There are many reasons why sleep may not come easily; physical pain can prevent you finding a comfortable position or cause you to wake during the night. We have all experienced times in our lives when worrying about loved ones or stress at work have kept us awake.
Booking in for a massage to improve sleep may not seem the obvious solution but research indicates that massage can have a significant impact on quality of sleep. Research collated by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) showed that regular massage improved the quality of sleep for people with lower back pain, those recovering from heart surgery and with breast cancer.
Sleep is one of our basic survival needs, but most of us aren't getting enough of it. Insufficient sleep is now thought to contribute to the onset of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression.
Regular massage has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety and depression and to decrease pain levels. These are two common factors which keep people awake. In addition massage increases the levels of serotonin, this neurotransmitter works to regulate mood, appetite, memory, learning and importantly sleep.
There are many tips for improving sleep, such as taking regular exercise, avoiding any technology for at least an hour before bed, and creating a good sleep environment at home. Regular massage can form an important part of your plan to improve the amount and quality of sleep.
In my practice, clients normally attend for a massage because they are either in pain or they have a restriction in their range of movement. Whilst I am working with the client to reduce their pain levels and improve their movement they often surprised and happy to report that their quality of sleep has improved.