Sleep Sabotage: Advice From Your Crown Point Chiropractor to Improve Your “ZZZZ’s”

Optimal Chiropractic in Crown Point, Indiana

Author: Colleen Crowe- Wellness Coordinator

 

Think about to the last time you had a bad night of sleep; woke up tired, exhausted or even in a daze. Can you recall looking at the alarm clock knowing you only got 4 hours of sleep and you start the struggling of getting up to begin your day. Well, there is a new condition called metabolic grogginess. This term was first coined by the University of Chicago. Lack of sleep can affect you negatively in more than one way. Lack of sleep can lead to many different health issues, but you might not realize that lack of sleep can deplete your energy levels and sabotage any success of losing weight.  At Optimal Chiropractic Clinic in Crown Point, Indiana; we want to help you find the source of your lack of sleep and help you fix it for good!

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 35 percent of people are sleep deprived. The United Kingdom and Italy conducted 16 different studies over the course of 25 years, including over 1.3 million people. Those who generally slept for less than six hours a night were 12 percent more likely to experience a premature death. People who slept more than eight to nine hours per night had an even higher risk, at 30 percent. The average adult should be giving themselves 7 to 8 hours of sleep in order prevent undesired negative effects on the body.

 

When you have a bad night of sleep you might feel more hungry. It’s true that if your sleep schedule is interrupted  it can create high levels of the stress that affects cortisol in your body, which increases your appetite.The mitochondria in your cells that digest fuel start to shut down. Sugar remains in your blood, and you end up with high blood sugar.  When you don’t get enough sleep you are making it more difficult for your body to digest the sweet stuff and could potentially cause yourself more health problems such as obesity or diabetes. At night, movement and need for calories is reduced. But when you are sleep-deprived, your brain will release chemicals to signal hunger. This can lead to eating more, exercising less, and gaining weight.

 

Sleep is a habit, just like eating healthy and exercise. While everyone misses a few hours of sleep sometimes, chronic lack of sleep is part of an unhealthy lifestyle and can increase your risk for serious health concerns. Here are some helpful tips to improve your sleep habits.

 

  1. Schedule your sleep: Make an effort to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day of the week, including weekends. Doing this establishes a regular sleep-wake cycle. It may help you adopt the habit of doing the same things each night before bed, such as taking a warm bath or reading.
  2. Avoid stimulants: Caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine can keep you awake past your bedtime. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy initially, but will disrupt your rest later in the night. Stay away from these at least four hours before sleep.
  3. Make your bed comfy: A number of new mattresses on the market are aimed at increasing comfort, including those that have “cooling” effects to keep a person from getting too warm while they sleep. Memory foam mattresses conform to a person’s body, providing extra shape and support. Use room darkening shades, earplugs, or other tools that will help create a restful environment.
  4. Exercise regularly: Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep faster at night. Exercise also promotes deeper, more restful sleep. Just make sure you don’t exercise too close to bedtime, since this can leave you too energized to sleep.
  5. Relieve stress during the day: Try adopting some stress-reducing technique before bed. Keep a journal by your bedside to write down what’s bothering you. Start practicing yoga, learn to meditate, get regular massages, or take long walks.
  6. Apps for sleep: Some apps can help you sleep better. Sleep Genius tracks your sleep cycles and offers a progressive alarm clock to prevent sudden waking that’s associated with increased tiredness. Other apps, like pzizz, provide soft music and ambient lighting used to encourage restful sleep.

Sleep is an vital part of one health. When you don’t get enough sleep is can not only affect your eating habits; but could disrupt your everyday activities and relationships. When you start changing your sleeping habits you will notices how much better you are going to feel. It is important for everyone to get into good habits with your eat, drinking and sleeping.