If you’re like millions of other Americans in a similar position, you might struggle with sleep in one way or another. Whether it’s falling asleep, staying asleep or even the quality of the sleep in question, there are numerous different programs, treatments and even drugs designed to help people improve their sleep.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re here to tell you about one area with major connections to sleep: Massage therapy. We offer several massage techniques, from deep tissue massage to sports massage, Swedish massage and many others, more than one of which have helped many people improve their stress reduction, relaxation and sleep habits. Here’s a quick primer on not only how massage and sleep connect, but also other natural methods to improve your sleep if you struggle.
Firstly, we should define the scope of the problem – and it’s somewhat vast. Estimates differ, but per the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA – via the Institute of Medicine in this case), between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from sleep issues that impact their health in some way.
Many of these are cases of insomnia, but not all. There are several specific conditions or issues that may contribute to poor sleep quality or length.
Massage therapy has several specific connections with improving sleep quality in numerous individuals. It helps directly with several of the common underlying causes of sleep issues, the first of which – for many people – is physical pain. Those with chronic pain issues in the back, neck, limbs or any other major area often struggle badly with sleep, but massage therapy relieves both these and simple aches and pains to allow for comfortable sleep.
In addition, massage therapy does wonders for your mental state. Many sleep issues trace back to anxiety, restlessness or similar mental concerns, and massage is highly beneficial here as well. The ability to properly relax also stimulates sleep hormones, which in turn improves sleep quality even further.
Here are several other themes to consider in addition to massage to improve your sleep habits:
For more on how both massage and other natural methods will benefit your sleep, or to learn about any of our massage therapy or float therapy services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.