Sleep is when your body recovers from the current day and prepares for the next. Without it, the never-eneding process in your body of destroying and rebuilding cells will become out of balance in favor of destruction. Sleep is when the body does it’s healing, and when a lot of important processes happen that are needed to stay healthy and to grow occur. If you’re not getting restful, recuperative sleep, then you are missing out on your body’s preferred time set aside for housekeeping and maintenance.
According to the Chronic Pain Foundation, 2/3 of chronic pain sufferers also experience sleep problems.
Pain interferes with normal sleep and interrupts the body’s sleep-wake cycle, causing fatigue and stops your body from healing quickly and fully.
Chronic pain is associated with depression, which also often causes sleep disturbances.
Let’s look at some important aspect of good sleep hygiene:
- No eating in bed
- No watching TV in bed
- Do not use the bed for any activities not made for the bed
- Do not consume caffeine late in the day
- Avoid medications that cause insomnia – pain Medications often interfere with sleep, and can cause fatigue or irritability.
- Avoid napping too much.
- Avoid bright light prior to going to bed – this activates the brain via the retina and the altered circadian rhythms then interrupt sleep.
- Do something relaxing before bedtime.
- Go to bed at night and wake up in the morning on a regular schedule.
- Exercise regularly, BUT do not exercise right before bed.
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Dr. Romano is a board certified and licensed chiropractor in Maryland. He practices in Frederick, Md at 1780 North Market Street. He has an interest in the science of pain and it’s relationship to chiropractic. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Doctorate in Chiropractic. Dr. Romano and Dr. Schooley are available to speak to groups about pain, sleep, the importance of a healthy nervous system, and other health topics.