How Chiropractic Care Can Enhance Your Sleep and Boost Healing

Did you know that a good night’s sleep is essential for healing? When chiropractors make adjustments, they’re not just easing back pain—they might also be helping you sleep better. Our bodies use sleep to recover and heal from the daily grind, but often, we underestimate just how critical quality sleep is to our overall health. Many of us recognize the need for sleep but still end up sacrificing it for work or other activities, not realizing how deeply this affects our health and wellness.

It turns out that skimping on sleep can seriously damage our health, leading to issues like depression, heart disease, lowered immunity, obesity, and even type-2 diabetes. With millions of Americans seeking help for sleep issues, it’s no surprise that spending on sleep aids hit an estimated $41 billion in 2015, and it's projected to increase. Today, more than ever, people are battling significant sleep deprivation.

A recent study found that more than a quarter of people have difficulty either falling or staying asleep, and nearly 70% of us have trouble sleeping at least once a week. The stress and anxiety that disrupt our sleep are the same forces that contribute to various diseases. Despite what our busy schedules might suggest, most people can't function well on less than seven hours of sleep, though many believe they can manage.

Chiropractic care might just be the secret weapon in the fight for better sleep. Research from 2015 shows that specific sleep-related hormones increase after spinal adjustments. Chiropractic adjustments help optimize hormone levels by correcting misalignments in the spine that can restrict movement and disrupt the nervous system. The spine is a critical pathway for your nervous system, protecting the spinal cord that connects your brain to the rest of your body. Keeping the spine properly aligned helps ensure that everything from your organs to your tissues is functioning well.

Chiropractors don't claim to cure sleep problems directly, but they do focus on eliminating misalignments and restrictions in the spine that can lead to nervous system stress. By addressing these subluxations, chiropractors aid the body in communicating more effectively, healing, and performing at its best. This not only helps in reducing physical stress but also enhances overall health, allowing for better work performance and, importantly, a more restful night’s sleep.

So, if you’re struggling with sleep and haven’t found a solution yet, it might be worth considering how chiropractic care can help set the stage for better sleep and better health.

Medical Hypotheses December 2015
"Measurable changes in the neuro-endocrinal mechanism following spinal manipulation." K Kovanur Sampath, R Mani, JD Cotter, S Tumilty