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.

What is Adrenaline?

Today whilst travelling to school, my daughter asked me what adrenaline was and what did it did do to the body because her Jiujitsu instructor had told her that she would need it during a tournament. I told her that it was a hormone released by the adrenal glands within the body to prepare her for fight or flight.

Here is a quick overview of how that works

The brain regulates the body's unconscious actions by (ANS) which is The Autonomic Nervous System. This regulates the functions of our internal organs (the viscera) such as the heart, stomach and intestines. The ANS is part of the peripheral nervous system and it also controls some of the muscles within the body. We are often unaware of the ANS because it functions involuntary and reflexively. For example, we do not notice when blood vessels change size or when our heart beats faster. However, some people can be trained to control. The autonomic nervous system is always working. It is NOT only active during "fight or flight" or "rest and digest" situations. This system acts to maintain NORMAL internal functions and works with the somatic nervous system.

 

There are then two main divisions from this, one is the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the other is the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).  

 

• The Sympathetic Nervous System activates what is often termed the fight or flight response. In emergencies that cause stress and require us to "fight" or take "flight" (run away)

How does it work? Well It is a nice, sunny day and you are taking a nice walk along the river. Suddenly, out from behind a bush an angry man tries to grab hold of you and steal your wallet. Do you stay and fight OR do you turn and run away? These are "Fight or Flight" responses. In these types of situations, your Sympathetic Nervous System is called into action - it uses energy - your blood pressure increases, your heart beats faster, and digestion slows down.

• The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) stimulates the body to "rest-and-digest" or "feed and breed". In non emergencies that allow us to "rest" and "digest."

How does it work? So again it is a nice, sunny day except this time after you've taken you the nice walk down by the river, you decide to relax in comfortable chair and watch the ducks and swans gliding up and down the river. Your listening to the birds and relaxing in the warm breeze whilst the sun warms your skin. This calls for the  "Rest and Digest" responses. Now is the time for the Parasympathetic Nervous to work to save energy. This is when blood pressure can decrease, pulse rate can slow, and digestion can start.

 

Structure	Sympathetic Stimulation	Parasympathetic Stimulation
Iris (eye muscle)	Pupil dilation	Pupil constriction
Salivary Glands	Saliva production reduced	Saliva production increased
Oral/Nasal Mucosa	Mucus production reduced	Mucus production increased
Heart	Heart rate and force increased	Heart rate and force decreased
Lung	Bronchial muscle relaxed	Bronchial muscle contracted
Stomach	Peristalsis reduced	Gastric juice secreted; motility increased
Small Intestine	Motility reduced	Digestion increased
Large Intestine	Motility reduced	Secretions and motility increased
Liver	Increased conversion of glycogen to glucose
Kidney	Decreased urine secretion	Increased urine secretion
Adrenal medulla	Norepinephrine and epinephrine secreted
Bladder	Wall relaxed Sphincter closed	Wall contracted Sphincter relaxed

So how does this relate to Massage?

Stress is universal, and it's not always bad. Whenever you jump to catch a badly thrown ball, feel especially energetic before an important meeting, or hit the brakes in time to avoid a car accident, stress is doing its job. The adrenaline boosting your heart rate and the cortisol boosting your blood sugar, while diverting energy away from your digestive system and immune responses, are exactly what prehistoric humans needed to fight or flee attackers.when there's never any relief from stress, the sustained fight-or-flight response can cause problems. However if there is constant stress this can become "distress, which is a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases. Massage therapy is a good antidote for stress.

Research has shown that massage can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax the muscles and increase the production of endorphins, this is your body's natural "feel good" chemical. Serotonin and dopamine are also released through massage, and the result is a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic or habitual as well as acute or short-term stress much easier to overcome.

Our experienced, professional therapists at The Massage Room customise every massage (and stress relief) session to address your individual needs.