One of the most common issues that American adults face today is having trouble sleeping. Insomnia sufferers experience daytime consequences of poor concentration, illness, excessive fatigue and even pain.
If you suffer from insomnia and are interested in finding real solutions to this problem, it’s important you first learn what insomnia is, why it happens, and how chiropractic care and craniosacral therapy can help.
What is Insomnia?
When a person has insomnia, you either have difficulty falling asleep or issues staying asleep. Those who live with insomnia will often be tired and generally unsatisfied.
Typically they experience symptoms such as
- Day time sleepiness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Decreased happiness
- Problems completing tasks
The Different Types of Insomnia
There are different types of insomnia, Acute and Chronic. The difference between the two is how long they last.
Acute Insomnia
Acute insomnia is very brief and typically occurs due to things happening in your life which lead to stress. This can be a number of things including an upcoming exam, a death in the family, or receiving bad news. This is the most common form of insomnia and it often resolves on its own once the individual learns to cope with their stress
Chronic Insomnia
With chronic insomnia, an individual deals with disrupted sleep at least three nights a week. This type of insomnia is categorized from at least three months or more. There are several causes for chronic insomnia. The most common are the following:
- Changes in your environment such as moving to a new home
- Unhealthy sleep habits like staying up too late or sleeping in
- Shift in work schedule
- Various clinical disorders
- Side effects of certain medications
- Disbalance in the nervous system
- Unresolved trauma and or emotions
Unlike acute insomnia, people who suffer from chronic insomnia often require treatment to get back on track with a healthy sleep pattern. Chronic insomnia is also known to be comorbid. This means that it is often linked to either another medical or psychiatric condition. However, it is difficult for many healthcare professionals to determine the cause and effect relationship with insomnia.
People who have insomnia often have difficulty falling asleep, known as onset. Or they have difficulty staying asleep. They may wake up too early in the morning and be unable to go back to sleep.
Why Insomnia is Bad for your Overall Health and Well-Being
It is common knowledge that lack of sleep can leave us feeling tired, irritable and unable to concentrate, there are some aspects of sleep deprivation that can have a serious effects on your physical and emotional well-being.
It is estimated that 1 out of 3 people suffer from insomnia or some form of disrupted sleep. This is due to a number of factors from stress to poor habits. The downside to all those sleepless nights can lead to much more than feeling tired all the time. Poor sleep habits can put you at risk of developing a number of health issues including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, anxiety, stress and much more. Each of these developed symptoms and conditions can have a grave impact on your overall health.
How Much Sleep Do We Need Each Night?
It is recommended that all adults get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. This is necessary for us to rejuvenate and function properly. But, there are some people who may need more than 8 hours while others may need less. The important thing is that you discover how much sleep you need to restore energy and feel good each morning when you wake up and throughout the day.
As a rule of thumb, if you wake up tired and spend the day hoping that you can take a nap, it is obvious that you aren’t getting enough sleep at night.
There are several things that can cause poor sleep. Everything from disorders such as sleep apnea to stress. But in most cases, we don’t get enough sleep at night because of our poor sleeping habits. This includes going to bed too late and either waking up too early or sleeping in.
What Happens When We Don’t Get Enough Sleep?
We have all experienced the bad results of not getting enough sleep. We end up feeling tired, lacking focus, and we are irritable with others.
Having an rare night without sleep can leave you with feelings of fatigue and may cause you to have a short temper, but it generally will not harm your health.
Those who endure several sleepless nights will start to suffer from the mental effects. You may experience brain fog, difficulty concentrating or making decisions. You could start to experience feelings of depression and sleepiness during the day. This can put you at risk of sustaining an accident at home or at work. It can also make driving very dangerous.
The Positive Effects of a Good Night’s Rest
Improving your sleep habits and getting a good night’s rest every night can help you to:
- Enhances your body’s immune system
- Positively affects your mental health
- Prevents serious health issues
- Improves concentration
- Decreases your risk of disease
- Promotes positive feelings
- Enhances drive and determination
If you continue to experience poor sleep, you could put yourself at risk for serious health conditions as well. Therefore it is best to look for a good treatment option such as chiropractic and craniosacral therapy that can help you stabilize this problem before it gets out of hand.
Facts About Insomnia
- Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the United States.
- 40 Million Americans experience insomnia each year.
- Insomnia occurs more often in women and older adults.
- People who have insomnia have difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and difficulty returning back to sleep.
Affective treatment for insomnia includes care that often involves behavioral, psychological and medical components. Some patients may benefit from only one type of treatment option, while others may require a combination of therapies. It’s important for individuals who suffer from insomnia to discuss their symptoms and health issues with their doctor.
One or two options of alternative care that are known to be effective is chiropractic and craniosacral therapy.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is done by hand. A chiropractor uses manual therapy, manipulation of the spine and spinal joints to bring about a correction, improved joint function in the spine. This positively affects the ability of central nervous system to function better.It is estimated that 50 million people see a chiropractor every year.
How Chiropractic Care Helps with Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders
Chiropractic care is well-known for helping people alleviate pain. Many visit their chiropractor regularly to relieve back pain, neck pain, headaches, scoliosis TMJ and many other conditions. Because it is so commonly known that chiropractors focus on treating mainly back pain, many people fail to see how a chiropractor could help with improving insomnia.
