How Can A Massage Help Me Sleep?

It is one of our natural tendencies to rub someone when they are having a hard time sleeping. One of the most concrete examples to back up this claim is the way we gently stroke the head of babies, or rub their backs to make them fall asleep. Admittedly, rubbing or touching is a natural and instinctive way to soothe and relax. And isn’t it that rubbing and touching is what a massage is all about?

There are many articles and scientific journal entries that discuss how a massage, massage therapy, or therapeutic massage can help us relax. Even just one session of massage therapy already has an impact on our body and how it works. Here is the picture: humans are born with a parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic nervous system. These two balances each other out. When we are stressed, our sympathetic system is activated making us feel the urge to fight, flight, or move restlessly. On the other hand, when we have a massage, our parasympathetic system is activated allowing our bodies to relax. What is the connection between this and our topic? Simply put, common sleep disorders are usually caused by stress and tension. And if these are the reasons why you are not sleeping very well every night, then you might be pleased to know that one of the benefits of massage therapy is improved sleep patterns. And this is true. In fact, there are some people who actually fall asleep while having a session at their massage spa.

Quite a number of people have claimed that they have slept well after receiving regular sessions of massage therapy and reflexology. Several studies also support the claim on how massage therapy does more than reducing incidences of back pain, body pain, and headaches. These studies also showed that therapeutic massage also helped patients sleep better due to lessened anxiety and depression. Another interesting massage study reported that critically ill patients claimed experiencing improved sleep patterns, both in the quality and quantity of sleep, compared to those patients who received only relaxation exercises.

So whether you are experiencing sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, or restless leg syndrome, there is a therapeutic massage technique that can help you. According to a professional massage therapist from leading massage spa in Sarasota, Florida, people increasingly avail of their Swedish massage, sports massage, pregnancy massage, deep tissue massage, and reflexology services because they want to be soothed and relaxed.

Here are the basic description of each massage therapy treatment:

– Swedish massage is a massage therapy technique that uses variations of long gliding strokes, kneading, and friction techniques on surface muscles. Strokes used in Swedish massage generally goes with the direction of blood flow toward the heart. Swedish massage is commonly availed by people who wants to experience relaxation, improve circulation and range of motion, as well as relieve muscle tension.

– Deep tissue massage is a massage therapy technique aimed at reaching the muscles way below the surface level. Chronic patterns of muscular tension usually happens at the deep connective tissues and this is the area targeted by deep tissue massage. With the use of slow strokes, direct and firm pressure, as well as friction techniques directed across the area of the body experiencing chronic muscle pain, deep tissue massage is effective in relieving chronic muscular tension and pain.

– Sports massage is a massage therapy technique that uses massage strokes similar to those used during a Swedish massage and deep tissue massage. The difference is that sports massage is specially adapted to deal with the effects of athletic performance on the body, as well as the needs of athletes regarding training, performing, and recovery from injury.

– Pregnancy massage is a massage therapy technique specially adapted to suit the delicate conditions of soon to be mothers. It uses the gentlest forms of massage strokes. A go signal form a medical practitioner is necessary before a woman can avail of pregnancy massage. Pregnancy massage is very effective in relieving back pain, leg cramps, and other discomforts associated with pregnancy.