Ask an Expert
APRIL TOPIC: Not Enough Sleep
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C.
Chiropractor |
OUR EXPERT:
Dr. Emily Bobson, D.C., graduated from Life Chiropractic School in Marietta, Georgia in 2006, and, shortly afterward, opened her first chiropractic practice in Woodstock, NY. She currently provides services in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Her technique consists of a combination of Diversified, SOT, Activator, Thompson, Webster, Toggle Recoil, Gonstead, Network Spinal Analysis, Cox Flexion Distraction, Kinesiology, Muscle Testing, Sports Medicine and Extremities. She is focused on accommodating her clients’ individual needs. Emily has three children of her own and understands the specific needs of the family. She has a child-friendly office, and parents are encouraged to bring their children and have them checked regularly, so they can enjoy the benefits of a clear nervous system, too. She offers reasonable rates and family discounts. Emily has also been extremely involved in her community, facilitating the opening of an alternative health clinic in Kingston, NY and volunteering her time for years in order to educate and inform the public about the availability of diverse and non-invasive healing options. |
“I find that if I’ve had a particular busy or tiring day and need my sleep, I struggle to get off to sleep. I’ve tried music, TV, sleep apps…but nothing works. Once the lights are out, I seem to want to use the toilet…this goes around, again and again. Eventually there’s sleep – but sometimes I only get two to five hours. I put it down to menopause! Your advice would be welcome.” ~ Kerry (London, England)
Hi Kerry,
I know how it feels to not get a good night's sleep. It affects every area in your life, especially your health. I also know what it's like when you feel like you have tried everything. Total frustration! Sometimes, it's not a matter of what you do...but how you do it.
At one point or another, all women in this age group [middle age] will have to figure out how to adapt and adjust to all of the changes the body goes through during pre and post menopause. The first thing I would recommend is an appointment with a good chiropractor, osteopath, acupuncturist or massage therapist. If you can give yourself this gift, it's a great way to initiate a new self-care routine that will help you adapt to your ever-changing body.
This is the time where we need to reassess how to be a little easier on ourselves and allow our body the time and love it needs so that it can do the downshifting necessary to get us gracefully into bed and also into the next stage in life. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop or change anything. You just need to assess the pace. It sounds like you are very motivated in life and want to get the job done, leaving no stone unturned. This is a great thing, and it got you this far, but I suspect that it has put you into overdrive. Does it feel as if you’ve jumped from a speeding train into bed without any transition from busy life to sleep time? Ask yourself: Do I have a self-care routine that puts me at ease or causes me stress? Are you doing too much leading up to bedtime? If so, can you create a nighttime ritual? I would suggest that you start at 9pm by slowing it down, turning the TV or electronics off, taking a hot Epsom salt bath, reading or listening to a meditation.
Although being hydrated is very important, try not to drink past 7pm. Have you tried supplements? Natural choices that have a calming effect are magnesium, valerian root, passion flower or melatonin (2.5 to 5 mg.). You can also try Holy Basil Tea if you don't like pills.
Don’t exercise or drink caffeinated beverages after 3 pm. You can also experiment with different types of exercise to see if you are overdoing it or not getting enough. Sometimes too much exercise can cause your adrenals to over-fire causing a surge in cortisol. It's possible that going to the bathroom multiple times throughout the night could be the excess energy you need to expel from being awake and hyperaware.
If you find you are still experiencing issues after being consistent with this routine for a week or two, it’s time to look into other causes with your healthcare provider, such as hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea or diabetes.
Please take care of yourself, and I hope you get the sleep you need ASAP.
“How do you avoid getting up with a stiff neck? Is there a way to alleviate neck pain once you wake up with it? If you wake up with severe neck pain (e.g. you don’t have much motion in any direction), what should you do?” ~ Sanctuary Staff
The first question I always ask anyone with pain is do you drink water, and, if so, how much?
