Sleeping well is a luxury that unfortunately many people don’t have.  Almost 1/3 the population has an issue sleeping, whether it’s falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful quality sleep. Approximately 10 million people take prescription sleeping medications. This is certainly an issue. Yet many people accept it without wondering why. What’s to blame for this epidemic? In this blog from Bremerton Wellness in Bremerton we’ll review what are the most common causes and how your sleep can be significantly improved with acupuncture and other natural tools.

For the most part, the biggest factors determining the quality and quantity of your sleep is lifestyle, stress and hormones. Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, which, if overactive for months or years, may make you hyper alert and unable to calm the mind when it’s time to sleep. The majority of people who have trouble sleeping will say, “I just can’t turn off my mind.” People are busy throughout the day, rush to and from work, drink coffee and consume other forms of caffeine, no wonder we have troubles winding down, as all our other activities are meant to gear us up.

Another important factor is the hormonal balance that gets disturbed as we approach our 50’s and 60’s.  As estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels all change drastically during our middle age years, it often upsets the delicate balance of good quality sleep.  Waking up to pee frequently is a different issue, where the focus is on balancing the hormones related to bladder function.

One of the most important factors in overcoming insomnia in Bremerton is reducing exposure to artificial lightning, especially in the evening. The body has a natural circadian rhythm, which allows us to be active during the day and restful at night. But if there is lighting at night, with TV, phones and computers being used just, the light tricks the body into believing it is day time.  Then people become strangely awake and active, which makes rest and sleep that much more difficult to achieve.

Excessive anxiety and worry when unresolved stays in our conscious and subconscious minds, which comes up at night and disturbs us, taking away our precious sleep with all of the issues we’re concerned with.

So, what can we do to help ourselves sleep better? Acupuncture at Bremerton Wellness in Bremerton is excellent at helping the body to re-balance its natural rhythms, making it easier to get to sleep and stay asleep. It does this by regulating hormonal function. Depending on whether your hormonal issue is one with cortisol, epinephrine, or estrogen/ progesterone & testosterone, or something else.

Acupuncture regulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and stimulates healthy blood circulation, which reduces stress, inflammation and anxiety levels. This all helps to calm the mind and promote healthy sleep.

Herbal medicine is also particularly effective with aiding sleep. There are different patterns in an insomnia case, some more hormonal in nature, while others are rooted in stress, anxiety or poor dietary choices. Depending on what is causing your specific sleeping issue, certain herbs are given to promote peace, relaxation, reduce stress, anxiety and regulate hormonal levels. Because each person is unique, there is no “herb for sleep” but there is an “herb for you”. This underlines the importance of receiving herbal care from a trained practitioner.

Breathing techniques and meditation exercises can calm the mind, promote a sense of peace and wellbeing, help to let go of worries, stresses, and anxieties as well.

If you think this may apply to you or a loved one, we invite you to come in to Bremerton Wellness for a free consultation to determine the cause of your sleeping issue, so we can help you to feel better and get the kind of sleep you deserve!

Wishing you a restful night,

Michael Maniloff LAc.
Bremerton Wellness (360-627-7408)
Bremertonwellness.com