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By admin 0 Comments Chiropractic Care, Sleep Hygiene , , , , , , , , , ,

Say Goodbye to Insomnia & Start Enjoying Quality Sleep

Can individuals with insomnia find various ways to reduce its effects, such as a full night’s rest and promoting healthy sleep habits?

Insomnia

Many people have often struggled to get a full night’s sleep occasionally, as environmental factors can keep them from falling asleep, making them tired throughout the day. In most cases, many individuals sometimes suffer from a chronic condition known as insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder, whether short-term or chronic, and it can negatively impact a person’s ability to sleep and stay asleep. (Dopheide, 2020) Insomnia can be in two forms: primary and secondary. Primary insomnia is a fairly common condition that can be resolved without treatment, while secondary insomnia is due to medication side effects or neurological issues that are causing sleep issues. Additionally, insomnia can be developed through various environmental factors like genetic variants, early life stress, major life events, and brain functions and structures that can cause individuals to be vulnerable and have insomnia. (Van Someren, 2021) We associate with certified medical providers who inform our patients of the effects of insomnia that can affect the body when they are not getting enough sleep. While asking important questions to our associated medical providers, we advise patients to incorporate healthy sleeping habits into their treatment plan to reduce insomnia and get proper sleep. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., envisions this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

How It Affects The Body

So, how does insomnia affect the body and a person’s daily routine? Well, when environmental factors start to impact a person, it can cause overlapping risk profiles in the body that can develop into mental disorders like depression. There is a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and depression, as it can cause sleep alterations that can affect the nervous system and develop into chronic conditions. (Riemann et al., 2020) Some of the symptoms that insomnia can affect the body include: (Naha et al., 2024)

  • Fatigue
  • Memory impairment
  • Cardiovascular disorders
  • Gastrointestinal disorders
  • PTSD
  • Daytime napping

However, there are ways to manage insomnia and reduce the co-morbidities.

Exploring Integrative Medicine-Video

Ways To Manage Insomnia

When managing and treating insomnia, many people must recognize the many environmental factors that can lead to its development. Since insomnia is linked with environmental factors, many people start making small routine changes to mitigate its effects. Many people can start by identifying the disorder and other co-morbidities contributing to its development. (Waterman & Selsick, 2023) This, in turn, helps doctors develop a customized treatment plan to manage their insomnia.

Sleep Habits

One of the ways many people deal with insomnia can begin with changing their sleep habits to help reduce the environmental factors affecting their sleep quality. Some of the changes include:

  • Sleeping on a comfortable mattress
  • Reduce screen time by an hour before bed
  • Maintain a regular sleep and waking schedule
  • Make sure the bedroom is dark, cool, and has minimal noise

Incorporating these small changes in sleeping habits can help reduce the stressors contributing to insomnia.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Another way for individuals to manage their insomnia is by incorporating non-surgical treatments. Non-surgical treatments like mindfulness meditation, chiropractic care, and acupuncture can help many individuals calm the mind and body by combining deep breathing exercises. (Chan et al., 2021) At the same time, the body and muscles can begin to relax and even help stretch out tense muscles that are affected by insomnia. Many people can utilize non-surgical treatments as part of their routine to live healthy lives and have the best quality of sleep they deserve.

References

Chan, N. Y., Chan, J. W. Y., Li, S. X., & Wing, Y. K. (2021). Non-pharmacological Approaches for Management of Insomnia. Neurotherapeutics, 18(1), 32-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01029-2

Dopheide, J. A. (2020). Insomnia overview: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and monitoring, and nonpharmacologic therapy. Am J Manag Care, 26(4 Suppl), S76-S84. https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2020.42769

Naha, S., Sivaraman, M., & Sahota, P. (2024). Insomnia: A Current Review. Mo Med, 121(1), 44-51. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38404423

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10887463/pdf/ms121_p0044.pdf

Riemann, D., Krone, L. B., Wulff, K., & Nissen, C. (2020). Sleep, insomnia, and depression. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(1), 74-89. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0411-y

Van Someren, E. J. W. (2021). Brain mechanisms of insomnia: new perspectives on causes and consequences. Physiol Rev, 101(3), 995-1046. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00046.2019

Waterman, L., & Selsick, H. (2023). Insomnia and its treatment should be given more importance. Br J Gen Pract, 73(733), 344-345. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp23X734421

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By admin 0 Comments Chiropractic Care, Sleep Hygiene , , , , , , , , , ,

Narcolepsy and Sleep: A Comprehensive Overview

Can individuals dealing with narcolepsy find ways to reduce its effects on the musculoskeletal system and improve sleep?

Can individuals dealing with narcolepsy find ways to reduce its effects on the musculoskeletal system and improve sleep?

What Is Narcolepsy?

Around the world, many individuals have gotten 8 hours of sleep by doing errands to function throughout the day. Sometimes, it is important to take naps between certain hours of the day to give the body a chance to rest and continue for the rest of the day before going to bed. However, more individuals have experienced sleep disturbances like scrolling through their phones, dealing with chronic conditions like migraines or insomnia, or not having a proper sleep schedule that can negatively impact their sleep. One of the sleep disturbances is narcolepsy, which can cause individuals to have sleep issues throughout the day and even affect their musculoskeletal system. In today’s article, we will be looking at what narcolepsy is, its symptoms, how it affects the muscles, and what treatments can reduce narcolepsy and improve sleep. We associate with certified medical providers who inform our patients of the effects narcolepsy causes on a person and their bodies. While asking important questions to our associated medical providers, we advise patients to include various techniques to reduce the overlapping risk profiles related to narcolepsy and help improve their sleep quality. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., envisions this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.

