We all know that sleep is good for us and stress is bad for us. But when it comes to applying these truths to our lives, it can be quite difficult. If you have a lot of daily responsibilities, you may tend to go to sleep late and wake up early, minimizing the amount of sleep you’re able to get each night. Additionally, with all the duties of your daily life, in addition to all the chaos and uncertainty that the past year has brought, it can be extremely challenging to reduce your stress. So how do you find the balance and ensure you are as healthy as possible?
The key lies in rest. Rest, in this case, not only includes sleep, but also relaxation, self-care, and down time. It involves fighting the pull of your to-do list, closing out those social media apps, and encouraging your body and mind to find peace, solace, and rest.
The Science of Rest
If you’ve been around Arbor Vitae Chiropractic or spoken with Dr. Tom Niemela or any of his team members, you’ve likely heard a bit about the autonomic nervous system. The two parts of the ANS need to find a balance in order for our bodies to work optimally and for us to achieve true health. Most of us are firing our sympathetic nervous system a lot, which triggers our “fight or flight” response and keeps our bodies ready to act, react, and keep pushing through obstacles. This is important, but in order for our bodies to “rest and digest,” we need to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. It’s this system that allows us to slow down, process things both physically and emotionally, and heal from sickness, injury, or mental distress.
While the sympathetic nervous system increases our heart rate, brings more blood to the limbs, and allows us to deal with any potential “threats” or sources of anxiety, it needs to be shut off regularly in order for our bodies to function optimally. The parasympathetic nervous system, in contrast, will redirect blood flow which lowers our blood pressure, activates the digestive system to reduce digestion troubles, and slows our heart rate to reduce physical stress.
How Chiropractic Care Improves and Maximizes Rest
When you are constantly in a state of extreme stimulation and your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert, your body cannot rest, recuperate, or heal. Chiropractic care minimizes interruptions in the nervous system, which brings about more effective neural transmission and communication throughout the entire body. This allows your body to shift back to a parasympathetic state more naturally and with more ease, bringing about more restful relaxation and more healing, both mentally and physically. Chiropractic care can also minimize issues that interrupt your rest, such as mental health struggles, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.
Dr. Tom Niemela is a neurologically-based chiropractor who is passionate about bringing improved health and wellness to the entire Bentonville community. He does this through chiropractic education, precise and scientific adjustments, and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits among his practice members. If you want to learn more about the benefits of chiropractic and how it can help you rest better, contact Dr. Niemela and his team at Arbor Vitae Chiropractic.
Sources
Hardy, K., Pollard, H. “The Organization of the Stress Response, and Its Relevance to Chiropractors: A Commentary.” Chiropractic and Osteopathy, 2006; 14: 25. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1629015/.
Welch, A., Boone, R. “Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Responses to Specific Diversified Adjustments to Chiropractic Vertebral Subluxations of the Cervical and Thoracic Spine.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2008 Sep; 7(3): 86-93. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686395/.