At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleep problems. Of the 70 known sleep disorders, the most common are:
Insomnia, the most prevalent of the sleep disorders, is characterized by an inability to fall asleep and/or by waking up during the night and having difficulty going back to sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep. An estimated 12 million Americans have OSA.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological movement disorder that often is associated with unpleasant leg sensations and an almost irresistible urge to move the legs.
Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness, even after adequate nighttime sleep. Daytime sleep attacks may occur with or without warning and may be uncontrollable.
Many Americans struggle through episodes of sleep disorders on their own, while others may use over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, or sleeping devices to combat them. A growing number of people are seeking Upper Cervical Care with great success while avoiding the potential side affects or dependence on outside means.
Sleep and Overall Health
People spend about one third of their lives asleep. Nonetheless, people generally know little about the importance of sleep. Even scientists do not fully understand the function of sleep. They do agree, however, it is absolutely essential for good physical and mental health and for survival.
Loss of sleep creates an overwhelming, and sometimes uncontrollable, need to sleep and affects virtually all-physiological functions. Problem sleepiness is associated with difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, complex thought, loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy, impaired motor response and emotional instability. Problem sleepiness can even be deadly. Approximately 100,000 automobile accidents each year result from drivers who were “asleep at the wheel.”
The functions of many organ systems are linked to sleep cycles, like the endocrine system (hormone secretion), the renal system (blood filtering) and alimentary activity (digestion). Studies also show that sleep deprivation affects the immune system in detrimental ways. In addition, sleep loss can alter temperature regulation and increase the risk for various physical and mental disorders.
Sleep and The Brain Stem
Sleep is a highly organized sequence of events that follows a regular, cyclic program each night. It is controlled and coordinated in the brain stem and brain. The brain stem region, known as the pons, is critical for initiating REM sleep (the dream cycle).
The brain stem, which can be compared to a telephone cable with thousands of individual wires or nerve fibers sending signals between the brain and the body, controls nearly all vital, bodily functions. Misalignments in the upper cervical spine (neck) can affect the function of the brain stem, which can be a critical factor in many health problems including sleep disorders.
Misalignments may be caused by a number of things, including bumps, falls, car accidents and emotional stress, just to name a few. Health problems may appear immediately after the injury or several years later.
Upper Cervical Care and Sleep Disorders
Upper Cervical doctors are getting exceptional results with patients suffering with sleep disturbances. Clinical trials and case studies document the improvement in patients with sleep disorders while receiving Upper Cervical Care.
Disclaimer: (Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for sleep disorders or any other condition, disease or symptom.)
Posts
