Health Made Easy

What causes the brain to degenerate? – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Imagine returning from work and being unable to remember your wife’s name. You wonder how many kids you have, and your dog looks so strange in your eyes. Sounds strange right? Yea, that’s what could happen when your brain begins to degenerate.

What is Neurodegeneration?

The word “neurodegenerative” is derived from two words “neuro”- brain, and “degenerative,”- breaking down. So, neurodegeneration is the progressive breakdown (both structure and function) of neurons present in the brain.

Basically, the brain is made up of about 86 million nerve cells, and these nerves connect with the brain in more than a trillion connections throughout the body. These connections make you who you are, and it determines functions like, remembering things you read, thinking about your family plans, moving around, and many more.

So, when there is a miscommunication between brain cells, it could cause the brain to degenerate which can lead to losing intellectual function as their brain gradually deteriorates, and the effect is evident in memory, speech, and spatial skills.

Like the example given above, when your home starts to feel like someone else’s place, it could be a sign of degenerative brain disease. The bad part is that this disease worsens over time as the neurons in the brain die.

Some common examples of neurodegenerative diseases that affect different parts of the brain include:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Lewy body disease

Parkinson’s disease causes impairment in movement. Alzheimer’s disease gradually causes memory loss in victims. Huntington’s disease deprives a sufferer of the ability to talk, walk, reason, and think, and this starts as early as in their mid-30s. Frontotemporal dementia leads to bewildering changes in a person’s behavior and thoughts.

In all of these diseases, the symptoms may start and last for as long as ten or twenty years until death. And many sufferers live a life of dependence, especially in their final years.

What causes the brain to degenerate?

Most of the neurodegenerative diseases are genetic, but sometimes, they can be as a result of a medical condition like:

• Stroke
• Alcoholism
• A tumor

Other causes include:

• Chemicals
• Toxins
• viruses

The degenerative brain disease can be life-threatening, depending on the type.

Symptoms of brain degeneration

There are many symptoms of brain degeneration, depending on the type of disease and what part of the brain is affected. However, some common symptoms include:

• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Difficulty in moving and swallowing
• Hallucination
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Forgetfulness
• A loss of inhibition
• Anxiety

These symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases tend to become worse as the disease progresses, and there is a chance of new symptoms arising with time.  

Treatment of brain degeneration

Most of these diseases do not have a cure. The treatment measures available are targeted to help improve symptoms, increase mobility, and relieve pain.

However, you can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC to get advice on some natural measures to improve the symptoms of degenerative brain disease.

Dr. Nirvana Tehranian is a Licensed and Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor. As a Naturopathic Medical Doctor, she specializes in Regenerative Holistic and Functional Medicine. Her focus is on helping each patient achieve optimal health in body, mind, and spirit by reviving and recalibrating health within every cell….achieving a reboot of the entire body.

She continually seeks out new healing methods through advanced training. She also works extensively with compounding labs to bring her patients the purest, most effective natural medicine made in the USA.

Dr. Nirvana received her medical degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe Arizona. Her education included four years of traditional, conventional medicine in addition to holistic based training. She specialized in Medical Nutrition, Bio-Chemistry, Pharmacology, Homeopathy, and Botanical Medicine. She also maintains a BA in Psychology from Arizona State University.

Dr. Nirvana is accredited and board-certified by the National Association of Naturopathic Physicians and is licensed by the State of California and the State of Arizona as a Naturopathic Medical Doctor.

On this Podcast Episode We discuss:

Basics of gut function from top to bottom

How Hormonal and Mental health are involved in gut function

Biggest Impacts on gut health:

• Dietary factors
• Stress
• Inflammation
• Nirvana diet
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Infections
• Probiotics:  good or bad

Blood Markers you can test for

Learn more about Dr. Nirvana Here

Improve Gut Health & Digesting with These 6 Supplements - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You need to take conscious efforts to keep your gut health in good condition because it affects almost every function in your body. When your gut microbiome is balanced, it helps you get more nutrients out of food, supports your immunity, and helps you stay healthy and happy. But when your gut health is poor, it can affect your mood, weight loss, heart health, and cause several digestive disorders.

