Sleep Disorders and Massage Therapy

Busy Schedules and rushing around. What with work, children, and all the other activities that we cram into our lives some of people are getting deeper and deeper into a cycle of sleep debt. The consequences of sleep deprivation can include being grumpy, problems with concentration, memory problems and fatigue. Not to mention decreased performance and alertness.

Are you getting enough sleep?

The amount of sleep a person needs changes during their life, from just after being born to older age:

• Infants require about 16 hours a day
• Teenagers need about 9 hours on average
• Most adults need 6 to 9 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day
• Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual

Sleep that’s disturbed and broken may appear to be long enough, but poor quality will prevent sleep from completing its biological task. So it looks like disordered sleep can affect the way insulin works in the body and can further affect body weight. 

Research has identified two distinct types of sleep that alternate in a four-stage cycle repeated throughout the night. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, this is the more active phase we associate with vivid dreams, becomes progressively longer as the cycles repeat. Interrupted or inadequate length of sleep interferes with the continuity of the cycles, resulting in deprivation of REM sleep. For reasons that we currently don’t know or understand, REM sleep is vitally important to our bodies and may play a key role in processing emotions.

So how can massage help with a sleep disorder?

There are so many benefits of massage.  It is regularly used in sports clinics and rehabilitation centres to loosen or soothe sore, aching muscles. Getting regular massages helps to increase relaxation, which can help to calm anxiety and improve sleep problems. In fact, some studies have shown that the brain boosts the production of endorphins, chemicals that regulate the activity of a group of nerve cells in the brain that relax muscles, dull pain, and reduce panic and anxiety

Massage also helps to reduce stress, improve circulation, release tension, lower the heart rate and blood pressure, and possibly even strengthen the immune system. These relaxing effects may therefore make massage a helpful aid in restoring restful sleep. Massage may be especially beneficial in treating sleeping problems that stem from stress as Massage therapy may also trigger serotonin, a brain chemical that generates calm and serene feelings. It makes sense that when stress is alleviated, peaceful sleep come.

If you are suffering from a sleep disorder or living with unnecessary pain and suffering, come see us here at The Massage Room.