Everything You Need To Know About Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of our lives and we literally cannot live without it. However, it is often not prioritised and treated as just a gateway from one day to the next. Use sleep to your advantage and you’ll benefit tremendously, on the flip side if you abuse your sleep routine it’s only a matter of time before something goes awry. 

Sleep is crucial for our physical and mental health and helps us stay alert, focused, and productive during the day. But often people struggle with getting enough quality sleep due to various reasons such as stress, pain, and lifestyle habits. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for optimising sleep, sleeping with back pain, what you should not do to avoid a bad night’s sleep and what you should do to improve your sleep.

How Many Hours Sleep Should You Get:

The amount of sleep an individual needs varies depending on several factors such as age, activity level, and overall health. However, the National Sleep Foundation recommends the following sleep durations for different age groups:

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
• Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours
• School-aged children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours
• Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours
• Adults (18-64 years): 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+ years): 7-8 hours

11 Tips On How To Optimise Your Sleep:

Getting enough quality sleep is essential for our overall health and wellbeing. Here are some tips that can help optimise your sleep:

1. Set a sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
2. Create a sleep-conducive environment: Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Use comfortable bedding and invest in a good quality mattress and pillows.
3. Limit daytime naps: If you must take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes and avoid napping late in the day.
4. Avoid stimulants: Avoid consuming caffeine after 1pm and alcohol close to bedtime. Alcohol acts as a sedative and puts you in to an unnatural and inefficient sleep state.
5. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep.
6. Avoid using electronic devices: The blue light emitted by electronic devices can interfere with your sleep. Avoid using them before bedtime.
7. Avoid eating heavy meals before bed: Heavy meals can disrupt your sleep and lead to discomfort.
8. Practice relaxation techniques: Techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can help promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.
9. Create a bedtime routine: A relaxing bedtime routine can help signal your body that it’s time to sleep.
10. Keep a sleep diary: Keeping a sleep diary can help you identify patterns and make changes to improve your sleep.
11. Address any underlying sleep disorders: If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, seek medical attention to diagnose and treat the condition.

4 Tips For Sleeping With Back Pain:

Back pain can make it challenging to get a good night’s sleep. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Sleep on your side: Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees can help relieve back pain and improve spinal alignment.
2. Invest in a good quality mattress: A firm, supportive mattress can help alleviate back pain and improve sleep quality.
3. Use heat: Applying a hot water bottle or warm wheat bag to the affected area can feel comforting and help reduce pain.
4. Engage in gentle stretching: Gentle stretching before bed can help ease muscle tension and promote relaxation.

Chiropractic & Massage For Improving Sleep:

Chiropractic and massage therapy can help improve sleep quality in some cases as both promote relaxation of muscles and improvement in movement. This can improve your comfort and therefore sleep quality. Massage is also a very good tool for managing stress, which can help to reduce symptoms of anxiety; a common cause of sleep disturbance. 

Several studies have investigated the effects of chiropractic and massage therapy on sleep quality. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found that patients who received chiropractic care reported significant improvements in sleep quality compared to those who did not receive chiropractic care. Similarly, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that massage therapy improved sleep quality in patients with chronic lower back pain.

While chiropractic and massage therapy can be effective for improving sleep quality, it is important to note that these therapies may not work for everyone. Additionally, it is important to incorporate good sleep habits, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants close to bedtime, and creating a relaxing sleep environment, to maximise the benefits of chiropractic and massage therapy.