So supporting your gut microbiome is a good way to strengthen your immune system and boost your overall health.

You can try the following health supplements to fill the gaps in your diet, strengthen your gut lining, and boost your microbiome for optimal performance:

Licorice Root

The gut bacteria lives on the gut lining, and you have to ensure that it is functioning well to improve gut health. Licorice root has been shown by many studies to have a beneficial effect on gut health. But it has to be treated first to remove glycyrrhizic acid, which is a natural substance in licorice thought to cause low potassium levels and high blood pressure. A placebo-controlled study found that the licorice root is effective for reducing nausea and pain, and it heals patients with ulcers.

Zinc Carnosine

This supplement combines zinc and carnosine and it is effective for enhancing gut integrity. Preliminary studies show that zinc carnosine helps gut health by improving the ability of the stomach to maintain a strong gut lining.

L-Glutamine

L-glutamine supports your immune system by triggering the release of cytokines which signals “mayday” when attacked by viruses, antigens, and microorganisms. This amino acid also helps to repair injuries in the intestinal wall, and studies show that it also enhances nutrient absorption.

Probiotics

The gut microbiome houses thousands of bacteria living in harmony, and probiotics are the supplement form of those bacteria. When you take probiotics, it helps to build the population of good bacteria needed to help your body get nutrition and maintain a line of defense against pathogens.

However, ensure your choice of probiotics contain these bacteria strains: Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Lactobacillus plantarum. The good thing about these strains is that they are less likely to increase the production of inflammatory histamines.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics provide the nourishment needed by probiotics or gut bacteria. These supplements contain enough fiber, and it is highly needed when you can’t eat enough fiber-rich food. So the digestive bacteria perform their work optimally when they get enough prebiotics, and they help you feel more full for a long period.

Collagen Protein

Collagen protein is naturally produced by the body, and it is an important part of structures throughout your body, including your gut.

However, your body won’t be making enough collagen protein if you’re not eating a lot of bone broth and organ meats. But you can take the collagen protein supplement to get enough amino acid building block.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get recommendations on the best supplement to support your gut health.

7 Natural foods that promote gut health & better digestion - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You don’t have to rely on processed foods to nourish, sustain, and grow good gut bacteria to aid nutrition and boost your health. Some natural foods can help boost your gut microbiota. Most of these foods contain dietary fibers and other compounds like polyphenols, and the gut bacteria break them down into vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Check out all these foods that are easy to find to promote your gut health:

Apples

You might have heard the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This means that apple contains many health properties that keep your health in good shape. One of such properties is boosting your gut microbiota.

This fruit comes in varieties of colors that can taste sweet, tart, and lip-puckeringly sour.  Besides, they contain a prebiotic fiber called pectin, which is hard for the body to digest. But your gut bacteria digest and transform this fiber into SCFAs, like butyrate and propionate. These SCFAs serve as nutrients for the gut microbes to help boost your immunity and strengthen your gut health in general. 

Asparagus

This green vegetable is rich in nutrients and it is enjoyed in many cuisines. It naturally contains a kind of prebiotic fiber called inulin, which is acted upon by Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium present in the gut. Some studies have also shown the inulin increases the number of Akkeermansia muciniphilia, another beneficial bacteria found in the gut of lean people.

Oats

Oats are a rich source of beta-glucan, which is a prebiotic dietary fiber fermented by the gut microbiome, thereby promoting their growth and activity. Their soluble fiber content dissolves in water to produce a thick gel that digests slowly, keeping you fuller for longer. The beta-glucan content of oats also helps to lower cholesterol.

Green plantain

Green plantains are not so sweet, but they are delicious when cooked. They are rich in prebiotic resistant starch that serves as food for the butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut. These organisms break down the starch into beneficial short-chain fatty acids that maintain your gut lining and combat inflammation.

