Sleep is crucial to our well-being, yet 40 million people suffer from chronic sleep disorders and 20 million more people manage the occasional sleepless night! Catch up on your zzzz’s tonight!
Sleep is critical to every part of our well-being, and when we don’t get it, we all know what happens. Not only are you moody and irritable to the outside world while having trouble focusing and staying alert, when you miss out on sleep, but your body also doesn’t have the chance to process, strengthen, and restore the functions and systems that keep us healthy.
At Major Chiropractic in Wheaton, we specialize in treating sleep disorders, like insomnia, through healing modalities such as acupuncture. If you’re losing sleep, follow along in today’s blog with some tangible solutions you can do at home today!
Sleep: The Miracle Maker
We could go on and on about the importance of sleep and how it supports your body, but this post is more focused on finding solutions to help you sleep better tonight. Before we get too deep, we’ll mention a couple of ways sleep helps us out.
- Sleep supports your immune system and keeps you healthy.
- Sleep promotes a healthy weight balance and weight loss.
- Sleep supports muscle gain.
- Sleep helps you make healthier food choices.
- Sleep promotes mental clarity.
- Sleep aids stress and anxiety
If you’re managing a health concern, it’s likely that sleep can help!
But, what can you do to sleep better tonight? This, this is so important, and changing a couple of things up can mean the difference between eight full hours of sleep and five tossing and turning hours of distress.
Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep
Watch your nutrition.
You would think we’d start with something different, but this factor is largely overlooked. One of the best ways to get a bad night’s sleep, is going to bed on an overly full stomach. You’re uncomfortable and you’ll likely toss and turn all night.
It’s also important to consider what you’re eating for dinner and before bedtime. Fat- and protein heavy meals are hard to digest, so ensure you’re leaving enough time for digestion, and avoid eating things that upset your stomach.
Block the blue light.
We’ve written exclusively on blue light and it’s negative effects on our overall health, including disrupting our sleep. Essentially the more blue light you’re exposed to in the day, including the hours leading up to bedtime, the more your body thinks it’s still daytime and stays awake and alert, instead of helping you unwind and get ready for sleep.
To get a night of deep, restful sleep, ditch the blue light. Blue light is emitted from all of our beloved electronics including TVs, computers, and phones. To reduce your blue light exposure, consider the following:
- Stop using blue-light emitting devices an hour before bed
- Wear blue light blocking glasses
- Get more natural light
Great sleep makes all the difference and when we eat better and block the blue light, it helps set us up for better sleep.
There is much more to come, so stay tuned for more helpful tips to get a better night’s sleep!