Sleep Better: A Psycho-Chiropractor's Perspective
Sleep better? Dr. Wayne Coghlan - Psycho-Chiropractor at your service.
This article is for information only. If long term sleep deprivation is your concern consult a health professional.
See Note 3 - Effects of long term sleep deprivation.
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We all have times when adequate sleep seems to elude us. Persistent lack of sleep -
beyond several weeks at a time - produces fatigue, depression,
confusion, impaired short-term memory, concentration and alertness.
Long term lack of sleep impairs your ability to fight off disease and
repair tissue.
Persistent lack of sleep - beyond several weeks at a time - produces fatigue, depression, confusion, impaired short-term memory, concentration and alertness. Long term lack of sleep impairs your ability to fight off disease and repair tissue. |
See note 2. The
concept of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep may not be natural to
humans. It may be an adaptation to the industrial -commercial work
schedule. People in many tropical countries find it very necessary to enjoy their mid-day siesta.
See note 1. There are documented cases of people who get by very well with only a few hours of sleep yet others who feel their best with ten! Your proper sleep pattern is what works for you. If you are reasonably well rested through your day and able to function well, lack of sleep is not your problem.
Your habits - Both what you think and do - can cause many chronic sleep problems.
If your sleep is disturbed over longer periods of time, the suggestions in this brochure can help you sort your way through.
See note 1. There are documented cases of people who get by very well with only a few hours of sleep yet others who feel their best with ten! Your proper sleep pattern is what works for you. If you are reasonably well rested through your day and able to function well, lack of sleep is not your problem.
Your habits - Both what you think and do - can cause many chronic sleep problems.
If your sleep is disturbed over longer periods of time, the suggestions in this brochure can help you sort your way through.
Seven Ways To Sleep Better
Sleep
problems are not insurmountable. If ongoing sleeplessness is a
concern to you, take a look at your habits and do some fine tuning as
necessary.
Here are seven ways to sleep better.
Sweet Dreams!
Here are seven ways to sleep better.
Sweet Dreams!
Establish a sleep schedule.
Going to bed too early? Many people will go to bed because they are bored. Then they are frustrated because they aren’t tired enough to sleep well. This only results in longer periods of lousy sleep.
Instead, decrease your slumber time by retiring later, when you are obviously tired and rising earlier. You may get less bed rest, but you know you’ll sleep more soundly, and you’ll lose your apprehension about it.
Your body’s internal timekeepers want predictability. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, is probably the most important step towards establishing good sleep patterns.
Studies find that adults who sleep more than eight hours a night (long sleepers) or less than seven hours of slumber, report more sleep complaints than people who get just the right amount of shuteye -- between seven and eight hours per night. Too much sleep may be just as unhealthy as too little.
Going to bed too early? Many people will go to bed because they are bored. Then they are frustrated because they aren’t tired enough to sleep well. This only results in longer periods of lousy sleep.
Instead, decrease your slumber time by retiring later, when you are obviously tired and rising earlier. You may get less bed rest, but you know you’ll sleep more soundly, and you’ll lose your apprehension about it.
Your body’s internal timekeepers want predictability. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, is probably the most important step towards establishing good sleep patterns.
Studies find that adults who sleep more than eight hours a night (long sleepers) or less than seven hours of slumber, report more sleep complaints than people who get just the right amount of shuteye -- between seven and eight hours per night. Too much sleep may be just as unhealthy as too little.
Work when you work, rest when you rest
Limit bedroom activities. | 
As best you can... save the bedroom for bedroom activities...sleep and ...play
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Note the unhappy bed-mate.....
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Watching
TV, scheduling tomorrow’s agenda, problem-solving with your spouse
and even reading are activities associated with wakefulness. These
activities can help someone wind down, but if your rest is poor, use the bedroom strictly for sleep (and romance). This helps separate the active part of your life from sleep time.
Struggling to sleep is counter productive Separate sleep from wakefulness.
If you persistently find yourself lying awake for a long time, you may soon expect to have trouble falling asleep. Often, worrying about lack of sleep keeps people awake!
When you languish between sleep and wakefulness for more than 15 minutes, get up. Watch a quiet nature program or read something dull. Go back to bed only when you feel drowsy.
While you may have fewer hours of trying to sleep, the sleep you do have will be better quality of sleep.
Keep your cool... when it comes to getting some sleep
Regulate your body heat.
Even small ups and downs in body temperature play a large role in your biological rhythms. Sleep generally follows the cooling phase of your body’s temperature cycle. Normally, peaks and troughs in temperature parallel exposure to light and darkness, but if your inner thermostat is following its own independent schedule, your sleep may be disrupted.
A hot bath just before bedtime can increase body temperature ... if you have trouble sleeping, bathe earlier or enjoy a warm but not a hot bath.