Rye

Rye is richer in fiber than wheat, and it has less gluten, which makes it suitable for producing tighter bread, with rich flavors. The grain contains fructan and arabinoxylan, which increases the gut abundance of Bifidobacteria- a bacteria that produces substances like SCFAs and antimicrobial defenses to support your gut environment and other beneficial microbes.

Flaxseed

The flax seeds have a tough hull, and they are often soaked before consuming. However, you can buy the ground flaxseed to save yourself the stress of processing. These seeds support gut health by promoting the production of mucus.

More so, some studies have shown that these seeds protect against colon cancer and reduce gut inflammation. Besides, they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber content supports bowel movements and prevents constipation.

Onions

Onions are a good source of prebiotics that support your gut health. It also contains inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) that boosts immunity and prevent diseases.

You may not like onions because they burn your eyeballs, but if you want to strengthen your gut microbiota, it is worth adding them to your meals.

These natural foods and a host of others like mangoes, wild salmon, garlic, etc, work well to help you improve your gut health.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get more recommendations on natural foods to improve the balance of your gut microbiota.

Gut Health? What Improves it & What Destroys it – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City, NC, Chiropractor

The health of your gut has a huge impact on your body and it goes a long way in determining your overall health. The trillions of bacteria present in the digestive tract make up the gut microbiome (made up of good and bad bacteria, yeast, fungus molds, etc). And they help in digestion and contribute to the health of our entire body, including our brains, immune system and more.

Below are some ways your gut health impacts your overall health:

The immune system

The bacteria in the gut microbiome play a fundamental role in protecting us against infections. The beauty is that our immune system which detects and destroys pathogens does not attack the bacteria in the gut microbiome. Instead, it works in a mutually beneficial partnership and helps to maintain the symbiotic relationship of the host with these microbes.

That’s more reason why the bacteria in our gut have a large influence on our susceptibility to immune-related diseases.  So when we eat foods that can be disruptive to our health our gut works as our first line of defense.

Digestive health

Many good bacteria in our gut help with digestion, nutrient absorption, and even more functions. But when there is a disruption in the balance of gut bacteria, this can often lead to various gastrointestinal problems, including Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

Brain health

You might have noticed a sick feeling in your stomach whenever you hear bad news or you’re in a stressful situation. That’s because the gut has a strong connection with the brain.  In fact, there is a constant flow of signals between the brain and the gut via the enteroendocrine cells located in the lining of the gut.

So any problem with your gut health can contribute to depression, anxiety, or stress. Research has shown that the gut also has an impact on mood and behavior.

Heart health

When you hear the saying, “the road to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” it means something more. There’s actually a link between the gut and the heart.

Part of the chemicals produced by the microbes ends up in our bloodstream and moves throughout the body. One good example is trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which has been shown by studies to potentially cause blockage in the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease.

However, another study showed that gut microbiome helps to increase the level of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

Weight gain, Obesity, and Diabetes

The bacteria in the gut microbiome also play a role in the body’s metabolism. In fact, research has shown that an imbalance in gut bacteria levels could lead to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Studies are still ongoing into how the signals from the gut influence metabolism and contribute to conditions like Type 2 diabetes.

What destroys your gut health?

These gut busters are destroying reducing the number of good bacteria in your gut:

• Heating and eating hot fermented foods, such as sauerkraut or kimchi (eat them cold)
• Eating foods containing artificial sweeteners and refined sugars
• Eating high-sugar diets
• Eating processed foods containing additives
• Indiscriminate use of antibiotics

How to improve it

You can improve your gut health to maintain the right balance of the bacteria in your digestive tract. Here are some simple measures to follow:

• Load up on fresh fruits, veggies, and beans, and eat more whole grains and nuts.
• Brush and floss your teeth regularly
• Limit sugars and artificial sweeteners
• Keep fermented foods like kimchi refrigerated below 1150F
• Eat prebiotic fiber like bananas, garlic, asparagus, and chicory
• Avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics
• Reduce stress
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough sleep

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to learn more about how to improve your gut health naturally to enhance your overall health and wellbeing.

