How Regular Massage Therapy Improves Your Sleep

For centuries people have been getting massage therapy to relax from a rough day or intense physical strain. But, did you know that a regular massage session in your routine can have a dramatic effect on your overall sleep patterns? Here we will explore a few of the ways that this has been proven to work wonders for many people suffering through sleepless nights.

Have you been feeling tired no matter how much rest you've been getting? This is happening more and more often to many people who are normally high energy folks. Having massage as a regular part of your week's schedule may be the answer you're looking for.

The Importance of Good Sleep

Many studies have proven that a good night's rest on a regular basis is vital to the proper functioning of the human body. Sleep deprivation can lead to a lack of drive, motivation, cognitive ability and focus in many cases. More serious is the fact that it has also been linked to numerous workplace incidents and car accidents. Constantly being tired is a signal from your body that something is not right. Studies have also proven that many people who are not getting the sleep that they need on a regular basis can and does lead to a shorter overall lifespan.

Muscles

Besides the obvious fact that you feel more relaxed after a proper massage, it actually helps the muscle tissue regenerate faster where it's needed most. It also helps the blood flow move unrestricted through the many veins and arteries deep in the muscle tissue. This allows for more oxygen to enter the muscles and also circulate back to the brain for higher levels of energy naturally. If you go to the gym or exercise regularly, this is a great benefit. It works for people in heavy labor jobs as well. There is no denying that more relaxed muscles lead to a more relaxing and good night's sleep.

Reduction of Stress Hormones in the Blood

Lack of sleep can lead to many disorders in the body, one of them being a higher production of stress hormones brought on by the body fighting to stay more alert and functioning properly. As we all know, life has many obstacles in the day to day of work and home. Getting a regular massage into your schedule benefits the body greatly by actually relaxing the person's body to the levels of actual real sleep. In many cases, people fall asleep during the massage itself. This greatly helps towards lowering stress in the body overall and a greater night's rest in general.

Increased Serotonin Levels

Massage therapy on a regular basis has also been shown in studies to increase the body's production of serotonin. This is a vital hormone the body creates for good rest. Without serotonin levels being regular in the body, you also have lowered melatonin which is vital for deep sleep and proper circadian rhythms. Even if you only receive a massage 2-3 times per month, this can put your body back into balance and help you to be more in tune overall. The effect of proper hormone levels or lack thereof can be drastic to the performance of your day to day activities.

Exercise and Massage

Did you know that exercise can actually improve your sleep? Besides making you feel more tired at the end of the day, exercise on a routine basis has been proven in many studies to aid you in a good night's rest. It promotes activity in the body's natural functions and greatly increases circulation in the cardiovascular system, leading to more balanced hormone production as well. By adding regular massage into your scheduled workout routines, you greatly improve your overall sleep and good health. The exercise gives the body it's proper circulation while the massage helps to promote the much-needed relaxation of the important muscle groups.

Self-defeating Habits to Break

An important side note to all of this is the habits many people have that keep them from getting the amount of rest that they need. Regular massages will definitely assist you, but many folks out there are taking away their own rest without really knowing it. For example, instead of vegetating in front of the television right up until bedtime, try turning off all distractions about one hour before bed. This will aid you in winding down, and your body will relax easier. Things like caffeine and alcohol should be avoided in the later hours as well. Caffeine will deprive your rest and alcohol will make you sleepy, but when it wears off, it will be more difficult to get back to sleep.

Eugene Wood is a Licensed Massage Therapist located in Nassau County NY. Learn more about advanced massage therapy by visiting his website at www.eugenewoodmassage.com

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