We recently heard a survey on the radio driving to work the other day asking what the most important aspect of physical fitness was: food, exercise, or sleep? The answer was SLEEP. We all too often focus on diet and exercise but overlook sleep and its importance to overall health. What is often sacrificed during this time-crazed lifestyle we Americans lead? Sleep. Chronically staying up late to finish one more task or watch a program/movie or stay out with friends can lead to long term negative effects on your health! Much research has been done that reveals how getting enough sleep can keep you not only physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well!
Benefits of great sleep include the following: strengthens your immune system, reduces risk of inflammatory diseases, boosts brain power, helps maintain weight, improves endurance, helps children grow, relieves stress, and stimulates your creative side which we discussed in a previous article!
How much sleep should we get? The National Sleep Foundation suggest getting at least 7 hours per night. However, teenagers require at least 8 hours, where school children need at least 9 hours. Some people require more, some less. The goal is to find the amount of sleep your body needs to function optimally and stick to it in order to optimize your health.
At Caring Medical, it is not uncommon for us to see patients with chronic insomnia. Many times, this insomnia is due to physical pain the patient is experiencing due to injury or chronic disease. When the pain is eliminated by getting to the root cause of it, patients can often return to regular sleep habits. But for some, sleep deprivation has become a way of life. NOTHING seems to help.
We recently discovered something quite amazing in a patient who came in with chronic insomnia (among other things.) We documented for the first time (never been published) that her brain arteries became hyperemic (they dilated) in her sleeping position compared to her upright position! Why is this amazing? For good brain health, the blood supply and drainage must meet the demand of its metabolic activity. The areas of the brain of extreme importance, those that involve intelligence and problem solving, have the highest metabolic demands and are very susceptible to injury by a clogged brain toilet. When these areas become injured, the first symptom noticed is brain fog, followed by a whole host of other complaints that often allude medical providers. This patient’s neck was unstable, allowing it to move and cause blood flow irregularities. By correcting the underlying instability problem, this condition can be resolved.
If you suffer with poor sleep or lack of sleep, we encourage you to do something about it! First of all, take control of your schedule. Try to stick to regular sleep and wake times. Do not watch negative news or expose your eyes to blue light prior to bedtime. Keep the room cool. Use something soothing to encourage peaceful, harmonious thoughts prior to bedtime. And if you cannot get on a good sleep schedule, see a natural medicine provider who can help determine the underlying cause and get you back to your best beauty sleep! It will do the body good!