Sleep: Part One – Brain Rest

One of the most common requests from patients is information on beneficial sleep strategies. So, let’s talk a little about sleep itself. Sleep is extremely important for our overall wellbeing. If you think back to one of the times you were sick, the first thing your body wants to do is slow down. Sleep is when your body heals itself. If you never give your body time to heal and re-energize, you can lead a very healthy lifestyle and still lack the health benefits that go along with it.

So how do you get a better night’s sleep? Part one: brain rest.

First things first: UNPLUG! At least 30 minutes before bed do not watch TV, use the computer, play video games, or look at your phone. Everything you think you need to do can wait until the morning. If you are going to watch TV before bed, keep it PG even if you are an adult. This also means avoiding the news. Unfortunately the media conveys a lot of negativity which can stress us out when trying to fall asleep.

Unplug your bedroom as well. If you have a TV in your room, take it out. This may seem like a massive undertaking especially if you sleep with your TV on. Your brain never truly turns off. It has different levels of consciousness, but it has never turned off completely since the day you were born. This means that even when you are sleeping your brain is still processing the stimuli from the TV in the background. To make the transition easier try using the dull whirring of a fan or a white noise machine.

Now that you have unplugged, let’s talk pre-sleep prep. A great way to get a good night’s sleep is being ready for bed. Yes we put on our comfy clothes and brush our teeth, but what are we doing to prep our brains for sleep? If you are a night thinker where everything that you could possibly think of rushes through your head as you lay staring at the ceiling, try writing it down before bed. This may be in the form of a journal or a list. Either way, putting it on paper may allow you to let it go for the night and help you to put things in perspective in the morning. Meditation is also a great way to release the stress and worries of the day. Deep breathing exercises are a great way to coax yourself to sleep and will also oxygenate you blood.

This concludes the first part of how to get a better night’s sleep. The next entry will focus on building a spine friendly sleep space. Good luck implementing these first few tips. Remember that we can achieve big changes through small steps!