Improving Gut function TOP to BOTTOM - Organs Involved & Gut-brain connection- Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

The food we eat moves through the gastrointestinal tract (a long, connected, hollow tube that starts from the mouth and ends in the anus), and there are lots of organs involved in this process. Along the way, the body absorbs the beneficial part of the food after digestion, giving your nutrients and energy. The remaining part is given out as a waste product.

A series of muscles work together to coordinate the moment of food and cells that produce enzymes and hormones involved in the process of digestion. Other “accessory” organs, including the liver, gallbladder, and the pancreas also involved in this process.

What organs are involved in the process of digestion?

The major organs that are part of the digestive system includes:

• Mouth
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• small intestine
• large intestine
• rectum
•  

These organs work hand-in-hand to convert foods into nutrients and energy that is needed for survival. In the end, it packages the solid waste or stool and gets rid of them through the bowel movement.

Mouth

This is the starting part of the gastrointestinal tract. It starts working even before you ingest food. The moment you see and smell that warm bread or pasta dish, your salivary glands gets active. After ingesting your food and chewing into smaller pieces, your saliva mixes with the food, breaking it into an absorbable form that your body can use. The tongue helps to move the food to the next organ

Esophagus

The esophagus is a long tube close to your trachea (windpipe). It receives food from your mouth, and move it to your stomach through a series of muscular contractions called peristalsis. But for this food to move down, the ring-like muscle called lower esophageal sphincter has to relax to allow passage into the stomach. After that, the muscle contracts to prevent backward flow into the esophagus, which may cause acid reflux or heartburn.

Stomach

The stomach holds food and serves as the mixer and grinder of food. The cells in the lining of this sac-like organ secrete a strong acid and enzymes that are involved in the breakdown of food into a usable form. After proper processing of the food in the stomach, changing it to a consistency of paste or liquid, the content is then moved to the small intestine.

Small intestine

This organ is a muscular tube 22-foot long, having three segments- the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. This organ is the “workhouse” of digestion, and most nutrients are absorbed here. Foods are mixed with digestive enzymes released by the pancreas and bile produced from the liver. Peristalsis is also in action in this organ, moving food through as it is being mixed with digestive juices.

The duodenum is the first segment and it is largely responsible for continuing the breakdown process. The jejunum and ileum are responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. Once the nutrients have been absorbed, the leftover (the waste) passes into the large intestine or colon.

Large Intestine (Colon)

The large intestine is a muscular tube that is 6-foot long, and it links the small intestine directly to the rectum.

It has segments, including:

• Cecum
• Ascending (right) colon
• Transverse (across) colon,
• Descending (left) colon,
• Sigmoid colon

This organ is highly specialized and it is responsible for processing waste to ease emptying of the bowels. The stool or waste left over is sent to the colon through peristalsis, and any remaining water is absorbed. The stool is stored in the sigmoid colon until a mass movement pushes it down into the rectum to begin the process of elimination through the anus.

Accessory Digestive Organs and functions

Liver

The liver secretes bile and process the nutrient-rich blood coming from the small intestine. It purifies this blood of impurities before allowing it to travel to the rest of the body.

Pancreas

The pancreas is the main factory for digestive enzymes that helps to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These enzymes are secreted into the duodenum segment of the small intestine.

Gallbladder

This is a sac for the storage of excess bile made in the liver. This bile is released via the bile duct into the small intestine, where it helps to break down fat and move waste out of the liver.

Gut-brain connection

The brain has a strong connection to the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach and small intestine. For example, the thoughts of food alone can trigger the release of the stomach’s juice even before eating.

The walls of the digestive system are lined with more than 100 million nerves, starting from the esophagus to the rectum. That’s called the brain in your gut, otherwise known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). So those moments when you’re nervous and feel “butterflies in your stomach,” the ENS is at work.

