Chiropractor Near Me: How Deep Sleep Repairs Muscles and Reduces Pain from Stress

Nighttime Stress, Sleep, and Musculoskeletal Pain: Chiropractic Home Recommendations

Presented by Dr. Masoud Shamaeizadeh – Soft Touch Chiropractic, Porter Ranch, CA

​The Connection Between Stress, Nightmares, and Pain Research shows that emotional stress—especially nighttime stress or recurring nightmares—can directly influence musculoskeletal tension and pain sensitivity. When the body stays in a “fight-or-flight” (sympathetic) state during sleep, muscles remain tight, inflammation increases, and healing slows down.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in recovery. During deep, restorative sleep, the parasympathetic branch (the body’s “rest and repair” system) becomes dominant, reducing muscle tension, improving circulation, and accelerating tissue repair. When stress or nightmares interrupt this phase, it limits the ANS’s ability to heal the body.

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​Dr. Masoud’s Chiropractic Home-Care Tips for Restorative Sleep

1. Evening Calm Routine 
   • Dim lights and avoid stimulating screens or heavy emotional content.
   • Gentle stretching or breathing exercises help shift your ANS into a parasympathetic state.
2. Herbal Support 20 Minutes Before Sleep
   Instead of ice or heat therapy at night, prepare a soothing herbal tea blend:
   • 🌼 Chamomile – Naturally calms the nervous system and reduces nighttime anxiety.
   • 🌸 Passionflower – Eases muscle tension and helps reduce nightmare frequency.
   • 🌻 Arnica tea – Traditionally used for muscle relaxation and circulation support.
     Sip slowly about 20 minutes before bed to prepare the body for deep sleep.
3. Breathing & Body Awareness
   • Before sleeping, lie on your back, place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen.
   • Take slow, deep breaths focusing on the rise of your abdomen — this activates the vagus nerve, promoting parasympathetic tone and deeper sleep.
4. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
   • Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily.
   • Regularity trains the ANS for predictable cycles of rest and repair.
5. Support Through Chiropractic Care
   Chiropractic adjustments help restore spinal alignment and improve autonomic balance by reducing nerve interference. A well-functioning nervous system supports healthy sleep patterns and optimal muscle recovery.

Why This Matters Deep, uninterrupted sleep is when most musculoskeletal repair occurs. The parasympathetic system regulates heart rate, digestion, and tissue healing — all essential for recovery from pain and inflammation. Supporting your body naturally with chiropractic care, mindful relaxation, and herbal teas can significantly improve sleep quality and overall well-being.

📞 Call 818-831-0100 For personalized stress and pain management, visit
Soft Touch Chiropractic – Dr. Masoud Shamaeizadeh, Porter Ranch, CA
Schedule your appointment today to help your body restore balance through chiropractic and natural healing support.
https://www.porterranchchiropractic.net/

Key studies / reviews

1. A 2024 review of sleep disturbances and chronic pain (covers insomnia, awakenings, nightmare reporting and longitudinal links to musculoskeletal complaints). PMC
2. A 2022 diary study showing patients with chronic pain have higher nightmare frequency and nightmare-related distress than controls. Ovid
3. A 2021 study/report that specifically examined nightmares and bad dreams in people with musculoskeletal pain and found significantly higher rates of bad dreams/nightmares in the pain group. PMC+1
4. Cross-sectional work linking nightmare frequency to low-back pain and other pain conditions (veteran and soldier samples). OUP Academic+1
5. Biological/mechanistic reviews describing how sleep disruption, nightmares and trauma-related sleep changes alter HPA axis and sympathetic activity and increase pro-inflammatory signaling — pathways well known to amplify pain. PubMed+1
   
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Short synthesis — how nightmares / sleep stress and musculoskeletal pain connect

• Bidirectional relationship: people with chronic musculoskeletal pain report more nightmares and disturbed dreaming; conversely, recurrent nightmares and fragmented sleep predict worse pain severity and disability. (Studies & a 2024 review). Ovid+1
• Sleep fragmentation + REM disruption: nightmares cause micro-arousals and REM disruption which impair restorative sleep, lowering pain thresholds and increasing daytime pain sensitivity. PMC
• Stress biology: nightmare-related hyperarousal (heightened sympathetic tone and dysregulated HPA axis) elevates cortisol/adrenergic drive and inflammatory mediators that sensitize nociceptive pathways. This is described in PTSD/sleep physiology literature and pain–sleep reviews. PubMed+1
• Psychological factors: nightmares increase anxiety, catastrophizing, and mood disturbance — all of which amplify perceived pain and reduce coping. Several observational studies report higher anxiety/depression alongside nightmare frequency in pain cohorts. PMC+1

Practical clinical takeaways (evidence-informed)

1. Screen for nightmares & nightmare distress when assessing patients with chronic MSK pain (ask frequency, whether they fear sleep, daytime distress). Nightmare frequency correlates with worse pain outcomes. Ovid+1
2. Address sleep quality first-line: sleep hygiene, CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), and therapies that reduce arousals can reduce pain severity and improve function. The sleep–pain review supports treating sleep as part of pain care. PMC
3. For trauma-related nightmares consider trauma-focused treatments (trauma-focused CBT, imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmares, or PTSD treatments) because reducing nightmare frequency can lower physiological hyperarousal that maintains pain. Mechanistic literature on HPA/sympathetic dysregulation supports this. PubMed+1
4. Multi-modal approach: combine pain management (physical therapy, graded activity, analgesic strategies) with targeted sleep/nightmare interventions and anxiety/depression treatment for best outcomes. Observational studies point to the benefit of addressing both domains. PMC+1