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How to Have the Best Sleep: Chiropractic and Sleep

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sleepHow to Have the Best Sleep: Chiropractic and Sleep

The Field of Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine which is getting more attention nowadays. As with most alternative forms of medicine, chiropractic always get reactions full of skepticism and doubt. A lot of people considered chiropractic as a western form of acupuncture and oriental massage. A lot of individuals even find the field as a gimmick or a way for people to make a quick buck out of someone gullible enough to believe in some outlandish practice. Chiropractic, by definition, is the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that concern the musculoskeletal system.

Most practitioners of Chiropractic believe that these problems affect how the body functions via the nervous system. The basics of chiropractic heavily involve physical manipulation of the spine and neck. Chiropractors, those who practice chiropractic, are split into two different groups: The “Straights” which are more keen on unfounded beliefs and practices regarding chiropractic. The other group is otherwise known as “Mixers” are the more preferred group which believes in modern and conventional medicine such as massage therapy, exercise, and diet.

People who seek treatment for lower back pain, often go to chiropractors to relieve them of their chronic pain. Chiropractors also believe that spinal manipulation can alleviate a multitude of conditions such as bad posture, problems with appetite, headaches, and sleeping problems.It is a well-known fact that sleep affects people in a lot of ways. Getting enough sleep is healthy and good for the body while getting more or less sleeping hours is dangerous. With chiropractic, here are some good ways to improve sleeping habits.

 

Position

Most people sleep on their backs. What a lot of them don’t know is that sleeping on one’s back can increase the risk of having sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition where the body pauses to breathe which usually lasts for a minute to an hour in most extreme cases. Sleep apnea if left untreated, can cause high blood pressure, aneurysms, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Contrary to some beliefs, sleeping on your left side is an excellent way to prevent neck and back pain when waking up. Research believes that sleeping on the left can relieve heartburn. For pregnant mothers, the left side is also good because it significantly improves circulation, good for both the mom and baby inside the womb. Sleeping on the stomach is the worst possible position for a person to sleep. Although sleeping on one’s stomach can prevent sleep apnea and aid in digestion, the weight created by the body puts a lot of pressure on the spine. The lower back also gets a lot of that pressure and will eventually cause the neck to turn at such an unnatural angle. With the neck being in such a strange position for prolonged hours, the risk of spinal and neck injury significantly increase.

 

Exercise

Part of a healthy lifestyle is getting enough exercise. Training enables the body to have a healthy circulation needed to help better itself. Exercise also helps build up the muscles of the body so that it can better contribute to supporting the body’s weight. Exercise should be during the day, where the body is still alert and active. Exercising before going to bed is bad because heat is retained in the body making you sweat. A fast heartbeat resulting from rigorous movement can also interfere with normal sleeping patterns.

 

Mattresses

Choose a bed that will adequately support the spine and the body. Make sure that the bed isn’t too soft, as it will bring the body down, forcing another strange position. Sleeping in these positions can cause a lot of problems such as neck and back pain. Another weird thing an improper bed does to a person is that it may cause them to snore. Snoring is done when the lungs make the tissues of the airway vibrate. These often result in a snort-like sleep during sleep. Snoring can affect a person’s breathing while he or she sleeps. Snoring is also a sign of impending diseases such as heart problems and diabetes.  

 

Regular Chiropractic Sessions

Due to some decompression by spinal manipulation during chiropractic adjustments, people often find relief in their sleeping problems. A lot of them report that their sleeping habits are better after a session with their chiropractor.

 

Takeaway

Chiropractic and sleeping patterns come hand in hand when it comes to overall health. When a person has healthy habits coupled with regular sleeping hours, a healthy lifestyle is insured. A lot of benefits such as relief from heartburn and better circulation is just a few of what people can expect from sleeping in the right position and the right bed.

 

Author Bio

Rachel Minahan is a writer and a blogger. Although she is an interior designer by heart, her passion falls within writing. She particularly loves writing about health, lifestyle, food, and sleep. She often cites Beds Online as her reference when writing. In her free time, Rachel enjoys playing with her pet cat named Cookie.

 

Natural Ways to Keep Your Immune System Strong

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IMMUNE SYSTEM Natural Ways to Keep Your Immune System Strong

This is a guest post by Janna Rogers. Because our bodies face so many infectious challenges from day to day, it’s wise to keep your immune system strong and healthy. If you give your body the tools it needs to have good health, you will be able to enjoy a long and prosperous life! There are many ways to boost and strength our own immune systems naturally, but here are my favorites.

Sugar and Allergens

Completely removing allergens and sugars from your diet will help your immune system immensely. It’s been proven that sugar can impair white blood cells for a brief time period after consumption. Find out what your food allergies are and take those out of your system as well.

Managing Stress

Learning how to deal with stress will help our immune systems in many ways. When we handle stress in a negative manner, our body responds the same way. Research has proven that a positive outlet for stress yield big results when it comes to health, so figure out what you need to do ASAP!

Regular Exercise

An appropriate program will help the immune system, but an exercise program that is too intense may suppress your immune system. If you’ve never worked out before, get to the gym, but take it slow. Start out with reasonable exercise, and don’t be afraid to barely do anything your first couple of times. You need to wake those muscles up before training them!
Good Sleep

Sleep is your weapon. When we are sleeping, the body naturally releases substances that help to enhance the immune system. If you don’t get enough rest, your immune system could become erratic and not function at its best. A good night’s sleep will boost your immune system immensely and will also help repair the body.

