ProActive Chiropractic patients often complain of issues sleeping and too often are put on medications before they have tried simple solutions:
1. Retire only when sleepy. Do not force sleep.
2. Keep a standard wake-up time on both weekends and workdays. This
prevents a constant struggle for your circadian rhythm.
3. The bedroom should be used for sleep and intimacy only. Do not
read, watch TV, work on the computer or catch up on office work
while in bed. Reading or watching TV prior to sleep reduces the
amount of circulating melatonin because of the exposure from the light.
If you associate your bedroom with activities other than sleep, you may
be tempted to work during awakenings at night.
4. Get out of bed when you are unable to sleep. If you have been
awake more than 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go to another room and
engage in a non-stimulating activity in very dim light, such as mediation
or simple housework that is easily finished in a short time. Light from a
reading lamp or a TV will reduce the amount of melatonin produced and
decrease the quality of sleep.
5. Don’t worry or plan in bed. Make a time in the day or early evening
for constructive worry or planning. During this time, you can write
down your plans and concerns. This should include tasks that you have
to do the next day or personal worries about finances, heath or family
members. If you wake up, know that you have your thoughts down on paper
and that you will deal with them the next day.
6. Avoid daytime napping. There are two separate drives that control
sleep: circadian and homeostatic. The circadian drive for sleep is biphasic,
which causes us to be sleepy right after lunch and again in the
late evening. A nap in the daytime decreases the homeostatic drive for
us to sleep when going to bed that night. By avoiding the urge to sleep
during the afternoon circadian drive for sleep, you will have a stronger
homeostatic drive for sleep in the late evening..
These tips are taken from ACANews.
I would also suggest making sure your bedroom is dark by utilizing blackout curtains.
Minimize noise with insulated glass or a white noise maker or fan.
Nutrition and exercise also play a large role in quality sleep. If these simple suggestions do not help discuss your specific issue with Dr. Cohen.