Are you tossing and turning at night or always waking up tired? According to studies, 50 – 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders.[1] Additionally, those adults who reported a lack of sleep were more likely to report health conditions like heart disease, obesity, depression, arthritis, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions. Many people have turned to sleeping pills or other substances to help them sleep at night. However, in reality there are natural solutions to sleep better at night and improve your overall health.
That’s where we come in! If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, whole body cryotherapy and red light therapy are your solution. If you’re completely unfamiliar with what either of these treatments are, let’s break it down further.
Whole Body Cryotherapy & Sleep
Cryotherapy stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves that emanate from the brain. It transmits information to and from the surface of the brain to tissues and organs in many parts of the body. The nervous system has two areas: sympathetic and parasympathetic.
The sympathetic side increases alertness, energy, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.
The parasympathetic side, where the vagus nerve is heavily involved, decreases alertness, blood pressure, and heart rate, and helps with calmness, relaxation, digestion, bladder, bowel, and sexual functions. Stimulating the vagus nerve with a cryotherapy session promotes relaxation because the vagus nerve communicates with your diaphragm, and with deep breaths come relaxation and easier sleep.[2]
Cold exposure is one of the most effective ways to stimulate the vagus nerve because your body’s natural response to cold is to use your breath to calm down.
So what does a whole body cryotherapy session look like? Our whole body cryosauna envelopes you in a painless dry nitrogen vapor as cold as -220℉! In 2-3 minutes, your surface skin temperature lowers by 30-50 ℉, which stimulates your body's natural healing response. A cryotherapy session is like a mini party. We put your favorite song on, give you some gloves and special socks and shoes to protect your hands and feet from the cold, and you enjoy the path to a healthier and happier life!
Red Light Therapy & Sleep
Healthy light intake is essential to a good night’s sleep. However, most of the light we are exposed to throughout the day is bright blue (artificial) light, which limits how much sleep-aiding melatonin and cortisol your body releases. [3] Cortisol helps you wake up and keep you going throughout the day. It’s naturally the highest in the mornings and lowest when you should be in a deep sleep around 3 – 4 a.m. Melatonin, opposite of cortisol, helps you fall and stay asleep.
In order to get the best quality sleep, it’s best to follow your circadian rhythm, naturally occurring processes that happen roughly every 24 hours. Your circadian sleep rhythm is tied closely to the sun and light that you take in from your environment. In the absence of artificial light and screens, the human body should sync with the planet’s day/night cycle.[4]
Red light therapy enhances cellular function and gets you the healthy (natural) light that your body needs. Red light therapy supports your natural circadian rhythms, which in turn improve your sleep quality. Large amounts of research have discovered that red and near infrared light from red light therapy are the most beneficial for human health.[5]
So what does a red light therapy session look like? Red light therapy is a simple, non-invasive treatment that delivers concentrated natural light to your skin and cells. You stand between two red light panels for about 10 minutes and then you’re done!
Book your session now to give cryotherapy or red light therapy a try and start sleeping better at night naturally. We offer introductory pricing for your first session! A good night’s sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s essential.