The Importance of Sleep

An Introduction by Dr. David Olson

Drawing from both scientific research and our hands-on experience at Edgemont Chiropractic Clinic, we've noticed an evident link between inadequate sleep and a rise in back and neck discomfort.

Various studies have pointed towards these observations:

• An association exists between subpar sleep quality accompanied by brief durations of slumber, and the occurrence of back pain.
• Sufferers often report experiencing heightened levels of back pain after having endured a single episode of poor-quality sleeping.
• Interestingly, this relationship is reciprocal – spending an entire day beset with backache almost certainly leads to diminished sleep quality during the subsequent night.
• Frequent disturbances to one’s bedtime are significantly associated with bothersome symptoms related to their backs.
• Falling short on good-quality restful periods can cause muscles to tense up more than usual, exacerbate inflammation in affected areas, thereby eventually contributing towards worry or anxiety.

 And while we’re on the subject of sleep and back pain, don’t assume that if you wake up in the morning with back pain that it’s the mattresses’ fault, disc problems in the lower back often are worse in the mornings.

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WORLD SLEEP DAY 2024

World Sleep Day is a globally acknowledged initiative, put together and hosted by the World Sleep Society. It nurtures relationships while enhancing awareness about sleep health among researchers, healthcare professionals, patients and the general public. This event's main goal is to underline the crucial role that a good night's sleep plays in our lives.

As part of this initiative, we will be sharing the 3 key messages.  

Key Message #1 – Sleep is essential to health.  

Sleep is a critical pillar of health, like nutrition and physical activity.

• Sleep helps support memory and learning.
• Sleep helps clear waste from the brain and promote brain health.
• Sleep supports brain health, and brain health supports sleep.
• Sleep supports immune health, and immune health supports sleep.
• Sleep helps the immune system to clear bacteria and viruses.
• Sleep helps to recycle old cells and maintain our bodies and energy levels

 Poor sleep health can have multiple significant impacts on human health.

• Poor sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality.
• Poor sleep can lower immune response, creating greater susceptibility to infections that further reduce sleep quality.
• Certain sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder are associated with cognitive impairment, dementia, risk of seizures, and increased risk of stroke.
• Poor sleep can result in reduced reaction times, impaired judgment, and cognitive impairment similar in effect to alcohol intoxication.
• Drowsiness can impair safe driving even if the driver does not fall asleep.

Key Message 2: Sleep health is multidimensional.  

“Healthy sleep” means more than simply “enough sleep.” There are six dimensions that affect sleep health and consequently overall health and wellbeing. Organizing “healthy sleep” into distinct aspects offers sleep health advocates more focused messaging that promotes healthy sleep behaviors.

The six dimensions of sleep health are the following:

• Duration: how much did you sleep over 24 hours?
• Efficiency: how well do you fall asleep and stay asleep?
• Timing: when do you sleep?
• Regularity: do you have consistent sleep and wake times?
• Alertness: do you maintain good focus and attention during waking hours?
• Quality: do you feel satisfied with your sleep?

Key Message 3:  We must address sleep health disparities to improve the health of populations across the world.

“Sleep health disparities” are defined by persistent differences in one or more of the sleep health dimensions that adversely affect a population, and examples of such disparities have been identified and measured in recent years.

The effects of sleep health disparities become clear when one considers the fundamental role of sleep in human health and wellness.

The causes for these disparities can be both social (e.g., psychological stress, financial strain, hunger, threats to safety) and environmental (e.g., light, temperature, noise, air quality).

Information courtesy of World Sleep Day Toolkit

World Sleep Society is a nonprofit, professional membership organization dedicated to advancing sleep health worldwide. To accomplish this mission, World Sleep Society manages a variety of programs that engage the global community of sleep physicians, researchers, and professionals as well the public. Individual members and member societies from dozens of countries form the core of World Sleep Society.