This is the first article in a series on “Your Health.” “Your Health” is also available in video format Youtube-Missoula Chiropractor. I am Dr. Shaun Stuto an author, speaker and Missoula chiropractor. Over a series of articles we will dissect and explore the various factors which contribute to wellness. We hear this token buzzword “wellness” all the time on television and in newspapers/magazines. Nobody is spending a lot of time defining it however. In simple terms, wellness is the point along the health spectrum that lies between “excellence” and “perfection.” It is the polar opposite of death and disease. Wellness is a journey and not a destination. The joy and fulfillment is in the process and implementation of certain actions and behaviors that make up a “well” person. The factors that make up a well person might include a good height:weight ration, low blood pressure, a healthy diet, active lifestyle and low mental stress. When does excellent health become perfect? There is no exact point when it can be distinguished.

The first aspect of wellness we will dive into is sleep. Next to a well adjusted spine and optimized nervous system, sleep and nutrition wrestle for second place when it comes to your wellness journey. How much sleep are you averaging per night? How much sleep do you actually need to feel your best? I frequently hear patients say that they need 7-9 hours of sleep to feel their best and find out that they average only 5-6 hours/night 5-7 days/week. It is common to find patients with an 80-120 hour/month sleep deficit! Sound like you perhaps?

The effects of this type of sleep deprivation are massive. This type of person has no energy. They are irritable and stressed. Often this type of patient is driven to be the perfect worker, the perfect spouse, the perfect parent, the perfect child etc… It is no surprise that this type of person cannot maintain this lifestyle forever. They often develop inexplicable symptoms such as aches and pains. The most common areas of pain show up in the neck and lower back. What is the quickest way to make a person slow down and rest? Low back pain! When the low back goes out, you go down and have to rest. The body has the innate intelligence to know when and how to put you down and force you to rest.

How much sleep should we be getting? On average most people do best on 7-9 hours/night. Except for an elite athlete who is training hours per day and burning thousands of calories, the average person should not need more than 7-9. If you need less than 6 hours/night see your doctor and if you need more than 9 see a psychologist. It is quite possible that underlying emotional stress and depression could be the real cause of your need for so much sleep.

The most important aspect of sleep is your comfort. You must be comfortable in order to maximize your recovery time. With the high stress, high paced lives most of us lead, it is crucial to maximize our time at rest. “Invest in your rest!” I coined the phrase and you should take it to heart. Invest in your rest means spend the money on the highest quality bed you can afford. Most people do best on a firmer mattress.

As your Chiropractor, I personally recommend the Sleep Number bed to ensure your comfort. Remember make price a non-issue. We spend 1/3rd of our lives in bed so we must ensure the highest quality rest possible. The sleep number bed virtually guarantees your comfort because the firmness of the bed is so variable. This is the solution for couples with different mattress preferences. No longer will one person be left to toss and turn. It is so common for households to spend $1000’s on a fancy couch and a flat screen T.V. but want to sneak by with a $300 bed. Does this make sense? No way! Where did you get your bed? Do you remember? How old is it? Do you even know? If you cannot even answer these questions then skip the rest of the article and go order a sleep number bed. Seriously, invest in your rest and do not spend another night on a bed that is hurting you.

You now have a much better understanding of the essentials of effective sleep. So long as you get 7-9 hours on a high quality bed, you should do great. On the contrary, a sleep deficiency can manifest as physical pain, poor health and even emotional stress. This emotional stress can even lead to sugar cravings and actually make you fat! Yes poor sleep can absolutely make you fat. The answer to more energy and less weight is the quality of your bed.

Make health and wellness a top priority now. You owe it to yourself. Ensure optimal function of your nervous system by committing to regular chiropractic care. Implement a regular exercise routine and healthier eating habits. Last, get more sleep and a higher quality of sleep through a top quality bed. Aim for 7-9 hours of undisturbed sleep on a consistent schedule each night. Go to bed within 1/2 hour of your scheduled time each night and get up at the same time every day. When you follow this simple plan you will experience unbelievable changes in the way you feel, your energy and your attitude.

This is “Your Health.” I am Dr. Shaun Stuto and I wish you a life of abundance.

Dr. Shaun Stuto is a Missoula Chiropractor| Chiropractors Missoula MT and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250

categories: sleep,wellness,missoula,chiropractor,transformation,chiropractic,health,wellness,chiropractors,59801,59802,59803,pain,back

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