Dr. Jeff Moore D.C.
815.245.4624

Catching ZZZs


photo of restful bedroomIn Dr. William Dement's book, The Promise of Sleep, he says if we miss sleep, we have to make up for it. We exchange that one extra chapter we read in a novel we can't put down or that extra hour of a great movie late at night up for the hour of sleep at the other end.

When sleep is not respected, we over stress our entire system. Our usual life rhythms are disrupted and our health is compromised. Frequent fliers experiencing time zones changes are good examples. Herbs and nutritional supports are very helpful in alleviating the side effects of travel and sleep disturbance but good sleep habits cannot be stressed enough.

Those who wake up between one and three o'clock in the morning and cannot return to sound sleep may have an adrenal imbalance (as some of my patients and I have experienced). I have pretty much eliminated this in myself with nutrition and dietary changes that have also been helpful in those patients who have this type of sleep issue.

Waking up at three in the morning can indicate an imbalance with liver metabolism. I have been here also. In this case, I found herbs and supplements very helpful. I found including beets and the leaves in my diet along with endive and kale a great tonic for the liver.

Supplements are very important in health maintenance and healing, but please note the the word "supplement" means to be used with a healthful diet and not IN PLACE of a healthful diet.

As a final thought, caffeine late in the afternoon can keep you tossing and turning for three to six hours at night.

As a 'final, final' thought, sleep apnea can be involved, so a sleep study could be indicated. I have known chiropractic adjustments, herbs and nutrition 'supplemented' with a cervical pillow (a pillow designed to support the neck while sleeping) to be helpful here.

So, whats your sleep question? Ask me, maybe I can help.
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