Home Care

Try changing your nighttime sleeping habits and other behavior before taking drugs for insomnia. For example:

• Avoid emotional upset or stressful situations before bedtime.
• Avoid using alcohol in the evening. Avoid caffeine for at least 8 hours before bedtime. Give up smoking, because nicotine is a stimulant.
• Eat a light snack before bedtime.
• Establish a regular bedtime, but don't go to bed if you feel wide awake.
• Exercise regularly, but not in the last 2 hours before going to bed. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has been shown to make people fall asleep faster and get deeper and more restful sleep, especially if done early in the morning. Sex can be a natural sleep inducer for some people.
• Relax by reading, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music before going to bed.
• Take your TV or computer out of your bedroom. Otherwise, your brain becomes used to the stimulation and starts to expect it when you are there. This makes it harder for you to fall asleep.
• Use the bedroom for bedroom activities only. Once in bed, use creative imagery and relaxation techniques to keep your mind off unrestful thoughts. Avoid staying in bed for long periods of time while awake, or going to bed because of boredom.

IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

• Avoid going in to your child's room throughout the night.
• Avoid sending your child to bed as punishment, which can lead to poor sleep.
  
  

For children who have trouble falling asleep, try to make the bedroom as quiet as possible. A sound machine can help mask outside noises.

Never give a child sleeping medicine without asking the doctor first. It's usually not a good idea to treat the problem with drugs.

Alternative Names

Inability to sleep; Dyssomnia; Sleeplessness; Wakefulness

Dr. Huntoon has lots of experience with supporting people back to normal sleep cycles. 

Koen Wilson

5 STAR Review 11 months ago-

"I started seeing Doc Rick in the last couple of months. I had been having various health problems, including fatigue, digestive issues, and difficulty sleeping.  I had been trying to work around them while keeping  up my schedule but  over the course of a year or more  they continued to gradually deteriorate,  and there was nothing I could do about it. I have probably seen 6 or 7 medical practitioners before Doc Rick and none of them really helped me.

As a practitioner of  alternative medical treatment,  Doc Rick gets to  the root of the problem,  solving it for good,  rather than simply addressing the symptoms.  Within the first few visits, he was able to identify 18 (!) areas where my body lacked good health. Until the last year  I was a young male  who seemed in "very good health" who tried his best to take very good care of himself.  But due to the environment I (and all of us) live in, and the habits that can easily spring up due to that, the issues cropped up.

Doc Rick has vast knowledge and expertise on treating people's bodies to get them to optimal health. It is very impressive to hear him explain everything in minute detail-as you listen,  you understand more and more  that the body is an amazingly complex system and simple "one size fits all, symptom-masking" treatments make no sense at all. They will do more harm then good. His philosophy is to restore the body back to health then maintain that health. He uses treatment techniques along with educating you to tell you what you need to do.

This review is mainly about the experience in Doc Rick's office,  which is top-notch-mainly,  everything is explained to you. If you have done research  on some  of the health issues I  (and many others)  have you will  see that many  have hit dead ends,  are  not getting better, are frustrated,  and are  resigned to living  with their symptoms.   Doc Rick explains why that is, and how one can overcome it. Yes, it takes hard work, it will cost some money, and certain life adjustments will need to be made, but what good things in life aren't worth working for? Particularly involving your health.

In summary,  go to Doc Rick if  you are having  chronic health problems of  any kind  and you are serious  about making  the needed changes to fix you long-term. This isn't for those looking for a band-aid."

Consulting with a Holistic Chiropractor who can help you develop a well-rounded, multifaceted approach to understanding all the contributing factors to remove and reduce nerve stress is appropriate when having Sleep Difficulties. Conservative care in an effort to avoid the addicting medications is warranted. Failure to do so may result in your condition becoming chronic and may lead to other health conditions due to a lack of proper sleep.

There is a new, ground-breaking technique called Neurologic Relief Centers Technique (NRCT) which addresses a common underlying cause of Sleep Difficulties known as Meningeal Compression. This technique is currently only available through Certified Practitioners who have been trained in NRCT and who are listed on the NRCT Website at www.nrc.md Please go to this website and review the information and videos and locate a practitioner near you to help you see if this revolutionary technique can be the solution to your Sleep Difficulties.

When to Contact a Healthcare Professional

Call your health provider if:

• Your sleeping problem becomes persistent and affects your quality of life, despite behavior changes
• Your sleeping problem occurs more than 3 nights per week for more than 1 month
• You have other worrisome symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath
  
  

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your healthcare provider will do a physical examination. To help better understand your sleeping problems, he or she may ask the following:

• Do you have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or awakening too early?
• Do you wake up feeling unrested?
• How often do you wake up at night?
• What time do you find yourself waking?
• How long have you had the problem?
• Have you taken any over-the-counter sleeping products?
• What medications do you take?
• Do you take any herbal supplements or alternative remedies?
• Do you drink much coffee or alcohol? Have you recently cut down on your coffee or alcohol?
• Do you have any excessive stress or anxiety?
• How much do you normally sleep? What hours?
• What do you do during the few hours before you go to bed?
• Does your sleep schedule change often? (shift work)
• Do you fall asleep at the wrong times or places?
• Does your sleep schedule change a lot on weekends?
• Do you worry too much about sleep?
• Do you have breath-holding spells, or do you snore?
• Do you have any aches or pains that prevent you from sleeping?
  
  

In some cases, the health care provider may recommend the following:

• Sleep log record
• Thyroid tests (TSH, T3, T4)
  
  

In some rare cases, your healthcare provider may want you to see a sleep medicine specialist who will perform a sleep study (polysomnography)

Expectations (prognosis)

Sleep Difficulties can be a long-term disorder. Sometimes with medication the symptoms improve. Other times, the problem may get worse and continue for months or years.



Medicines Two Choices for You

When to Contact a Healthcare Professional

Call your health provider if:

• Your sleeping problem becomes persistent and affects your quality of life, despite behavior changes
• Your sleeping problem occurs more than 3 nights per week for more than 1 month
• You have other worrisome symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath
  
  

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your healthcare provider will do a physical examination. To help better understand your sleeping problems, he or she may ask the following:

• Do you have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or awakening too early?
• Do you wake up feeling unrested?
• How often do you wake up at night?
• What time do you find yourself waking?
• How long have you had the problem?
• Have you taken any over-the-counter sleeping products?
• What medications do you take?
• Do you take any herbal supplements or alternative remedies?
• Do you drink much coffee or alcohol? Have you recently cut down on your coffee or alcohol?
• Do you have any excessive stress or anxiety?
• How much do you normally sleep? What hours?
• What do you do during the few hours before you go to bed?
• Does your sleep schedule change often? (shift work)
• Do you fall asleep at the wrong times or places?
• Does your sleep schedule change a lot on weekends?
• Do you worry too much about sleep?
• Do you have breath-holding spells, or do you snore?
• Do you have any aches or pains that prevent you from sleeping?
  
  

In some cases, the health care provider may recommend the following:

• Sleep log record
• Thyroid tests (TSH, T3, T4)
  
  

In some rare cases, your healthcare provider may want you to see a sleep medicine specialist who will perform a sleep study (polysomnography)

Expectations (prognosis)

Sleep Difficulties can be a long-term disorder. Sometimes with medication the symptoms improve. Other times, the problem may get worse and continue for months or years.



Medicines Two Choices for You