Most pain in the body can be alleviated or minimized by just drinking water - a minimum of 32 ounces per day. That being said, mobility in the neck or anywhere else is usually alleviated by motion or mobilization. Easy slow stretching with repetitive breathing and heat with a moist heat pack (never dry because it will dehydrate the muscles and make it worse) should help.
If you have not tried a chiropractor, definitely do so, but remember nothing works only once - it takes a consistent routine or repetitive practice to make permanent changes.
Lowering inflammation is key: Drinking water and changing your diet to a less inflammatory one - by avoiding sugar, alcohol, and white flour - can make a big difference in chronic inflammation which leads to arthritis in your joints, including your neck and back. Avoiding pain is preemptive. It is not something that has happened over night like most disease processes; it happens over a long period of time, so it will take a period of time to change it.
You will need to create a new routine of self-care in order for it to be corrected for good. If you start now, you will be so happy to find that, in just a few months, you have full mobility and full expression of your life without restrictions or pain. If you do nothing, nothing will change.
If, of course, it becomes so severe that it gets worse within a few days of self-care, hydration, stretching and moist heat, please seek assistance from a medical professional. It will require an assessment from your chiropractor or medical doctor to rule out anything that could be life-threatening.
“Do you suggest any over-the-counter medications that are safe to help with sleep?” ~Anonymous
As a chiropractor, I am trained to assess and correct any imbalances within the spine and nervous system, which very often will help the body get back in balance. If the body is out of balance, it can show up as problems with sleep, digestion, brain function or just a sense of being ill at ease.
Chiropractors help with correcting causes of all these issues as well as recommending nutritional supplements that will aid the body in adapting. Chiropractors should never prescribe medications. That being said, I always recommend supplements, such as magnesium, melatonin and valerian root to help with sleep.
“Should you just get up to read or do work if it seems impossible to get back to sleep?” ~ N.K. (PA)
Hi N.K.,
Definitely not if you want to get back to sleep. Most sleep experts recommend that you try not to panic when you first wake up. Instead, focus on breathing and counting backwards. If that doesn't help after 10 or 15 minutes, it might be best to take the pressure off by assessing the situation.
Assessment: Is this a chronic issue that you experience nightly or just occasionally? Perhaps you haven't had enough down time or you need to complete something. If this is the case, it's best to go with it, so you can let it go and get it off your mind. On the other hand, if this is happening on a regular basis, then you need to determine what's going on. Is it hormonal? Is it sleep apnea? Do you need melatonin? What is causing you to wake up? The only person that can figure this out is you – observe the patterns as well as what works for you to help alleviate the situation.
For me, if I'm not on task with something that needs to be done, my brain just won't shut down. In this case, it's best for me to get up and complete it, rather than remaining awake and feeling unsettled. Either way, do your best to not torture yourself.
Hi Kerry,
I know how it feels to not get a good night's sleep. It affects every area in your life, especially your health. I also know what it's like when you feel like you have tried everything. Total frustration! Sometimes, it's not a matter of what you do...but how you do it.
At one point or another, all women in this age group [middle age] will have to figure out how to adapt and adjust to all of the changes the body goes through during pre and post menopause. The first thing I would recommend is an appointment with a good chiropractor, osteopath, acupuncturist or massage therapist. If you can give yourself this gift, it's a great way to initiate a new self-care routine that will help you adapt to your ever-changing body.
This is the time where we need to reassess how to be a little easier on ourselves and allow our body the time and love it needs so that it can do the downshifting necessary to get us gracefully into bed and also into the next stage in life. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop or change anything. You just need to assess the pace. It sounds like you are very motivated in life and want to get the job done, leaving no stone unturned. This is a great thing, and it got you this far, but I suspect that it has put you into overdrive. Does it feel as if you’ve jumped from a speeding train into bed without any transition from busy life to sleep time? Ask yourself: Do I have a self-care routine that puts me at ease or causes me stress? Are you doing too much leading up to bedtime? If so, can you create a nighttime ritual? I would suggest that you start at 9pm by slowing it down, turning the TV or electronics off, taking a hot Epsom salt bath, reading or listening to a meditation.