This brain in your gut mainly controls digestion, from swallowing to enzyme release and food breakdown and absorption. Although this ENS is not capable of thought as we know, it has a direct link with our big brain.

More so, the ENS can trigger big emotional shifts, especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and bowel problems like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, stomach upset, and pain. Little wonder people with these issues tend to develop depression and anxiety.

You can consult Doctor Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office, Elizabeth City, NY, to get mind-body therapies to help your gut function.

4 Supplements that Support Sleep – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You need quality sleep to maintain good health. Apart from the feeling of being well-rested, sleep consolidates your memory, facilitates the detoxification of your brain, and improves your athletic performance. More so, adequate sleep puts you in a better mood and even helps you lose weight.

Unfortunately, many of us struggle to get a good amount of sleep due to a lot of physical and psychological factors, including:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Depression
• Poor lifestyle choices
• Underlying medical conditions
• Pain

That’s why at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City NC, we encourage adequate sleep. One of the reasons we do is because sleep deprivation can increase the risk of conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke, heart disease, and depression.  The good news is that if you’re sleeping poorly or you find it hard to fall asleep, you can enlist the help of a variety of natural sleep supplements including:

Melatonin- Melatonin is a hormone that is involved in key functions like sleep regulation. It is naturally produced in the body and it regulates your body rhythm based on the light around you. So, when it is getting dark, the hormone naturally lets your body express night-time behavior.

However, if you are not getting enough sleep at night or sunlight during the day, you may need an extra boost of melatonin. And the melatonin supplements are effective for helping catch some zzz’s.   Studies even show that it not only helps you fall asleep but also enhances the quality of your sleep.

Chamomile tea- Chamomile is an herb and not actually a vitamin or mineral. A lot of people diffuse it as an essential oil and into the diet via chamomile tea. This acts as a relaxant that calms your nerves, relieves anxiety, and improves your overall wellbeing.

Valerian root- You might not have heard about the valerian root and its use to fight sleep disorders since ancient times. This root has been effective in treating anxiety for hundreds of years.

It is one of the natural solutions you can use when you struggling to fall asleep. Besides, it is added to some medicines for sleep disorders, and you can take a valerian root tablet to calm your body and put your mind at rest.

Kava plant- This plant is part of the pepper family, and it has been shown for long to be effective in relieving anxiety. Studies have shown that short-term use of Kava is okay to treat moderate anxiety.  More so, much research has proven that both kava and valerian root works to improve sleep in people with stress-related insomnia. However, you need to avoid using kava if you take alcohol or drugs that are metabolized in the liver.

Other supplements that support sleep include vitamins and minerals such as:

• Iron, Magnesium, B vitamins, Vitamin D, Calcium and Potassium, Vitamin E

These minerals and nutrients are also great to support sound sleep. However, you need to ensure you keep a healthy diet and lifestyle to get a good night’s sleep. You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office in Elizabeth City NC, to get recommendations of some natural supplements and measures to keep your sleep cycle in good shape.

7 simple natural steps to get better sleep- Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You may often wonder why your doctor always advise you to get enough sleep regularly. Well, just like nutrition and exercise, sleep is critical to our health, and when we don’t get quality sleep, it catches up with us in other areas, especially our productivity, focus, and concentration.

Although our modern-day living does not allow us to see the necessity for adequate sleep, we always encourage our patients at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City NC to get a good night’s sleep and keep a regular sleep pattern.

In this article, we’ll be showing you some importance of a good night’s sleep and steps you can take to get better sleep.

Importance of a Quality Sleep

You may think of sleep as a time when your brain and body temporarily shut off. But the truth is that while you are resting, your brain is busy overseeing a wide range of biological upkeep and preparing you for the next day.

