Insomnia is defined as habitual sleeplessness and/or the inability to sleep. What causes it? There are a whole host of reasons a person might have a hard time sleeping, from specific substances (too much caffeine before bedtime, for instance) to medical conditions. Could it be that a person’s brain isn’t figuring out when to go into its sleep cycle, staying in the wake cycle instead? Possibly.
For many people, it’s probably medical conditions (and symptoms of these conditions) causing their insomnia. Do you suffer from nasal or sinus allergies? What about reflux, asthma, arthritis,
or Parkinson’s disease? Chronic pain can be a factor too, especially low back pain! Meanwhile, people take medications for their medical conditions, and the medications’ side effects can include sleeplessness, for sure. Think about what pills you’re currently taking for things like allergies, high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease and/or depression. Perhaps the medication you’re on is contributing to your insomnia.
Then there are sleep disorders which can make it hard for people to have normal sleeping patterns. Take, for example, restless leg syndrome. This is where a person gets an uncomfortable sensation where they feel the need to move their legs– obviously, if and when that’s happening, the sleep cycle is disturbed. Also, if a person suffers from sleep apnea, where their airway becomes obstructed during sleep, they may find themselves not breathing as intended, not getting the oxygen they need, and, thus, waking up several times a night– dealing with their own version of insomnia.
If you have depression and/or anxiety, those two things can also involve insomnia. Your mind is not at ease, making it hard to relax and fall asleep. Your mood might not be good, your hormones might be out of balance, and you might be so worried about certain things that you just can’t sleep.
Did you know that chiropractic adjustments, as well as nutritional and lifestyle suggestions, can help a person recover from insomnia and develop healthier sleep? You may require several adjustments from your chiropractor over the course of a couple of months to naturally correct subluxations. A chiropractor works to lessen the stress response, helping muscles to NOT go into spasm. Spinal bones get repositioned so that nerve communications between your brain and body are “normal” rather than “out of whack.” When this happens, many people with insomnia discover they sleep better thanks to regular chiropractic care.
