Why Sleep Is the Cornerstone of Wellness and How to Improve It Naturally

If one of your favorite mantras is, “You can sleep when you’re dead,” you should reconsider that mindset. Often overlooked for the sake of productivity, sleep is crucial to our health and well-being. Having persistent sleep difficulties isn’t normal, and being sleep-deprived will have long-term adverse effects. More importantly, you can’t survive without adequate daily sleep.

If you experience regular sleep disturbances or don’t get restful sleep most nights, it’s best to talk to your medical provider. If you need improvements to your sleep hygiene, your hometown health and wellness practitioner can help.

Why Sleep is Crucial to Overall Health and Wellness

If you lead a busy, hectic life, a restful night of sleep may seem elusive or like a luxury. However, 7-9 hours of sleep is necessary for most adults, even though one in three individuals in the U.S. falls short of this amount.

If you consistently lack adequate sleep, you increase your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. With long-term sleep deprivation, you’re more likely to develop such problems as enhanced cognitive decline, dementia, depression, and anxiety.

Common Sleep Conditions

Perhaps you’ve gotten lost in your smartphone or tablet late at night, scrolling through social media long after it’s time for bed. Unfortunately for some individuals, healthy sleep eludes them despite their best intentions. Two conditions that rob people of the sleep they need are insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

Insomnia is a condition affecting at least 12% of U.S. adults. While some cases don’t seem to have an underlying cause, others can be attributed to certain medications, high levels of stress, substance abuse, or chronic conditions like depression. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. You should seek medical intervention if your insomnia occurs at least three nights a week for three consecutive months or more.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the soft tissues in the back of your throat relax, blocking your airway and resulting in short periods of halted breathing. That sudden loud gasp or snort that soon follows is from your brain waking you up because it’s not getting enough oxygen. Loud snoring is often a symptom of OSA.

Insomnia and OSA can take their toll on sufferers, causing daytime sleepiness, irritability, excessive fatigue, and breathing problems. These sleep disorders can also lead to other issues like compromised immunity, problems focusing, and an increased risk of a heart attack.

Improve Your Sleep with More Holistic Approaches

Persistent sleep disturbances warrant medical attention. You could see a physician who can prescribe you a potent sleep aid. However, it’s more beneficial to consult a provider who can determine the underlying cause of your lack of sleep, not just treat your symptoms. Moreover, an integrative medical provider in your area can offer therapies that harness your body’s healing power, all without the side effects of prescription drugs.

If insomnia keeps you up at night, your holistic doctor might discover that diabetes, menopause, medication, or other condition is to blame. If the problem is OSA, you may need a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. If a CPAP device seems unappealing, your provider may suggest other strategies to open your airway:

• Altering your sleep position
• Losing weight
• Using a humidifier in the bedroom
• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco
• Using a mouthguard or other oral appliance

Poor sleep often indicates the body’s lack of proper nutrition. To this end, a nutrition consultation may help. You can also replenish essential vitamins and nutrients with integrative treatments, such as Myer’s cocktail IV therapy, herbal supplements, or vitamin C infusion.

Get Plenty of Rest with Integrative Health Solutions

If you’re waking up tired each day, feel sluggish, or can’t seem to fall or stay asleep, it’s time to consult with a local integrative medical provider at Blatman Health and Wellness Center. We’ll work hard to get to the bottom of your sleep problem and develop a treatment plan to help you restore restful sleep. Contact us today to book your next appointment at our Cincinnati, Ohio or NYC office.