Improve your sleep with Massage Therapy
As massage therapists we constantly hear stories about people struggling with sleep and this make them feel more anxious and less productive; at least once in a lifetime everyone goes through a stressful period which can put at risk our sleep quality; massages can help you out through these periods of your life. The National Institute of health has advised that massage therapy can reduce fatigue and improve sleep, it is a drug-free, natural method to promote overall health.
But what kind of massage could be the best option to promote sleep?
Definitely it depends on the individual, everyone has different taste and any technique could be found relaxing; even more invigorating techniques such as deep tissue or sport massage. However, our advice would be a softer approach such as Swedish massage, aromatherapy, hot stone massage or if you do not have much time left for your self care a shorter massage focussed on head or feet will set you in sleep mode very quickly.
Actually 36% of UK adults struggle to get a good night sleep on a weekly basis. Everyone has his own sleep pattern which is usually around 6-8 hours per night. Some people don’t get enough sleep, others get too much and struggle more with sleep quality rather than quantity.
Sleep is vital for our body functioning, physical and mental wellbeing and when we struggle with it, it can affect our everyday life, leading to fatigue, low work performances, slowed reaction time, obesity, higher risk of long term disease and also has been proven that poor sleep quality can be associated with numerous chronic illnesses.
Sleep provides a vital function in the grow and repair actions of the body. It is essential for good health, recovery from illness and promoting normal metabolism so we definitely have to make sure we get good quality sleep.
On a chemical level, massage stimulates serotonin production, the happiness hormone, which then promotes melanin production. These two hormones are responsible to regulate our sleep pattern and regulate the circadian rhythm, our internal clock. Basically the two hormones communicate with the body telling him when is time to sleep.
On a holistic level, massage reduces anxiety, discomfort and physical pain which would interfere in a detrimental way with sleep quality. A Swedish massage relaxes the body reducing cortisol levels.
To get the best out of one massage session and being able to keep that relaxation as long as possible inside you, would be best to take it easy for the rest of the day, avoid alcohol, avoid blue screens and following these directions you will sleep like a baby.