LBP can cause sleep loss AND sleep loss can cause LBP. It’s a two-way street! Let’s look at ways to improve your sleep quality, which in return, will reduce your LBP. There are many ways we can improve our sleep quality. Here are some of them:
- Turn off the lights: Complete darkness (or as close to it as possible) is best. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes.
- Stay cool! The bedroom’s temperature should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (about 21 degrees Celsius). At about four hours after you fall asleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level. Scientists report a cooler bedroom mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.
- Move the alarm clock.Keeping it out of reach (at least 3 feet or about 1 meter) forces you to get out of bed and get moving in the morning.
- Avoid loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.
- Reserve your bed for sleeping.Avoid watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep.
- Get to bed before 11pm. Your adrenal system does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. and adrenal “burn-out” results in fatigue and other problems.
- Be consistent about your bed time.Try to go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, including weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up.
- Establish a bedtime routine.Consider meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy, essential oils, or a massage from your partner.
- Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bedto provide the L-tryptophan needed for melatonin and serotonin production.
Whether you have pain or not, getting adjusted helps to relax the nervous system and can help in getting a good night’s rest. A lot of patients have found that sleeping better is one of the first things they notice when they start chiropractic care.