Chiropractors stress the importance of regular chiropractic care upon the spine which can improve your overall spine health, which helps to improve your sleep pattern. After a chiropractic care session, patients often feel less stress, more relief of aches and pains and the experience of feeling a calm symptomless nervous system. As a result falling asleep and staying a sleep throughout the night becomes possible.
Chiropractic care improves the function of our central nervous system. By manual therapy / manipulation of the spine, aka spinal adjustment, the structure of the spine is improved and as a result so is the function. This allows for a fully functioning optimally poised sleep – wake cycle. Efficient function of our entire body can be realized with chiropractic treatment. The more efficient your body is, the less energy you waste. This makes it much easier for your body and mind to slow down and fall asleep because you are more relaxed overall.
Another option for improving sleep patterns and eliminating insomnia can be achieved with craniosacral therapy.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral therapy or CST is a hands-on approach to pain relief and whole body health. This gentle and effective method uses soft touch to bring about change to the central nervous system. Practitioners of cranial sacral therapy use facilitate physiological releases to improve the flow of fluids and energetic communication within the body and mind.
CST is gaining popularity as a treatment modality and a preventative health measure. It has the ability to improve the body’s most important functions and that can be very beneficial for a broad range of medical issues. Especially issues linked to pain and dysfunction. It has also been known to help with chronic insomnia. An experienced craniosacral therapy practitioner can bring forth positive effects for the body, mind and spirit.
How Craniosacral Therapy Helps with Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders
Craniosacral therapy has been shown to successfully treat a variety of issues, including sleep disturbance. The gentle approach of craniosacral therapy helps to calm the body and relax the patient. It allows them to enter into a deep, relaxed state which is very similar to meditation. This relaxed effect of a craniosacral therapy session can carry over into the night, inducing a sleep state.
Since it is so much like meditation, craniosacral therapy has been known to help with treating chronic insomnia. When we fall asleep, our brain waves slow down, and many physiological functions necessary for our lives take place.
Our heart rate and blood pressure also start to slow down, then regulate. Throughout the restorative stage of sleep, our breathing slows, blood pressure levels drop and blood flows to repair muscles and tissue.
Patients who have used CST as treatment for chronic insomnia report that they feel like they are sleeping while they are awake. Those who receive CST and also meditate have stated that they can go into a much deeper state when they practice meditation after their CST sessions.
Craniosacral therapy is known to alleviate various types of health conditions. It can have a positive effect on the body’s hormonal system and provides space within the cranial bones which support the pineal gland’s function.
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland located in the brain. It produces and secretes the natural hormone melatonin. This hormone helps regulate our body’s biological rhythms, including our sleep and wake cycles.
Craniosacral therapy supports the body’s central nervous system, the function of which is critical for getting a good night’s sleep uninterrupted. It helps the autonomic nervous system down regulate from sympathetic to parasympathetic function and hence a relaxed state to facilitate sleeping.
CST effects the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid which is produced in the brain, it provides the energetic blueprint for the head and body. As a result of optimal fluid flow throughout our system we experience clear thinking, relaxation, and have more control over mood regulation. Regulating our body’s autonomic nervous system is essential for our overall health.
Additional Tips for Improving Your Sleep Habits
Chiropractic care and Craniosacral therapy can help you improve your sleep habits and decrease episodes of insomnia. There are also other things you can do to help you get a better night’s rest.
- Try to get an extra hour or two of sleep each night. Try it out on the weekends without alarm clocks.
- If you always feel tired when you wake up in the morning, you should try getting at least 10 hours of sleep at night instead of the recommended 8. After a while, you will naturally decrease your sleep time to a normal level.
- Don’t rely on caffeine to give you a quick boost throughout the day. It is known to disrupt your sleep patterns over time.
About Dr. Alex Kaminsky
Chiropractor Dr. Alex Kaminsky treats many patients experiencing insomnia. He helps his patients live a life that is pain free, healthy and fulfilling. The following are the most common types of patients seen in his office:
- Insomnia
- Scoliosis
- Headaches
- Back and Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Jaw Pain – TMJ
- Fibromyalgia
- And many other conditions.
Dr. Kaminsky understands that as a doctor, you must stay open-minded and constantly learn about new techniques. By continuing to read, learn, and gain more experience in healthcare, Dr. Kaminsky can offer the latest and very best chiropractic and craniosacral therapy approaches to his patients.
Contact Dr. Kaminsky For Help with Insomnia and Sleep Disorders
If you have questions about the benefits of craniosacral therapy and how it can help you eradicate your insomnia, contact Chiropractor Dr. Alex Kaminsky today to set up your initial appointment.
Dr. Kaminsky holds many years of experience in the field, and is highly knowledgeable in the care necessary for sleep issues and disorders. To schedule your appointment today, call 1-212-328-1180. You can also email Dr. Kaminsky to find out more about the chiropractic and craniosacral therapy options available to you.
Sources
https://www.thejoint.com/california/pasadena/pasadena-east-31028/198850-truth-about-sleep-chiropractic-care
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/content/what-is-insomnia
http://www.palmer.edu/about-us/what-is-chiropractic/
https://www.upledger.com/therapies/faq.php
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/
