How Does Massage Improve Sleep?

When you get a little stressed, or a little busy, or even have a little extra fun, what’s the first thing to get compromised? When life gets active, your sleep tends to go by the wayside. Too often we get a too ambitious at night, or want to get an early start on work in the morning, and bit by bit we chip away at our nightly allotment of sleep. And when you do actually allow yourself to crawl into bed, the little worries and nagging thoughts from your day take your closed eyes as their cue to march center-stage across your thoughts for hours, making sleep even more elusive. Then, tired the next day, we figure that we can simply compensate with extra coffee. 

This exhausting cycle of sleep deprivation can do more than just make you a little cranky. Being short on sleep can have a significant negative impact on nearly every aspect of your life. For example, did you know that those who suffer from insomnia are four times more likely to experience relationship problems? Lack of sleep can also impair your cognitive processes, make you more susceptible to heart problems, and can contribute to depression. Not to mention that, thanks to your immune system that takes a beating, poor sleep habits can make you more likely to get sick.

Enough of the bad news. The great news is that you have a simple, wonderful tool to help you battle sleep loss right at the touch of your finger. Simply calling your favorite Elements studio to set up regular massage appointments can do wonders for your poor quality of sleep.

Massage can be your sleep saver in a few different ways:

• You know the worries that plague your mind every night? While massage might not be able to make your bills disappear or your work meeting to miraculously get cancelled, it can help decrease anxiety and depression levels, causing you to dwell on the little voices less, and the sweet dreams more. 
• Massage promotes the release of serotonin, which is a hormone that is necessary for the production of melatonin, which is your body’s natural sleep-inducer. Serotonin is also a feel-good hormone, as are the other hormones released by massage; endorphins and dopamine. 
• Don’t you hate it when a sore hip or tight back is prohibiting your sleep? Receiving regular massage can help ensure that your muscles, joints, and tendons are loose, flexible, and lengthened, leading to more comfortable nights . . . and days. 
• Does your restless leg plague your nights? Massage might help. While researchers are generally unsure as to why this is, massage seems to help curb your Restless Leg Syndrome. Whether massage helps because it increases circulation, releases hormones, or loosens tightened muscles, it might be worth it for you to give massage a try to fight your RSL. 

If sleep eludes you, even once in a while, you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, your work, and your friends to take proactive steps to improve your quality of slumber. We bet you’ll be surprised at how much better you will feel once you start getting better, deeper, and longer periods of sleep.