Avoid vigorous activity within a few hours of bedtime as it can raise your body temperature and keep you awake. While exercise early in the day does not directly promote better sleep at night, it does promote better wakefulness. Getting outdoors and exposure to early morning sunshine can help keep your system in synch with the natural light-dark cycle. Exercise helps promote emotional and physical well being and is associated with healthier sleep patterns.
Even small ups and downs in body temperature play a large role in your biological rhythms. Sleep generally follows the cooling phase of your body’s temperature cycle. Normally, peaks and troughs in temperature parallel exposure to light and darkness, but if your inner thermostat is following its own independent schedule, your sleep may be disrupted.
A hot bath just before bedtime can increase body temperature ... if you have trouble sleeping, bathe earlier or enjoy a warm but not a hot bath.
Avoid vigorous activity within a few hours of bedtime as it can raise your body temperature and keep you awake. While exercise early in the day does not directly promote better sleep at night, it does promote better wakefulness. Getting outdoors and exposure to early morning sunshine can help keep your system in synch with the natural light-dark cycle. Exercise helps promote emotional and physical well being and is associated with healthier sleep patterns.
Caffeine is a stimulant.. Stimulant... sleep.... see the conflict?
Skip caffeine - even in mid-afternoon.
Caffeine is a stimulant and can linger in the system up to eight hours. Even for people who drink coffee before bed and think they sleep well, research shows significant sleep disturbances when monitored in the lab. Remember that tea, chocolate, colas, other foods and many medications can contain caffeine and may impair sleep. Smoking impairs sleep because nicotine has a stimulant effect similar to caffeine.
Caffeine is a stimulant and can linger in the system up to eight hours. Even for people who drink coffee before bed and think they sleep well, research shows significant sleep disturbances when monitored in the lab. Remember that tea, chocolate, colas, other foods and many medications can contain caffeine and may impair sleep. Smoking impairs sleep because nicotine has a stimulant effect similar to caffeine.
Red Bull seems kinda wussy by comparison....
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Anxiety... stimulates metabolism... makes you pee more... jitters...
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Metabolism of alcohol produces a stimulant that interferes with sleep...
Avoid nightcaps.
While alcohol does help you fall asleep, as it is metabolized by the body it releases a natural stimulant that disrupts sleep during the second half of the night. The greater the quantity of alcohol consumed, the worse the disruption. A small snack - not a feast - eaten before bed promotes sleep.
While alcohol does help you fall asleep, as it is metabolized by the body it releases a natural stimulant that disrupts sleep during the second half of the night. The greater the quantity of alcohol consumed, the worse the disruption. A small snack - not a feast - eaten before bed promotes sleep.
White noise... a soft breeze offers a neutral distraction
Screen out nocturnal noises.
You will likely get used to soft, rhythmic sounds such as the furnace kicking in, however, louder sporadic noise from traffic or aircraft can be more disruptive than you might think.
If you can’t eliminate the noise, try muffling its sound. Carpeting and draperies help.
Create white noise - an even low level sound that masks other more intrusive noise.... Run a fan, tune the radio to a blank spot on the dial.
You will likely get used to soft, rhythmic sounds such as the furnace kicking in, however, louder sporadic noise from traffic or aircraft can be more disruptive than you might think.
If you can’t eliminate the noise, try muffling its sound. Carpeting and draperies help.
Create white noise - an even low level sound that masks other more intrusive noise.... Run a fan, tune the radio to a blank spot on the dial.
Stressing the mind stresses the body
People who try to ‘sleep on their problems’ neither solve their problems nor get their sleep.
It’s hard to sleep if you’re a wound tangle of nerves. Some helpful suggestions... Leave work at work. Since we’re paid to fill our minds with ideas, letting go of them isn’t always easy. Create a symbol or simple ritual to signify the end of your work day... shutting off your computer, closing the door, locking your desk... buying a flower.
When the ritual is done, so is the work day. If you must bring work home, when you have given your due, put the work away and close the ‘box‘. You control your work, it does not control you.
If you are a worrier and it’s bedtime when your mind wanders, carve 30 minutes of ‘worry time’ out of your day. Write down your thoughts and plan of action. If your troubles return as you try to dose off, tell yourself, “I’ve already worked that out and now it’s my time ... to sleep.”
Jot down your thoughts on a notepad through the evening or keep one at the bedside. Let the notepad ’remember’ your thoughts instead of holding them in your head all night long.
It’s hard to sleep if you’re a wound tangle of nerves. Some helpful suggestions... Leave work at work. Since we’re paid to fill our minds with ideas, letting go of them isn’t always easy. Create a symbol or simple ritual to signify the end of your work day... shutting off your computer, closing the door, locking your desk... buying a flower.
When the ritual is done, so is the work day. If you must bring work home, when you have given your due, put the work away and close the ‘box‘. You control your work, it does not control you.
