One of the most problematic areas in the life of people today is sleeping. As a chiropractor in charlotte, nc, I have seen that with the busy schedules of today, it can be difficult to get enough sleep. There is a difference between sleep and rest. Sleep is commonly thought of as the number of hours you are in the bed. Rest on the other hand is the completion of the restorative process. This is what allows your body to recharge and heal during the night.

There are two kinds of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. When a person is going through REM sleep, it means they are dreaming. During REM, the brain is very active and the person’s eyes will flutter quickly. This stage will help reinvigorate the body’s mental purposes. When people are in non-REM sleep, their psyche is quiet. In this sleep, the person is in a deep state of rest and the body’s immune system (along with other processes) are being restored to “full health”.

There are many things that we do on a regular basis that interfere with getting proper rest. Studies have shown that the flickering of electronics interferes with sleep. This includes computers, television, video games and smart phones. These activities keep the brain active and require some “wind down” time after use and before bed.

When a person wants a good night’s rest, they need to avoid drinking certain beverages. These include any kind of caffeinated beverages like soda, coffee and sports drinks. If a person wants tea, they need to read labels since some teas do have caffeine.

A common cause of poor sleep is living a sedentary lifestyle. A regular exercise program has been show to improve sleep. Exercise programs improve your overall quality of life. If you are not familiar with exercising it is a good idea to hire a personal trainer. Think of it as taking some golf lessons. Utilizing their experience will save you from wasting time doing the wrong things.

One great idea is to take inventory of your bedroom. What is it’s purpose? Is your bedroom a media room? The bedroom should not be used for reading, watching television or using computers. Keep it an area designated for low stress and rest.

When a person uses their bedroom as another “living room”, their body associates this room with that concept. If a person were to remove these items, they could retrain their minds to think of it as a bedroom. While a person may really like their bedroom to be an entertainment center, it’s one of the worst things they can do for themselves.

Stress has a tendency to keep a person from sleeping well and the more stress a person is under, the greater the problem. They could even fall into a depression. Depression and sleeplessness tends to go hand in hand. People often have many things going through their mind that keeps them from resting well. A person who is thinking while they are trying to sleep won’t get much sleep.

Here are some tips to getting good nights sleep. In addition to repurposing your bedroom, develop a “nite-nite” ritual. Do the same tasks every night before going to bed. Give yourself the gift of a half hour wind down. This will signal your brain and body that you are ending the day and preparing for bed.

So what can you do to make your brain slow down and relax? Consider picking up a book and drink a decaffeinated cup of tea; maybe peppermint tea. Instead of using lamps and the room’s overhead light, use candlelight. Be aware that you’ll need to blow these out before you go to sleep. A very relaxing scent to use is lavender.

Everything in life is a challenge and changing your sleep patterns is one of them. While it’s difficult to do, you can change them so that you get a good sleep. Remember to put together a nighttime routine to help you wind down your day and relax your mind; within no time, you’ll be fast asleep.

About the author: Dr. Robert Simmons is a charlotte chiropractor using applied kinesiology technique. For more information attend one of our free charlotte chiropractic nutrition seminars and workshops for self improvement.


Tags: , , ,

Related posts