massage to help sleep

Can Massage Help You Get a Better Sleep?

January 4, 2017

Sleep is Essential For Daily Function

 

There is no better way to maintain and improve daily functionality than with proper sleep. But what if you’re lacking that good night’s sleep? How can you solve the issue? There are many methods, but massage therapy is one of the healthiest ways to take back your shut-eye.

 

In a recently published article entitled, “How Can Massage Help with Our $411 Billion Sleep Problem?”, author and expert, Karen Menehan, writes:

 

“We all know what a restful night’s sleep feels like compared with one that is restless; sleep supports physical, emotional and mental functioning. Studies have indicated that sleep disturbances are associated with obesity, depression, cardiovascular risk factors and neurological disorders,” she writes.

 

How Massage Can Help Get That Good Night’s Sleep

 

Massage therapy has been proven to reduce fatigue and improve sleep and, based on research gathered by the American Massage Therapy Association, massage has been shown to improve sleep in infants, children, adults, and the elderly alike, as well as individuals with psychiatric disorders, fibromyalgia, cancer, heart disease, lower back pain, cerebral palsy, and breast disease.

 

“The questions for massage therapists—and clients—are, can massage therapy help people get a better night’s sleep? And can massage therapy increase a person’s ability to fall—and stay—asleep, on a regular basis?” Menehan writes.

“So far, research indicates the potential for massage therapy to benefit sleep, a benefit especially related to massage therapy’s ability to reduce stress and affect the relaxation response—outcomes that have been studied more than massage and sleep have been.”