Dooley Noted: 4/15/2015
Yesterday, I had four patients tell me they feel the worst when they wake up.
I’m often asked for advice on sleep positions and improving sleep quality.
But here’s the truth: you can start in one position and end up in a pretzel.
Your movements are unconscious during sleep, after all.
So, people must make themselves resilient to the toss and turn and try to limit it by improving sleep quality.
Here are some tips to wake up fresher and more resilient.
1. See an acupuncturist that’s an herbalist. Acupuncturists won’t go one visit without asking you about sleep, because it’s vital to their diagnoses. They look for patterns and treat according to those patterns. And yes – your body pain may be complicated by a systemic issue.
2. Avoid sleep aids. They are linked to depression and dementia. Don’t rob your future to sleep in the moment. Get to the root of the issue.
3. Perfect your sleep environment. Get black-out curtains and sleep in a cool, dark room with only minor white noise (if you need it).
4. Get blood work done. Use this as a barometer for nutritional deficiencies that can decrease sleep quality.
5. Waking up to urinate is never normal. You have a reflex in your frontal lobe and brainstem that prevents you from urinating during sleep. You likely woke up because you couldn’t breathe well. Then, the reflex is disinhibited and you think you awoke because you had to urinate.
The point: You awoke because you couldn’t breathe well, not because you had to urinate. Improve your breathing patterns with Breathe Right strips, a humidifier, netipot washes, and natural nasal sprays like Xlear.
6. Get a different mattress or a pillowtop for your current one. The surface should be firm if you need more support, and attempt to avoid a super cushy mattress that might destabilize the body while you sleep.
7. Have a wake-up strategy. For my patients with morning pain, I show them specific exercises based on their issue that can help decrease the morning discomfort and help them become more resilient.
8. Consider not using a pillow. Big fluffy pillows can throw the spine out of alignment and throw off body mechanics when you awaken. Stick a pillow between the knees if you side sleep, but consider a flatter pillow for the head.
9. Have water by your bedside. You need to hydrate every morning after hours of not doing it. The first thing you do after waking can be hydrating.
10. After that water, do some breathing drills. Breathe in your belly for a 4-count, and exhale through your belly for an 8-count. Keep the eyes open and focused to help you become alert. If doing this drill at bedtime, close the eyes.
Try these quick tips for improved sleep quality, so you can wake with less discomfort.
Feel free to add more tips that work for you! These are just a start.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley