Massage Therapy and Sleep
/One of the best things you can do for your health is get enough sleep. Most people are well aware of this fact, though many Americans today struggle with getting enough sleep. In some cases it’s due to a lack of time for sleep, but in most cases a lack of sleep has nothing to do with time. Many people go to bed at a reasonable hour only to toss and turn until it’s time to get up again. This can be frustrating as well as draining. Without proper sleep, your entire life gets affected. A lack of sleep can cause you to be less alert during work and less attentive to your family and friends this can be a big factor in anxiety and stress. Without enough sleep, your body will be much slower to heal itself from exercise and daily repetitive motions. A body in pain only makes the other issues compounded.
It is unclear what exactly causes sleep disorders, in most cases many factors seem to play a roll. However some things you can do that wouldn’t hurt your sleep is turning off all electronic devices at least one hour before bed, getting into a routine so your body is ready to sleep at the same time every night, another thing you can do is practice shutting your mind down so your thoughts are not keeping you up. Whether by writing down all the things you need to do, or meditating before bed.
There have been quite a few studies to show the effects of massage on people that have trouble sleeping. Getting a regular massage can be beneficial for your sleep in many ways. First of all, massage is a time where you can really shut your brain down, for at least an hour. Taking time to relax and quiet yourself is truly a skill. In this fast paced society we live in, productivity is the measure of everyone. Between juggling jobs, family, social life, pets, working out, and possibly a hobby or two it is hard to find time to relax let alone finding time to be good at it. Getting a massage helps to calm your mind with relaxing music and relaxing aromatherapy. Add in the fact that your tired muscles are also being relaxed and you will truly feel yourself letting go. Experiencing this time of relaxation can help you to begin to train your brain in body in what it is supposed to feel like to relax.
Besides the busyness of life, pain in general as well as pain caused by sleeping positions can also be a hinderance to restful night. Whether it is chronic pain from everyday overuse or an old injury, pain can wake you up at night and keep you up. Choosing medical massage can make a huge difference here. As you work with your therapist to relieve old injuries and recover full range of motion, laying down to sleep will no longer be an obstacle. Relief of chronic pain can also lead to less stress. Feeling pain all day can really wear on a person. It is always on your mind and can crowd your thoughts. Reducing or eliminating pain will help to reduce stress which in turn will help your brain to shut down a little easier as you are trying to fall asleep.
Beyond chronic pain from overuse and injury, there are a variety of disorders and diseases that can hinder your sleep. An example of one of these disorders is Fibromyalgia, and it is very common among people today. With fibromyalgia being so prevalent these days, a lot of sleep studies have been focused specifically with patients that have it, and they have shown that patients suffering from this disorder who receive massage have more hours of restful sleep.
Massage therapy focuses on the whole body and it is important to keep everything in check, especially sleep. Massage helps with general well being specifically by reducing mental and physical stress. Stress can negatively affect our bodies and it is important to bring those levels down as often as possible. If you or a loved one are struggling with sleep issues, consider giving massage a try!
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Convenient to Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and Raleigh for Medical massage, Sports massage, Prenatal massage, and Relaxation massage.
Oak City Massage Therapy