Here are some benefits of adequate sleep:

• Replenish: Adequate sleep gives your body enough time to repair the damages caused by stress, muscle injuries, UV-rays, traumas, and other harmful exposures.
• Boosts energy levels: You enjoy increased energy levels when you take adequate sleep. This helps to improve your mental awareness. Besides, you need quality sleep for improved athletic performance, including agility, greater speed, and reflexes.
• Supports your immune system: Sleep helps to strengthen your immune system to ward off infection. When you don’t get enough sleep, it makes you more susceptible to illness.
• Stay Alert: Your mind regains focus when you take enough rest. This helps to tackle those tricky mental challenges and stimulate your creativity.
• Boosts memory: Your sleep time is the best period to shape memories and make the connections between feelings, events, and experiences. It is also needed to form new learning and memory pathways in the brain.

You become vulnerable to a lot of short- and long-term health risks like obesity, depression, automobile accidents, etc. when you don’t get enough sleep over time. Hence, ensure you get enough sleep every day.

Simple Natural steps to get better sleep

You might have tried many sleeping pills and prescription just to get better sleep, but it only left you feeling worse the following day. You may not need to take such sleep remedies. Here are some simple natural steps to help you get better sleep:

• Create a good sleep environment: Sometimes, all you need to get better sleep is to make your bedroom more restful. You can use an eye mask or blackout curtain to help you stay in the dark. Also ensure that the temperature stays below 67 degrees to help your body cool down, making you fall asleep.
• Cut back on caffeine: If you want to get better sleep, you need to reduce your caffeine intake to 250 mg per day. You can take more water or decaf later in the day.
• Exercise more: Studies have shown that physical activities like walking help people to sleep faster. You can increase your daily exercise to keep your body active, and during the night you’ll feel more rested.
• Stay away from your devices: You can begin by shutting down all electronics like two hours before bedtime. This includes your phones, tablets, laptops- and all devices that emit blue light. This way, you tend to fall asleep faster and sleep better. If you have to, wear blue light blocking glasses.

Other measures to get better sleep includes:

• Deep breathing or meditation to calm your mind
• Create a sleep schedule and stick to it
• Draw a hot bath before bed

If you truly want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to get enough sleep to keep your body and mind working properly. You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get recommendations on the best natural measures you can take to get better sleep and improve your overall health naturally.

How Circadian Rhythms are involved in Sleep – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City, Chiropractor

Have you ever noticed that you naturally experience different levels of alertness and sleepiness throughout the day? This is mainly caused by two factors- your sleep/wake homeostasis and your circadian rhythm/ body clock.

When you stay awake for a long time, your sleep/wake homeostasis tells you that a need for sleep is accumulating and it is time to sleep. In addition, it helps you get enough sleep throughout the night to make up for the debt. This way, you get a balance between sleep and wakefulness.

Your circadian rhythm on the other hand regulates the timing of your period of sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day. It dips and rises at different periods of the day.

As an adult, you tend to fall deeply asleep between 8:00pm - 12:00 am, and in the afternoon you have the strongest sleep drive between 1:00 – 3:00 pm. However, this largely depends on whether you are an “evening person” or a “morning person.”

Besides, the sleepiness you’ll be experiencing during this circadian dip will be more intense if you are sleep-deprived, and less intense if you had sufficient sleep.

Your circadian rhythm also makes you more alert at some points during the day, and this is irrespective of whether you stayed up for many hours. But your sleep/wake restorative process would make you feel sleepy instead.

How the Circadian Rhythms are involved in Sleep

The circadian rhythm is directed by a group of cells called Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) located in the hypothalamus of the brain. These cells are sensitive to signals of light and darkness. And this sends a message from the optic nerve to the SCN, and then to the internal clock that it’s time to wake up.

The SCN sends signals to different parts of your brain that controls body temperature, hormones, and other functions that control alertness or sleepiness.

So as you expose yourself to light in the morning, the SCN sends signals to produce hormones like cortisol and raise body temperature. It also slows down the release of melatonin, which is a hormone involved in sleep onset.

However, as the light dies down in the evening, the eyes signal to the SCN that is dark, and melatonin levels begin to rise, thereby promoting sleep.