Filtered Water

Water is the magical cure-all for almost everything, and best of all, it’s natural. It’s great for helping boost your immune system and it’s essential to look and feel good. Without adequate water, you’re more prone to headaches, irregular bowel movements, dry skin, and (you guessed it) diseases! Take it upon yourself to get hydrated now!

All of these tips are great ways to enhance your own immune system naturally. These are so timely because in today’s world of processed food, inactivity & crazy antibiotic-resistant organisms, we must do everything we can to stay healthy. Why not start feeling better and protecting your body today?

 


Teenager, High Blood Pressure and Lack of Sleep

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LACK OF SLEEPCase Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has conducted a research which concluded that sleep depravation could be the cause of high blood pressure in healthy adolescents. These associations couldn’t be explained by being overweight, socioeconomic status, sleep apnea, or known co morbidities. About 238 teenagers ages 13 to 16 were participating in this study which provided an important data about relationship between lack of sleep and high blood pressure. All of the participants of this study were without any known health issues.

This study was published in a Journal of the American Heart Organization. Young adults were observed 3 to 7 nights about the sleep duration at their homes. Special digital wrist recorder was designed in order to record a motion, sleep and wake up patterns. Special laboratory was used for one night and the blood pressure was measured nine times during that night over two days period. In the research facility, an overnight polysomnography was also made; according to Wikipedia, a polysomnography “is a multi-parametric test used in the study of sleep”, and the test outcome is termed a polysomnogram.

Those young adults who had less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night were 2.8 times to have elevated blood pressure levels, compared to those teenagers who had more hours of sleep. Those with low sleep efficiency, on the other hand, were 4.5 times more likely to have prehypertension. Sleep efficiency might be broadly defined as sleep quality. It took into account factors such as having difficulty dropping off to sleep or staying asleep.

Scientific data was adjusted for gender, body mass index and socioeconomic status. Pre hypertension risks were 2.5 times higher for lack of sleep and 3.5 times higher for low sleep efficiency. Youngster with sleep deficiency had 4mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure than those who had good night sleep.

According to the NHLBI’s Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, children of school-going age and adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. According to the guide, hormonal influences during puberty tend to affect the biological clocks of adolescents. They are thus more likely to go to bed later at night, and want to sleep in longer in the morning.

 The Implications 

If the young ones are often having problems falling asleep, getting up several times or for long periods during the night, having sleepy spells during the day, or having difficulty concentrating, then it is possible that they are not having enough sleep, or are having poor sleep.

And, compared with twenty or even ten years ago, teenagers today have even more reasons to stay awake late into the night. Decades ago, there were no computers, no internet, and very small, if any, late night television. Add to that the stress and pressures of increased workloads in school, as well as the nutritional fiasco which is our modern diet of refined foods, and the issue gets a lot bigger.

If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or comment section below to join the conversation.

Ways To Deal With Anxiety

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ANXIETYModern American life is very stressful and many people start a new day with anxiety.  So, what is anxiety? According to wikipedia: anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is “to vex or trouble”, in ether the absence or presence of psychological stress, it can create feelings of fear, worry uneasiness and dread. This condition is considered to be a normal reaction to a stressor. It may help a person to deal with a difficult situation by prompting one to cope with it. When this condition is to excessive, it may fall under the classification of anxiety disorder.

Dealing with anxiety is best done before it reaches the breakdown pint. Those who have advanced stage will have to find a professional help. However, most of the people can cope with this condition on their own.

SLEEP:

My teacher used to say: “Sleep is your weapon.” If one lacks it on a regular bases it is impossible to concentrate on important daily tasks. A good night sleep is very important for the body to regenerate the nervous system after a long and stressful day and it also helps to rest other important physiological processes that are taking place in our body. Our body has its own physiological clock and it likes to keep sleeping and eating habits at the same time. This will allow the body to run smoothly. It is imperative that you do these two essential things at the same time as much as possible.

FOOD:

Stay away from foods that contain too much sugar and too much sodium. These foods will cause inflammation process in your body. Have you ever seen people with swollen faces? Guess what – it is the diet that is responsible for it. Consume anti-inflammatory diet full of low sugar  and sodium foods, vegetables, omega-3s, plant based protein – almond, walnuts and many other nuts will do the job. These foods will help to keep the mood stable and blood sugar level in check.

EXERCISE:

It is not a secret that one must have vigorous cardiovascular exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. It will help excrete excess toxins from your body. Exercise will stimulate production of endorphins in your body and is an awesome way to de-stress. If time is the limiting factor try to walk around your office. One must find time to exercise. Keeping this schedule on regular bases will add years to a healthy and productive lifestyle.

STRETCHING:

As you age, the muscles in your body tighten and range of motion in the joints can be minimized. This can put a damper on active lifestyle and even hinder day-to-day, normal motions. Tasks that used to be simple, such as zipping up a dress or reaching for a can off the top shelf, now becomes extremely difficult. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make daily living activities easier. Performing stretching on daily bases is very important and will help to cope with anxiety. It does not take much time and will provide a great benefit for your body and mind.

Below are some benefits

  • Reduced muscle tension
  • Increased range of motion
  • Enhanced muscle coordination
  • Increased blood circulation
  • Increased energy level

MUSIC:

A study from University of Michigan proves that music therapy relieves health anxiety. One must use this tool if music brings the joy to a life. Find music that matches your mood. Music can support you through a multitude of emotions.

If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter or comment section below to join the conversation.