The Importance of Sleep
A Good Night’s Rest Will Improve the Performance of Your Entire Clinic
Nancy Singleton
Nothing quite compares to a good night's rest. As they say, "we all need our beauty sleep," but perhaps the saying should be "we all need our best-performance sleep." When your body is tired, you are not likely to perform as well as you would if you had gotten enough shut-eye. According to the National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), sleep deprivation can impair one's ability to pay attention, remember importantthings, and make decisions,1,2,3 all of which can impact your performance at work. Outside of its impact on your performance, sleep deprivation also can affect your health by impairing your immune system4 and leading to a rise in blood pressure.5 Overall, sleep deprivation can make you less vigilant, less healthy, and less able to care for the patients you work with on a daily basis.
Whether or not you feel as if you can function on a night of subpar sleep, you will experience these effects. If you burn the candle at both ends, you won't be able to put your best foot forward while dealing with patients, and unfortunately, this also is true for your doctor. If your doctor doesn't get enough sleep, he or she may not be able to treat patients effectively.
Even patients visitingyour clinic may sufferfrom sleep deprivation. Just like you, your patients will suffer a drop in cognitive function and a variety of health issues when they skimp on sleep, which means that their bodies may not respond to care as well as they should. This is why it's so important for you, your doctor, and your patients to get a full night's rest. Your patients will receive better care; their minds will be more receptive to the information you provide; and their bodies will be better equipped to change. What's more important than that?
Reasons We Don't Sleep
So, why are so many of us failing to get enough sleep? If we know that it is so important, why can't we manage to sleep soundly, consistently, and for long enough periods? Although there may be several reasons why you're not sleeping as well as you'd like, there are certain steps you can take to improve the quality of yoursleep. Considerthese nine reasons whyyou may not be getting enough sleep:
1. Overthinking — You probably know what it's
like to lay awake at night with a restless mind. You may be occupied with work, a relationship, a deadline, or some other worry or fear. Sometimes, your mind just won't relax! If you find yourself in this position, develop a bedtime routine, whether it involves reading, meditation, listening to music, or doing something else that helps put your worries at ease.
2. Irregular sleeping hours — Although you're on a schedule during the workweek, you may be tempted to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends. Don't! This will throw off your internal clock and make you groggy throughout the rest of the week. Find a routine that fits and stick with it.
3. Snoring — If someone you love snores, it can be a real hindrance to a good night's rest. Snorers can be as loud as a weed whacker! If this person drones on all night, it can interrupt your REM sleep cycle and leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Fortunately, there are many fixes for snoring, so find one that works.
4. Changing hormones — Like it or not, our hormones change, and sometimes these changes can disrupt our sleep, causing hot flashes, pain, or other discomforts. Depending on what's happening in your body, it may be helpful to find a way to regulate these changes to improve your sleep quality.
5. Hunger — When you go to bed on an empty stomach, a late-night growl or pang may awaken you. Eating a meal in the evening (but not too close to bedtime) can help remedy that.
6. Cluttered bedroom — If your room is cluttered,
your mind will be too. Stress won't help you sleep, so tidy up.
7. Tech — If your room is glowing with lights emitted by your devices, you may find it difficult to get a sound night's sleep. This happens because light tells your body that it ought to be awake, which isthe lastthingyou want happening inthe middle of the night. To get a good night's sleep, shut off your tech before bed.
8. Noise — Whether you like a little white noise to lull you to sleep or prefer total silence, try to create the perfect sleep environment in your bedroom.
9. Dust mites and pets — It may seem strange to put these together in the same category, but both can cause allergies. Waking up sneezing or with a stuffy nose can be very disruptive to a good night's sleep.
Supplements for Better Sleep
If everyone in your clinic (you, your doctor, and your patients) got more rest, your practice would be more effective and successful. In addition to following the previous tips, you may want to consider taking supplements that help your body maximize the sleep that you do get. These supplements can help soothe an anxious mind, promote ease and relaxation before bedtime, and ensure that you sleep deeply throughout the night. For example, a melatonin supplement may help regulate your sleep cycles; an herbal stressrelief supplement (containing herbs such as valerian root, chamomile, and hops flower) will help promote restfulness; and an adrenal-calmingsupplement may help reduce the symptoms of stress and/or anxiety that keep you from sleeping in the first place. You may also wish to consider taking liquid calcium with a multivitamin (which contains magnesium) to relax your muscles and promote deep relaxation. By improving the quality of your sleep, all of these supplements will help improve mental clarity and keep you feeling more alert during the day.
Concluding Thoughts
Sleep deprivation can affect your work performance, memory, concentration, and even physical health. It will take a toll on your perception and judgment, making you less able to care for the patients you work with on a daily basis. So, don't let a lack of sleep reduce the quality ofyourcare. Followthe previously mentioned steps and try to get a good night's sleep every night. When you do, you'll find that you are happier, more successful, and better able to deal with stress at work. Your energy will be visible to those around you, and you may find that you have opportunities to work with patients to improve the quality of their sleep too. The improved energy and vitality in your office will create a better work environment, which is something your patients will notice as they walk through the door.
Overall, getting enough sleep is something that will benefit you, your doctor, and each of your patients. Don't hesitate to be the one to get the ball rolling.
References:
1. Alhola, P., & Polo-Kantola, P. (2007, October 3). Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Retrieved May30,2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC2656292/
2. The role of sleep in learning and memory. Maguet P, Science. 2001 Nov 2; 294(5544):1048-52.
3. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Stickgold R, Nature. 2005 Oct 27; 437(7063/1272-8.
4. Sleep loss: A novel riskfactorfor insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Spiegel K, Knutson K, Leproult R, Tasali E, Van Cauter E, JAppI Physiol (1985). 2005 Nov; 99(5):2008-19.
5. Total sleep deprivation elevates blood pressure through arterial baroreflex resetting: A study with microneurographic technique. Ogawa Y, Kanbayashi T, Saito Y, TakahashiY, Kitajima T, TakahashiK, Hishikawa Y, Shimizu T, Sleep. 2003 Dec 15; 26(8/986-9.
Nancy Singleton is a 1989 graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic Assistants. She and her husband, Dr Todd Singleton, have owned and operated multiple clinics, and have been teaching and helping doctors grow their practices for more than 25 years. She and her husband, Dr Todd Singleton, teach chiropractors how to implement multiple cash systems into their existing practices. For more information, call 801-917-0900, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.ArticlesByNancySingleton.com.
