Ergonomics in Greenwich, CT | Indian Harbor Chiropractic

About Sleep Ergonomics

What are Sleep Ergonomics?

Sleep ergonomics refers to your sleep habits including the furniture and products you use. Sleep issues arise from disrupting any of the five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight and sound.

Taste – Don’t go to bed hungry

200 cal. Snack 90 mins before bed
High fiber and protein: fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter, cheese

Smell – Stimulates alertness

Calming, soothing scents: lavender, chamomile, mint
Fresh air: open windows, air filter

Touch – Clean and cozy

Natural and breathable: cotton, down, linen, silk
Well-fitting, high thread count products for moderate/cool comfort and longevity

Sight – Darkness cues melatonin, the “sleep hormone”

45 watt, non-halogen, natural light bulbs
Black-out curtains

Sound – Eliminate disruptive noises

White noise machine
Effective, least jarring wake-up alarm

Why You Need Good Sleep Ergonomics

Poor sleep hygiene builds on itself and causes you to wake up more exhausted than the night before. Common symptoms of unrestful sleep include: inability to concentrate, irritability, depression and difficulty learning. Something as simple as uncomfortable sheets could be the culprit to something more complex like an ill-fitting mattress/pillow based on your body and weight.

Mattresses and Pillows

We’ve all heard of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. We want to find you the mattress that is juuuuust right. You want a mattress with a firmness that allows you to keep a straight spine when you’re lying down. Misaligned joints = Pain!

Light-weight: Soft firmness because less support is needed. If it’s too firm you’ll discover uncomfortable pressure points, most likely in your hips and shoulders, where blood circulation is lost.

Average weight: Medium firmness. A good test is to slide your hand under your low back. If you can get it in without feeling too much movement it’s a good sign of proper firmness for you.

Heavier weight: Firm mattress because it gives the most support and curves to the body/joints better so you don’t feel like you’re sinking in and misaligning your joints.

A general rule for pillow firmness: keep your head elevated in a position that keeps your spine straight throughout. Tips For Quality Sleep (thesleepdoctor.com). Dr. Gailes offers a quality line of ergonomic pillows to ensure you sleep your best while maintaining proper alignment.

Other Ergonomics Information

Dr. Gailes also hosts lectures and visits corporate offices to demonstrate the importance of ergonomics in the workplace through her corporate ergonomic consulting services. She advices on the importance of office chair ergonomics, desk ergonomics, keyboard ergonomics, and often reccommends the kneeling chair to support. healthier office posture. Its important to note that being physically fit can't protect you from bad posture and a lack of ergonomics support in a workplace, so it's important to consider the value of upgrading some equipment to support your healthiest lifestyle.

Road to Recovery

Dr. Gailes will prescribe a treatment plan to realign your joints with chiropractic adjustments and help choose the best ergonomic products specifically for you!