If you are a worrier and it’s bedtime when your mind wanders, carve 30 minutes of ‘worry time’ out of your day. Write down your thoughts and plan of action. If your troubles return as you try to dose off, tell yourself, “I’ve already worked that out and now it’s my time ... to sleep.”
Jot down your thoughts on a notepad through the evening or keep one at the bedside. Let the notepad ’remember’ your thoughts instead of holding them in your head all night long.
You'll have to just imagine she's on her bed
Practice progressive relaxation. Starting
from the top of your head, let the tension go ... relax the furrows
in your forehead ... lips together - teeth apart ... breath deep -
feel your chest and diaphragm move gently ... relax the neck and
shoulders - feel them get heavier ... let the feeling spread into your
arms and hands as you let them ease ... continue into the buttocks
.... legs ... feet.
Guided Imagery. Imagine yourself in a place where you felt alive, peaceful and safe ... perhaps a secluded beach on a perfect day, a mist shrouded forest, as a child laying in a meadow with nothing better to do but watch the clouds drift by. Use your imagination to senses... to feel the warmth of the sun.. to hear the surf ... the birds.... smell the freshness and coolness of the air as it enters your nose and fills your lungs.. with each breath in and then out... you are more relaxed... at peace.... for more coaching, email me.
Guided Imagery. Imagine yourself in a place where you felt alive, peaceful and safe ... perhaps a secluded beach on a perfect day, a mist shrouded forest, as a child laying in a meadow with nothing better to do but watch the clouds drift by. Use your imagination to senses... to feel the warmth of the sun.. to hear the surf ... the birds.... smell the freshness and coolness of the air as it enters your nose and fills your lungs.. with each breath in and then out... you are more relaxed... at peace.... for more coaching, email me.
Use the mind's internal senses to create a virtual reality
Close your eyes and just
imagine being there
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Breathe deep.. feel the cool air
enter your soul..
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For further information, review my comments on a variety of emotional health topics. If anxiety continues to get the better of you, consider the services of a qualified counsellor.
Note 1. …
Prior to the industrial revolution, people would retire shortly
after dark, sleep for several hours then awake. During the mid-night
hours people might pray, practice music, do chores, visit with the
neighbours or be active under the moon’s light... then sleep several
more hours until dawn. People commonly referred to their first sleep
and second sleep. It is possible that being awake in the wee hours is natural.
Here is a link to a Wikipedia on the Two Sleep or Segmented Sleep Theory. Have you ever wished you had an extra hour in your day? Perhaps you do. Rather than lament lost sleep, consider the extra hours as found wakeful time. This could be time to stay current in your reading... learn a musical instrument... develop some creative skill.... advance your knowledge.
Here is a link to a Wikipedia on the Two Sleep or Segmented Sleep Theory. Have you ever wished you had an extra hour in your day? Perhaps you do. Rather than lament lost sleep, consider the extra hours as found wakeful time. This could be time to stay current in your reading... learn a musical instrument... develop some creative skill.... advance your knowledge.
Note 2: Chiropractic and Better Sleep….
Stress, negative thoughts, worry and emotional upsets can manifest
themselves in the spine and muscles. The function of the spine and
muscles can be impaired by repetitive motions, long periods of
sitting, improper lifting and many everyday activities. The mind-body connection can get locked into destructive patterns... impaired sleep is one symptom that something is wrong.
Chiropractic helps restore the ability of the mind and body to relieve stress and permit rest. Chiropractic is a valuable method to restore and sustain and support your health.
.... Chiropractic is safe and naturally effective.
Chiropractic helps restore the ability of the mind and body to relieve stress and permit rest. Chiropractic is a valuable method to restore and sustain and support your health.
.... Chiropractic is safe and naturally effective.
This
brochure is offered for information and guidance. Sometimes, poor
sleep can signal other health problems. If your concerns persist,
consult your health professional.
Dr. Wayne Coghlan, BSc., MA., DC.
Collingwood Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic
Collingwood Counselling Psychology 516 Hurontario Street at 9th
Collingwood, Ontario, L9Y 2N3
May I be of assistance to you? Call me now at 705 445-5401
Or connect via email at drwaynecoghlan@gmail.com
Dr. Wayne Coghlan, BSc., MA., DC.
Collingwood Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic
Collingwood Counselling Psychology 516 Hurontario Street at 9th
Collingwood, Ontario, L9Y 2N3
May I be of assistance to you? Call me now at 705 445-5401
Or connect via email at drwaynecoghlan@gmail.com
Note 3. The
following is for your further information. Long term lack of sleep can
become a serious health issue and may be an indication of clinical
depression, sleep apnea, side effects of medications, and other disease
processes.... and beyond the scope of this article to address. If long term lack of sleep is your concern please consult a health care professional.
Long term sleep deprivation tears down the body.