in Chicago?
Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you wake up in the morning with the feeling of not having rested? Do you wake up at the slightest noise and have a hard time falling asleep again? Are you one of those who wake up at dawn and can’t go back to sleep?
Surely you feel identified with one or more of the questions in the previous paragraph. In that case you probably suffer from insomnia. Although we all know what it is, it is worth defining it: Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can manifest itself as difficulty falling asleep (initial insomnia), waking up frequently during the night or waking up very early in the morning, earlier than planned (terminal insomnia).1 Depending on the duration of the problem, it can also be divided into acute insomnia if it lasts less than 4 weeks, subacute when it lasts between 4 weeks and 6 months, or chronic if it lasts more than 6 months.
CAUSES OF INSOMNIA IN CHICAGO
Insomnia cannot be attributed to a single cause and we do not have an etiological treatment, so a multifactorial and often individualized approach is necessary for each patient. Insomnia may be the main problem or it may be associated with other conditions.
Common causes of chronic insomnia include some of the following:
- Stress. Worries related to work, school, health, money, or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events or traumas, such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or job loss, can also cause it
- Travel or work schedules. Circadian rhythms act as an internal clock and regulate the circadian cycle, metabolism and body temperature. Disruption of the body’s circadian rhythms can cause insomnia. Causes include jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones, working evening/morning/night shifts, or frequently changing shifts.
- Bad sleeping habits. Poor sleep habits include irregular bedtimes, naps, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep environment, and using the bed for work, eating, or watching television. The use of the PC, television, video games, smartphones or other screens before bed can affect the sleep cycle.
- Excessive feeding at night. It’s fine to have a light snack before bed, but overeating can cause physical discomfort when you’re lying down. Many people also have heartburn, the backward flow of acid and food from the stomach into the esophagus after eating, which can keep you awake.
In addition, chronic insomnia can be associated with diseases or the use of certain drugs. Treatment of the disease can help improve sleep, but insomnia may persist after improvement of the disease.
Other common causes of insomnia include the following:
Mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, can disrupt sleep. Getting up too early can be a sign of depression. Insomnia also often occurs along with other mental health disorders.
Medicines. Many prescription drugs can affect sleep, including certain antidepressants and medications for asthma or blood pressure. Many over-the-counter medications, including some pain relievers, allergy and cold medications, and weight-loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants that can disrupt sleep.
affections. Examples of conditions related to insomnia include chronic pain, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep-related disorders. Sleep apnea causes periodic breathing pauses throughout the night, disrupting sleep. Restless legs syndrome causes unpleasant sensations in the legs and an almost irresistible desire to move them, which can prevent sleep.
Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Coffee, tea, colas, and other caffeinated beverages are stimulants. Drinking them late in the afternoon or at night can prevent you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine from tobacco products is another stimulant that can affect sleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it prevents deeper sleep stages from being reached and often causes you to wake up in the middle of the night.
How can Chiropractic help me sleep in Chicago?
The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system: the gas pedal and the brake. The accelerator is more active when we are awake and need to do things. The brake is activated with digestion, relaxation, and rest. Not being able to sleep indicates dysfunction in the body’s ability to adapt between these two states. When the sympathetic nervous system is extremely active, our “brake” or parasympathetic nervous system loses, in part, its role. This inevitably leads us to feel agitated, stressed and also not being able to fall asleep or waking up in the middle of the night.
Chiropractic helps to balance “the brake and the accelerator” so that when night comes the person can sleep well and this helps in everything. By sleeping well, the body repairs tissues and recovers. That is why insomnia is a symptom in which people experience rapid improvement with chiropractic.
If you have questions or would like to meet with one of our doctors, please contact our chiropractors in Chicago to get the appropriate treatment for you. Call or contact us today to schedule an appointment.
