Sleepless in NY - Part I

I treat alot of my clients for muscle pain,stress and anxiety and I tell them that the most important component to their healing is what they do for the other 23 hours that they are not in session with me. This includes diet, exercise, drinking lots of water, stretching, therapeutic bath soaks, making a conscious effort to improve posture and a commonly overlooked component is a good night's sleep to name a few. Restorative sleep is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL in your mind and body healing yet many people and I'd say especially us New Yorkers ("the city that never sleeps")do not get enough rest. A minimum of 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep is required but most people do their best on 8-9 hours. Interruptions to sleep run the gamut, whether it's tending to a newborn baby and/or children, external noises like traffic or neighbors - both unavoidable in the city (usually), pain that repeatedly wakes us, full bladder, breathing problems, cough, or that snoring bed partner alot of us have. The list of possible interruptions goes on and on.

Others may suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea, or high stress levels. In each case deep sleep is compromised but in the cases of internal imbalance, acupuncture along with massage can help to regulate your body's systems, calm the mind and nervous system while stimulating the heart to pump more efficiently working toward correcting the root imbalance(s) causing you to miss out on a good night's sleep. For those other clients suffering from external middle of the night disturbances, I've recommended ear plugs, sound machines,eye pillows/masks, I've also suggested to clients to cover or remove their televisions from their bedroom which is an essential component of the feng shui philosophy of balance.
We need adequate exposure to both daylight and darkness to effectively regulate our sleep patterns but with the use of artificial lighting we spend less and less time in the dark which disturbs sleep. Exposure to darkness supports the release of melanin, a pituitary hormone involved in the sleep pattern. During the deep stage of sleep, growth hormone is released and plays a major role in renewal, repair and restoration of the our body's cells. If sleep is interrupted the deeper stages of sleep aren't realized and the body's restorative mechanisms are compromised. It seems that sleep, especially during dreaming, also allows us to repair, restore and sort emotionally as well. Although dreaming is still a mystery, research suggests that it is essential for emotional well-being. Acupuncture and massage can serve as safe alternatives in the treatment of many of the above mentioned imbalances with no side effects. Treatments are cumulative yet many clients notice a difference immediately after treatment. They feel calmer, more relaxed and sleep deeply that very same night. Over time you should be sleeping like a baby night after good night and you will notice a major decrease in muscle pain/discomfort and/or stress and anxiety in addition to feeling your very BEST!

Feel your best! Visit Zen Soul Spa - Massage & Acupuncture for a consultation and treatment now. We're conveniently located in Brooklyn Heights.

Visit us at www.zensoulspa.com.