What is Sleep?
Sleep was long considered just a uniform block of time when you are not awake. Thanks to sleep studies done over the past several decades, it is now known that sleep has distinctive stages that cycle throughout the night. One of these is called REM sleep which is the deepest sleep. Your brain stays active throughout sleep, but different things happen during each stage. For instance, certain stages of sleep are needed for us to feel well-rested and energetic the next day, and other stages help us to learn or to make memories. In brief, a number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best.
Sleep “Disorders”
At least 40 million Americans suffer each year from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. These disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities. They also account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, while the indirect costs due to lost productivity and other factors are probably much greater. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, sleep and sleep-related problems play a role in a large number of human disorders and affect almost every field of medicine. For example, problems like stroke and asthma attacks tend to occur more frequently during the night and early morning, perhaps due to changes in hormones, heart rate, and other characteristics associated with sleep. Sleep also affects some kinds of epilepsy in complex ways. REM sleep (deep sleep) seems to help prevent seizures that begin in one part of the brain from spreading to other brain regions. Sleep deprivation triggers seizures in people with some types of epilepsy. Studies show that not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep on a regular basis, increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions. Sleep also affects mood. Insufficient sleep can make you irritable and is linked to poor behavior and trouble with relationships, especially among children and teens. People who chronically lack sleep are also more likely to become depressed.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the most common sleep disorders include:
• Insomnia
• Sleep Apnea
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Narcolepsy
What are the causes of sleep problems?
Pain is one of the most common underlying conditions for chronic insomnia. Any program to handle sleep must address the issue of pain and resolve this problem if it exists.
Another cause of sleep problems is stress.
•70-80% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related illnesses.
•People who experience heightened levels of anxiety are 4 to 5 times more likely to have a fatal heart attack or stroke.
•50% of all illnesses are caused by stress.
The primary glands injured by stress are the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands secrete hormones including those which directly affect your sleep cycle. Physical and emotional stress can increase cortisol, leading to high levels at night and a result of loss of sleep. When the adrenal glands are weak, it affects your sleep due to abnormal cortisol levels.
Treatment for sleep problems.
The most common treatment option for poor sleep is sleeping pills. The problem with this option is that people become dependent and eventually build up a tolerance and have to increase the dosage, to have any effect, thereby putting their organs and lives at risk.
An effective first solution would be vitamins and other supplement
The four most often used products are:
1. L-Tryptophan
2. Melatonin
3. Valerian Root
4. St. John’s Wort
While these products might help you relax, the adrenal glands, if weak, must also be strengthened. The adrenal glands are specifically helped by Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C and specific natural adrenal extracts.
The second solution would be exercise.
A study of 319 men and 403 women was done to investigate the influence of moderate exercise or physical activity on self-reported sleep disorders among a randomly selected population of adults. Analysis compared selected measures of sleep disorders with measures of exercise and physical activity. The study showed that both men and women associated with regular activity at least once a week, participated regularly in an exercise program, and those walking at a brisk pace for more than six blocks had significantly reduced risk of sleep disorders. Among women, as they increase in age, exercising also reduced the risk of nightmares.
A third effective solution to better sleep is ozone therapy.
Ozone (O3), is an energized form of oxygen which contains three atoms of oxygen rather than the two atoms we normally breathe. Ozone is one of the best
healing agents, detoxifiers, and sterilizers when used in medicine. This can greatly reduce inflammation and pain in the body. Many people with existing health conditions or chronic disease use ozone to stimulate their immune system and boost healing.
What people experience:
- a deeper more restful sleep
- Sense of wellbeing
- Increased endurance
- Improved cognitive function/decreased brain fog
- Reduced Pain
If you are looking for a natural doctor near me for a comprehensive and personal treatment program, each person must be individually evaluated to determine the cause of their sleeping problem. At New Life Health Center, when a patient presents with problems sleeping, a functional evaluation will be performed by the practitioner, to help determine exactly what is the cause. We will then present to you a comprehensive treatment program that is specificaly tailored to you for the best results.
For more informaton or to schedule a consultation call (678)-721-0096
or click here to book an appointment.