Massage Therapies to Improve Sleep
The hustle and bustle of daily life has made it difficult for everyone out there to achieve quality sleep. We often tend to compromise on our sleep due to stress, work commitments, and several other reasons. Isn’t there any solution that can prove to be a light of hope in your sleeping routine? Yes, there is. The healing touch of massage therapy is that light of hope that can transform the quality of your well-being if you are finding it challenging to fall asleep. The world of massage comes with umpteen possibilities to soothe your body and mind. Starting from the gentle strokes of Swedish massage to the targeted techniques of deep tissue therapy, the realm of healing massage is quite vast.
If you are the one struggling to sleep and want to feel what it is like to have a peaceful slumber, you have come to the right place. Here, we will unravel the intricacies of different massage therapies and how these techniques can let you have control of your sleep. Let’s get the ball rolling.
How does massage help you sleep?
It has been found from several studies that massage can reduce your anxiety and physical discomfort to a large extent. It reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol while raising the levels of dopamine and serotonin, called happy hormones. Moreover, the serotonin hormone in our body is used to make melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.
How Massage can help battle insomnia?
Insomnia is considered the type of sleep disorder in which you face difficulties while falling asleep. It can have many causes. People complaining about insomnia usually have hyperactive brains and disruptive sleep patterns. It could be due to stress, certain medical conditions, or poor lifestyle habits. Cases of insomnia can range from acute to chronic. Several studies have shown that massage for sleep is commendable for people who are experiencing disruptions in their sleep patterns due to –
Cancer
Massage therapy is said to improve the sleep quality of patients undergoing breast cancer treatment.
Menopause
Postmenopausal women experience many things like night sweats, hot flashes, and whatnot. It can disrupt their sleep patterns. Massage to help sleep is one way to beat the problem of insomnia.
Congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure patients can get relief from back massage. It is found that massage can significantly reduce their stress levels and discomfort, thereby helping them to improve their sleep.
Thus, you can give yourself a chance to have a massage to help you sleep and fight insomnia. And who doesn’t want to enjoy a restful sleep? A massage can make your dream of falling asleep faster come true.
For instance – You can try Swedish massage, which is a combination of anatomy and physiology principles. The two popular techniques in this type of massage are effleurage and petrissage. The former includes the hand strokes applied to an extended body. While the latter includes squeezing, lifting, and pressing the tissues and underlying muscles. Both these techniques tend to work wonders for people battling insomnia.
Types of massage recommended for sleep
Professionals use different types of massage for sleep problems. Some of them are –
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is done to loosen the muscles. Masseur kneads, rubs, and lightly taps into the areas of high stress to promote relaxation.
Manipulation
Manipulation is the technique involving gently massaging the tendons and muscles to improve mobility and relaxation factors.
Deep Tissue Massage
It is an intense style of sleeping massage that tends to give you wonders when the masseur applies hard pressure on the muscles. Deep tissue massage aims to relieve the tension beneath the surface tissues.
Pressure point therapy
A focused technique of massage to help sleep, pressure point therapy pays attention to specific spots to get rid of tension in the muscles.
How massage can help enhance the quality of your sleep?
- Massage for sleep alleviates the pain level.
- Your muscles can feel heavier after a massage so you can easily sink deeper to the mattress.
- It makes you feel lighter. Less stressful thoughts come to your mind while sleeping.
- Massage for sleep problems tends to release chemical toxins from the tense muscles and help in eliminating them from the body. It lets you put an end to nightmares and disturbing dreams.
- Your body finds it easy to go into the “rest and digest” mode as massage stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system. It reduces the level of cortisol (a stress hormone) and makes it hassle-free for you to go into a state of deep sleep.
To make a long story short
People nowadays want a more holistic approach to improve their well-being. Your quest for better sleep is not far anymore with the massage to serve you as a natural and effective healer. Whether you need Swedish massage or deep tissue massage, always consult a masseur to get the best results. The path to restful sleep is awaiting. Before choosing any massage firstly you need to know the difference between swedish and deep tissue massage.