5 Ways Massages Can Help Improve Sleep

Good sleep is essential for healthy functioning, as sleep deprivation has been known to compromise a person’s physical, social, emotional, and psychological well-being. However, The Sleep Council reports that nearly half of all Britons are getting just six hours or less of sleep every evening. Worse, an alarming four out of five people suffer from disturbed or toxic sleep.

If you’re going through the same dilemma, one of the many ways to help you achieve adequate quality and quantity of sleep is through massage. Although many might see massages as simply a luxury for winding down at the end of a tough week, studies show that the benefits of massages can greatly affect how you sleep. Here are five ways a good massage can help improve your sleep.

Reduces stress

Massages have been proven to improve your mood and keep stress levels down. For good sleep, it is important to let go of everyday worries to drift off into the dream world. 

Promotes total relaxation

Certain types of massages promote total relaxation. This includes deep tissue massages and bamboo massages, which we discussed in a previous blog post here on Massage in London. These kinds of massages reach deep into the musculature and fascia to be able to relax muscle tissue, ease tension, aid the circulatory system, and promote lymphatic drainage. The overall effect is a deep sense of relaxation and well-being, which can help you fall asleep afterwards – if you aren’t already asleep on the massage bed!

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Decreases pain

One of the many benefits of massages is that it helps decrease pain, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In a study conducted among people suffering from low back pain, those who had 30-minute massage sessions twice a week experienced fewer sleep disturbances and less pain. One possible reason for this is that the massages improved their sleep most crucially during sleep’s most restorative stages, during which the body usually remains still.

Increases serotonin

Another benefit of massages revealed in a study, which the American Massage Therapy Association conducted, is that massages increase serotonin levels. On top of experiencing less pain and improved sleep, the study samples that enjoyed regular 30-minute massages were found to have higher levels of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and, along with dopamine, increases feelings of happiness and pleasure.

Combats insomnia

Around 36 per cent of the UK population suffers from chronic insomnia, and healthcare professionals are beginning to recognize the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to its treatment. Sleep Review states massage therapy has been proven to be a smart, healthy, and drug-free option for overcoming illness. This is because the multidisciplinary approach to treating insomnia, which takes into account the many benefits of alternative medicines like massages, places emphasis on promoting overall well-being instead of simply treating the symptoms. In this way, people with insomnia receive the many health benefits of massages, like those we enumerated above, to overcome their illness.

In conclusion, booking your next massage helps ensure adequate and restorative sleep. You’ll be catching some quality sleep in no time.