| Missoula back specialist presents: Your Health-The Road to Wellness. Article #1-Sleep |
| Written by Dr. Shaun Stuto | |
| Wednesday, 10 February 2010 | |
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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.
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. Comfort is the most important aspect of sleep. If you aren't sleeping well, you will not heal. You will not recover from workouts, stress, and life. We all lead high stress and high paced lives and we must maximize the time we get in bed. I coined the phrase "invest in your rest!" It means spend the money for a high quality bed. Make price a non-issue. You will thank me for it! 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 have now heard the essentials of sleep. Ensure you are getting 7-9 hours sleep on the highest quality bed. A sleep deficiency or poor quality of sleep can have devastating effects on a persons body, emotions and overall health. In fact, a poor nights sleep could be leaving you stressed and craving sugar. A lack of quality sleep could actually be making you fat! Place your health and wellness on the top of your priority list starting today. You deserve it. Commit to regular chiropractic care and ensure the optimal function of your nervous system. Implement a healthy eating plan and exercise routine. Finally, get your sleep. Shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep on the highest quality bed you can afford. This is "Your Health." I am Dr. Shaun Stuto and I wish you a life of abundance. The Article Author: Dr. Shaun Stuto is a chiropractor near 59801|chiropractor near 59801 and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250 |
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