But if you disrupt your circadian rhythm, maybe a “jet lag,” it causes conflict with your natural sleep pattern. And this shift in time and light cues your body to adjust. This phenomenon is the main reason why a lot of travelers feel, think, and perform poorly.

Not only in travelers, but these symptoms can also occur in everyday life if keep long and irregular hours. That is more reason why you need to always ensure you keep a regular sleep schedule.

Ideal Bedtime

Your body expresses your circadian rhythm every day, and this goes on whether you sleep or not. So, it is wise to try to adjust your bedtime consistently with your body’s internal clock.

You’ll know when you are aligned with your internal clock when the following happens:

• You easily fall asleep (less than 20 minutes)
• You get 7-9 hours of full night’s sleep
• You get 20-25% REM sleep
• You don’t feel restless during the night
• You feel well-rested when you wake up

You can keep your alarm off for a few days to identify your circadian rhythm more quickly. Observe your body’s natural wake time for a week or so and check how you feel.

When you allow plenty of time for quality sleep, it allows both your sleep/wake restorative process and your circadian rhythm to help you perform at your best.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City NC to get the best recommendation on your sleep pattern to help you maintain a regular circadian rhythm.

Why some common sleep recommendations don't work (sleeping pills and prescriptions) - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Over the years many patients come to our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City NC and complain of insomnia even after taking sleeping pills and prescriptions. You might have experienced this and maybe forced yourself to sleep several times with pills but don’t seem to get a good result.

Well, you’re not alone. According to a survey, about one-third of US adults with sleep problems complain that they had used pills and prescriptions but still don’t get a restful night.  Besides, nearly 6 out of 10 people taking sleeping pills report side effects such as feeling confused, drowsy, or forgetful the next day.

So, you might ask, “Why do some sleeping pills and prescriptions not work?” Well, firstly, you must understand that not all drugs sold over the counter or prescribed are safe and effective. Secondly, most sleeping pills and prescriptions are classified as “sedative hypnotics.”- meaning they only sedate you, but not helping you sleep adequately.

All OTCs, for example, rely on older antihistamines- doxylamine or diphenhydramine, which causes drowsiness as a side effect. The oldest types are anti-anxiety drugs such as triazolam and temazepam, which makes you feel sedated by slowing the activity of your brain and CNS.

The newest type of sleeping pills or prescriptions, including suvorexant and ramelteon, affects brain chemicals that are involved in the sleep-wake cycle.

Why They Don’t Work

Most of these drugs will only make you fall asleep faster or increase total sleep time by 20 to 30 minutes. But they actually don’t help you get adequate sleep.

Studies have shown that drugs like ramelteon only makes people fall asleep 9 minutes faster than those taking a placebo. Also, participants who took suvorexant got only closed their eyes for 10 minutes more than those who took a placebo.

Moreover, sleeping pills don’t seem to reduce your anxiety or clear your depression. They also don’t seem to even encourage the kind of inner and outer change needed for quality sleep. In a way, they only distract you from what you really need.

The “Morning After” Effect

Besides the short-term effect of sleeping pills and prescriptions, they also have side effects, causing people to feel dizzy, drowsy, confused, and unsteady the morning after.

Some people with sleep problems have recorded hallucinations, sleepwalking, sleep driving, sleep eating, memory lapse, and odd behavior in the morning after taking sleeping pills and prescriptions.

The bad part is that when long-term usage of these drugs can be habit-forming, and you are likely to suffer a rebound effect when you decide to stop them, and this worsens insomnia.

More so, the risk of sleeping drugs gets heightened when you misuse them. For example, taking these drugs with other sedatives, alcohol, or prescription pain drugs can lead to slow breathing as well as a physical and mental impairment that may persist up to the next day.

Besides, you take sleeping pills or prescriptions with 4 hours or less to sleep before starting an activity that requires your concentration, you can still have it circulating in your bloodstream, and this can make you less alert when you need to be active.

So if what you’re looking for quality sleep and a regular circadian rhythm, you can follow some natural measures and possibly other techniques including some cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. These measures are safer and long-lasting.