Regardless of the reason that people come to our office (sciatica, migraines, neck pain, etc.), one of the first comments patients have during their first week of care is generally a sense of much better rest. With that being said, do chiropractic adjustments help you sleep better? They answer is yes, but we will discuss in more detail in today’s article.

Reasons Behind Better Sleep

One of the reasons this happens is due to the body being stuck, in what we call, “fight or flight”. You see, at a cellular level, the body is either in a state of defense or growth. When posed with chronic (90 days or more) stress, the body’s nervous system gets out of balance and starts to stay in defense mode. This ends up leading to other symptoms, such as lack of sleep, indigestion, high blood pressure, etc.

The chiropractic adjustment focuses on restoring the balance of the nervous system. (Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic balance). Think of it like going to the “circuit breaker” in your basement after a power outage. You flip the switch to “re-set” the system. For example, an adjustment to the area just beneath the skull, stimulates nerves, such as the vagus nerve, with help regulate digestion and heart rate. When there is chronic stress, the nerves get irritated and lead to a multitude of symptoms.

This is the same reason why Children who suffer from “COLIC,” a sleepless, irritated child with parents who start to lose their mind, see amazing success with only one or two adjustments. The parents are usually stunned at the results asking, “why didn’t my pediatrician know this?”

I’ll discuss kids and chiropractic more in a future blog, but for now, just know that the reason they sleep better after an adjustment is the same reason adults sleep better after getting adjusted. The nerve is “re-set” allowing for better balance, and allowing the body to move away from defense and toward healing. One of the first signs that the body is healing better, is that it is sleeping better, without the use of sleep aids or wine :).

In the end, chiropractic helps with so much more than people general expect. Helping patients get better rest is one of my favorite aspects of chiropractic….after all, who wouldn’t want that?

Get Involved

Have you ever experienced better sleep after receiving chiropractic care? Tell us your story by leaving a comment below!