Sleep
One of the Five Facets of Health
Over the years, new patients have told me that they don’t sleep as sound as they used to. The first
thing I ask them is, how old is your mattress? One lady said that she had a great mattress that her grandmother willed to her. In my opinion, if your mattress is over 8 years old it’s time for a new one. I recommend a good medium, firm, name brand mattress that has been approved by the Chiropractic Association or the Orthopedic Association. I further tell my patients that water beds are out of style but I am amazed at how many still use them. I remember when my wife and I were expecting our first child. She was eight months pregnant and couldn’t get out of our water bed one morning. If you have a water bed, make sure it’s built higher than the original ones and that its wave-less.
Sleep is therapeutic and it’s a time that our bodies take to heal from our stress filled days. I suggest that we all get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Think about it, we spend about a third of our lives in bed
so buy a good mattress.
- Do not eat three hours before bedtime; your stomach will keep you up processing your food for several hours after you eat.
- Never go to bed tonight with tomorrow’s problems, for tomorrow will bring its own new challenges. (The book of Matthew Chapter 7:34 agrees with this.)
- Try to go to bed with physical fatigue rather than mental. A long walk in the evening or a jog on your treadmill will do the trick.
- Calcium mixed with magnesium acts as a natural tranquilizer. This is why our grandmothers told us to drink warm milk before bedtime. It really works.
- Avoid watching violent movies before bed or reading books that would over excite or stimulate you.
- Avoid caffeine several hours before bed or all together.
- If your spouse snores, have them checked for sleep apnea or get a new spouse.
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a heart stimulant and contrary to popular belief, will not give you a good night’s rest.
- Make sure you have the right pillow. Your head should be level with the mattress at all times. If your pillow is too shallow or high, it will exhaust your neck muscles and you could develop “Wry Neck,” or a crick in the neck, medically known as Torticollis. See coupon below.
- Always try to sleep on your back or side, never on your stomach. Stomach sleeping goes against the natural arches of the spine.
I hope the above helps you sleep a little better and remember to dream big dreams and make big plans, for they have magic that will stir your blood.
Dr. Joel Desaulniers