Do you often feel extremely tired throughout the day, and is it causing you to take a nap in weird places? Do your arms and legs feel weak from carrying various objects? Or do you feel general aches or pains in your neck, shoulders, and back? Many of these scenarios are associated with sleep disturbances that can affect the musculoskeletal system. One of the sleep disturbances is narcolepsy, characterized by the onset of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that can correlate with the lack of orexin neurons from the central nervous system, thus causing daytime sleepiness. (Slowik et al., 2024) Narcolepsy has two forms depending on the severity of the condition: type 1 (narcolepsy with cataplexy) and type 2 (narcolepsy without cataplexy). Depending on the severity of narcolepsy, it can disrupt the brain from generating and regulating REM sleep and cause issues for the body when it is awake during the day. (Thorpy et al., 2024) This chronic sleep disorder can disrupt a person’s quality of life and affect their socio-economic lifestyle.

Symptoms

Narcolepsy has four main symptoms that can affect a person who is experiencing this condition. The four symptoms are:

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness causes people to fall asleep suddenly during mid-conversation or when doing activities.
  • Cataplexy: Sudden or temporary episodes of muscle weakness in the upper and lower musculoskeletal quadrants. (Sunwoo, 2021)
  • Sleep hallucinations: This can cause individuals to hallucinate visions, causing the symptoms to be mistaken for psychotic symptoms. (Hanin et al., 2021)
  • Sleep paralysis: When the individual is partly awake but cannot move.

Additionally, when narcolepsy starts to affect a person, it could lead to the development of comorbidities like obesity and musculoskeletal issues that may lead to sleep disturbances to take effect. (Maski et al., 2022)

How Does It Affect Muscles?

Now, narcolepsy can affect the musculoskeletal system as the central nervous system has neurons known as orexin to stimulate the body’s muscles, tissues, and vital organs. When narcolepsy starts to affect orexin, it can cause overlapping risk profiles to the muscles that become weak, and environmental factors like obesity and metabolic syndrome can complicate diagnosing narcolepsy. (Dhafar & BaHammam, 2022). Now, as environmental factors do play a huge part in the body, causing people to develop narcolepsy, it is important to realize that when muscle weakness can contribute to the issue, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Strong emotions that are associated with muscle weakness for narcoleptic individuals can cause their body to collapse and lead to cataplexy. Cataplexy in narcoleptic individuals often has a sequence starting from the top of the head down to the legs, causing muscle tone loss, and is frequently mistaken for seizures. (Latorre et al., 2022) Luckily, there are ways to manage narcolepsy and improve sleep quality.

The Non-Surgical Approach To Wellness- Video

Narcolepsy Treatments To Improve Sleep

When it comes to managing narcolepsy and its associated symptoms, many people can make small changes to their daily routine and incorporate treatment to improve their sleep quality and their lifestyle, too. Many individuals with narcolepsy take medication to not only stimulate their central nervous system neurons but also to reduce daytime sleepiness. Additionally, non-surgical treatments like chiropractic care can help stretch and restore muscle weakness associated with narcolepsy to help individuals manage their symptoms. Other treatments include:

  • Take short naps on a comfortable mattress.
  • Maintaining a proper sleep schedule.
  • Exercise regularly to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Eating a well-balanced, healthy meal

Incorporating these small changes as part of a daily routine can help mitigate narcolepsy and its associated symptoms. All in all, many individuals with narcolepsy can manage their symptoms and live a healthier life.

References

Dhafar, H. O., & BaHammam, A. S. (2022). Body Weight and Metabolic Rate Changes in Narcolepsy: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Metabolites, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111120

Hanin, C., Arnulf, I., Maranci, J. B., Lecendreux, M., Levinson, D. F., Cohen, D., & Laurent-Levinson, C. (2021). Narcolepsy and psychosis: A systematic review. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 144(1), 28-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13300

Latorre, D., Sallusto, F., Bassetti, C. L. A., & Kallweit, U. (2022). Narcolepsy: a model interaction between immune system, nervous system, and sleep-wake regulation. Semin Immunopathol, 44(5), 611-623. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-022-00933-9

Maski, K., Mignot, E., Plazzi, G., & Dauvilliers, Y. (2022). Disrupted nighttime sleep and sleep instability in narcolepsy. J Clin Sleep Med, 18(1), 289-304. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9638

Slowik, J. M., Collen, J. F., & Yow, A. G. (2024). Narcolepsy. In StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29083681

Sunwoo, J. S. (2021). Narcolepsy, autoimmunity, and influenza A H1N1 vaccination. Encephalitis, 1(2), 31-35. https://doi.org/10.47936/encephalitis.2021.00010

Thorpy, M. J., Siegel, J. M., & Dauvilliers, Y. (2024). REM sleep in narcolepsy. Sleep Med Rev, 77, 101976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101976

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