Although being hydrated is very important, try not to drink past 7pm. Have you tried supplements? Natural choices that have a calming effect are magnesium, valerian root, passion flower or melatonin (2.5 to 5 mg.). You can also try Holy Basil Tea if you don't like pills.
Don’t exercise or drink caffeinated beverages after 3 pm. You can also experiment with different types of exercise to see if you are overdoing it or not getting enough. Sometimes too much exercise can cause your adrenals to over-fire causing a surge in cortisol. It's possible that going to the bathroom multiple times throughout the night could be the excess energy you need to expel from being awake and hyperaware.
If you find you are still experiencing issues after being consistent with this routine for a week or two, it’s time to look into other causes with your healthcare provider, such as hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea or diabetes.
Please take care of yourself, and I hope you get the sleep you need ASAP.
“How do you avoid getting up with a stiff neck? Is there a way to alleviate neck pain once you wake up with it? If you wake up with severe neck pain (e.g. you don’t have much motion in any direction), what should you do?” ~ Sanctuary Staff
The first question I always ask anyone with pain is do you drink water, and, if so, how much?
Most pain in the body can be alleviated or minimized by just drinking water - a minimum of 32 ounces per day. That being said, mobility in the neck or anywhere else is usually alleviated by motion or mobilization. Easy slow stretching with repetitive breathing and heat with a moist heat pack (never dry because it will dehydrate the muscles and make it worse) should help.
If you have not tried a chiropractor, definitely do so, but remember nothing works only once - it takes a consistent routine or repetitive practice to make permanent changes.
Lowering inflammation is key: Drinking water and changing your diet to a less inflammatory one - by avoiding sugar, alcohol, and white flour - can make a big difference in chronic inflammation which leads to arthritis in your joints, including your neck and back. Avoiding pain is preemptive. It is not something that has happened over night like most disease processes; it happens over a long period of time, so it will take a period of time to change it.
You will need to create a new routine of self-care in order for it to be corrected for good. If you start now, you will be so happy to find that, in just a few months, you have full mobility and full expression of your life without restrictions or pain. If you do nothing, nothing will change.
If, of course, it becomes so severe that it gets worse within a few days of self-care, hydration, stretching and moist heat, please seek assistance from a medical professional. It will require an assessment from your chiropractor or medical doctor to rule out anything that could be life-threatening.
“Do you suggest any over-the-counter medications that are safe to help with sleep?” ~Anonymous
As a chiropractor, I am trained to assess and correct any imbalances within the spine and nervous system, which very often will help the body get back in balance. If the body is out of balance, it can show up as problems with sleep, digestion, brain function or just a sense of being ill at ease.
Chiropractors help with correcting causes of all these issues as well as recommending nutritional supplements that will aid the body in adapting. Chiropractors should never prescribe medications. That being said, I always recommend supplements, such as magnesium, melatonin and valerian root to help with sleep.
“Should you just get up to read or do work if it seems impossible to get back to sleep?” ~ N.K. (PA)
Hi N.K.,
Definitely not if you want to get back to sleep. Most sleep experts recommend that you try not to panic when you first wake up. Instead, focus on breathing and counting backwards. If that doesn't help after 10 or 15 minutes, it might be best to take the pressure off by assessing the situation.
Assessment: Is this a chronic issue that you experience nightly or just occasionally? Perhaps you haven't had enough down time or you need to complete something. If this is the case, it's best to go with it, so you can let it go and get it off your mind. On the other hand, if this is happening on a regular basis, then you need to determine what's going on. Is it hormonal? Is it sleep apnea? Do you need melatonin? What is causing you to wake up? The only person that can figure this out is you – observe the patterns as well as what works for you to help alleviate the situation.
For me, if I'm not on task with something that needs to be done, my brain just won't shut down. In this case, it's best for me to get up and complete it, rather than remaining awake and feeling unsettled. Either way, do your best to not torture yourself.
