Chiropractic and Sleep Issues

Sleep problems can be defined in 3 different ways:  insomnia, disturbed sleep, and restless sleep.  Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep.  Disturbed sleep is the inability to stay asleep for a full night’s rest.  Restless sleep is when you can fall asleep and stay asleep, but the quality of sleep isn't good.  The end result of any of these types of sleep problems is that you wake up tired, or even exhausted.

 

Poor sleep, especially if it’s chronic can manifest in many ways:

• slower healing from injuries or disease
• inefficient or ineffective functioning throughout the day
• impaired social relations
• increased pain sensitivity
• weakened immunity
• reduced mental acuity; poor memory
• irrational logic or behavior
• clumsiness, poorer coordination
• irritability and hypersensitivity

Sleep issues rarely occur independently as they are usually secondary to other, perhaps greater, issues.  Sleep issues can have physical, mental or chemical causes.  The causes can also be subdivided into external or internal factors.

Physical causes of sleep problems are those that affect the body in terms of discomfort or pain. 

Physical Causes- External:

• poor sleeping conditions (bed, pillow)
• irritating lights, noises, odours
• bedmates moving around

 

Physical Causes- Internal:

• pain inside the body (backache, shoulder pain)
• organ dysfunction (waking to urinate, sleep apnea)

When your mind can’t relax enough to fall asleep or to get enough deep sleep, this is characterized as a mental cause of sleep problems.

Mental Causes- External:

• disturbed body clock from shift work, irregular sleep schedules
• ignoring sleep cues by watching TV, using the computer, etc

Mental Causes- Internal:

• stress, worry, thinking too much
• over excitement, over fatigue
• depression, mental disorders
• dreaming too much, or nightmares

Sometimes the hardest causes to pinpoint are those that are chemical in nature. 

Chemical Causes- External:

• medications and foods, stimulants
• chemical irritants, off-gassing

Chemical Causes- Internal:

• chemical imbalance from hormonal changes, disease processes

When it comes to sleep issues, chiropractors can help in a multitude of ways. We listen to patients to see if the case history can uncover the underlying cause of the sleep issues, and whether it is physical, mental or chemical.  If there are simple changes a patient can do to discontinue the cause of the sleep issues, we will bring these up.  Most commonly it is addressing habits like sleep routines, sleep location, diet, and exercise.

Then we would perform a chiropractic examination and perform spinal adjustments if necessary. Some of these stressors can become embedded in the spine and create problems in the body’s ability to take care of itself.  These problems can manifest as pain, dysfunction, tightness, hypersensitivity and impaired healing.  The goal of chiropractic adjustments is to help the body function the best it can, to improve the internal condition of the body, and to improve the resilience of the body (and mind) to external stressors. Some patients need to consult with other health professionals to overcome or manage challenges affecting their sleep, such as acupuncturists, counsellors, medical doctors, or massage therapists.  Other patients need the support of family, friends, or social services.

For those who are suffering from sleep problems, there is hope.  It may take more than one type of health professional to get to the root of the problem and change it, and it may take some time and effort, but better sleep is possible.  If what you've tried isn't helping, be open to other options out there.