From the desk of Ann Arbor Chiropractor Michael Tannenbaum, D.C.

It's common for people to have difficulty sleeping. Listed below are some things you can do to help you get a better nights sleep.

-You should go to bed a the same time each night. This will set your internal clock to expect you to go to sleep at the same time. If you need to change your sleep time don't make big changes all at once.

-Your body needs to be trained to recognize that when it’s in bed, it’s time to sleep. So, keep things compartmentalized for example, television watching should be done in family room and not the bedroom and food should be eaten in the dining room and not the bedroom.

-Each day you should wake up at the same time and this includes the weekend days.
In the evening if you find yourself getting sleepy long before bedtime get up and do some activity to get yourself going again like taking a walk or gardening.

-Avoid eating simple sugars as simple sugars depletes alkaline minerals, including potassium which can negatively impact your ability to get adequate sleep.

-Get solid exercise. Strenuous exercise especially in the late after noon has been shown to promote sleep.

-Don't nap the day after getting a poor nights sleep. Instead of napping if you feel tired get up and do things to get yourself energized.

If you have questions about this blog post, chiropractic, back pain, neck pain or headaches I can be reached at my Ann Arbor office at [email protected].