Sleep is Important

This week I really wanted to focus on sleep and how important it is to each and every one of us. Now, I love sleep. Really, I do. You wouldn’t know it though, considering I never seem to get enough of it. This is due to many reasons, one of them being chronic pain. You see, people who have chronic pain conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia often get fewer hours of sleep than is recommended each night and that can cause irritability, anxiety, depression, and a whole slew of other issues. This is why making sure that you get enough sleep is so important.
First, make sure that your room is nice and dark. If possible, try to use your bedroom only for sleeping as well. It helps to train your brain into going to sleep faster if you don’t use this area for anything else. Having black out curtains on the windows help a lot of people who are light sensitive when it comes to sleeping. It is also important to make sure that you don’t have your television on or use your cell phone or computer for too long before you are trying to sleep. These electronics produce a type of blue light that naturally keeps us awake. Try to shut everything down about an hour before you want to go to bed so that you can do your nightly routine.
Another good practice to get into is watching what you eat and drink around bedtime. If you are drinking caffeine or anything carbonated, you are more likely to stay up. The same is true with many things that you eat. Have a couple of glasses of water before you go to bed, or some milk if you aren’t too fond of drinking plain water. You can decide whether you want to warm up the milk or not, but sometimes it’s nice to get that cozy feeling every now and then.
Here at Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville NC, we want to make sure that you get a good night’s rest. If you are unsure about what else you can do, come in for a spinal adjustment and a chat so we can see if any changes need to be made to your nightly routine. After all, sleep should be something you look forward to!