Proof That Massage Helps You Sleep Better
Massage has been proven to improve your sleep quality, the number of hours you sleep and can increase your ability to get to sleep too. A number of my clients tell me this and there is lots of scientific evidence supporting this fact. Not getting enough good quality sleep is bad for your health. Massage can help you with this.
Many clients report getting a great night’s sleep after having a treatment here. Some also report they feel more refreshed by their sleeps after massage which is a good indication sleep quality has been improved. Massage has also been shown to improve sleep in several scientific studies. Good sleep patterns at regular hours in a bedroom that is fit for purpose will also improve your sleep. Research shows suffering from lack of sleep has numerous devastating effects for lot of people.
It Is Official – Massage Supports Your Sleeping
The American Massage Therapy Association’s official position is that professional massage can help people sleep better. After serious study, evaluation of the available research and comments made by my own clients, I agree. After getting treatment here my clients have told me “I slept like a log.”, “I had a great night sleep the night after.” and “I was so relaxed when I got home I just drifted off.”. The quality of and the ability to get to sleep improves significantly after massage treatments.
The Evidence is Overwhelming
There is quite a lot of evidence is to support the AMTA position. I have selected a small sample for you here but, there is much more of it out there. Castro-Sánchez A et al (2010) studied Fibromyalgia sufferers. Results show after 20 weeks of massage there was a good improvement in the quality of sleep. Oliveira D et al (2012) says post-menopausal women receiving massage had improved sleep, suffering less from insomnia. Field T PhD et al (2002) research tells us that those receiving massage therapy had more sleep hours than those that did not. Beckett C PhD et al (2010) studied 53 hospital patients suffering pain in an acute ward. Results showed not only was pain significantly reduced but, the ability to sleep was also significantly improved.
NHS Says 6 to 9 Hours Sleep Per Night is Good
Every person is different. This will mean that some people require more or less sleep than others. The recommended amount of good quality sleep by the NHS (2018) is somewhere between 6 and 9 per night. This is best achieved by having a regular time to go to bed. Also having a regular schedule to start your bedtime routine wind down for the night. It also helps to have your bedroom fit for purpose. Bedrooms should be quiet, easily darkened, comfortable places for sleeping in. They should not have televisions and other modern day devices in that keep you awake. The better your environment is designed with your sleep in mind, the better your quality of sleep will be. Massage can also be a very good help in getting a good nights sleep.
Not Enough Sleep Can be Very Bad
We are told by NHS (2018) lack of sleep is something that is commonplace in modern society. 1 in 3 people suffer from poor quality of sleep and/or a lack of sleep that affects them the next day. This starts by you getting out of bed tired and listless, then being grumpy and moody all day. All of this happens and then of course we repeat the cycle. It is a health risk for those suffering like this more than once in a while.
Being too tired to concentrate and make critical decisions can affect your work and your driving. The latter can be fatal. Your body needs rest so your immune system can function properly, fighting off colds and flu. Lack of sleep can affect your mental health leading to depression and anxiety.
Massage Can Aid Sleep Leading to Many Positive Benefits
The other side of this coin is getting a good amount of sleep regularly which massage can help you to do. This helps boost your immune system. It can increase your sex drive and according to Teloken P et al (2005), men’s ability to gain erections. This means close personal relationships will improve and it also increases fertility. Tochikubo O (2018) data tells us good sleep may help your body to cope better lowering blood pressure. All in all getting good regular sleep has been linked to numerous positive physiological and psychological benefits which massage can help with.
Conclusions
The AMTA, my clients and I agree that sleep is improved by massage therapy. The evidence of many scientific studies supporting this is overwhelming. There also other things you can do to aid your sleep. Not getting the recommended 6 to 9 hours can lead to serious problems. Getting a good amount of good quality sleep can improve your immune system, your sex drive, fertility, blood pressure and men’s erections. Massage treatments help you to get better sleep which in turn gives you a number of great benefits.
References:
AMTA (2012) Massage Therapy Can Help Improve Sleep [Online] Available at https://www.amtamassage.org/approved_position_statements/Massage-Therapy-Can-Help-Improve-Sleep.html (Accessed 17 August 2018)
Castro-Sánchez A et al (2010) Benefits of Massage…on … Quality of Sleep … [Online] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018656/ (Accessed 17 August 2018)
Oliveira D et al (2012) Effect of therapeutic massage on insomnia … in postmenopausal women. [Online] Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22017318 (Accessed 17 August 2018)
Field T PhD et al (2002) … Sleep Improves After Massage Therapy [Online] Available at https://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/abstract/2002/04000/fibromyalgia_pain_and_substance_p_decrease_and.2.aspx (Accessed 17 August 2018)
Beckett C PhD et al (2010) The Effects of Massage Therapy on Pain Management in the Acute Care Setting [Online] Available at http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/54/96 (Accessed 17 August 2018)
NHS (2016) How to get to sleep [Online] Available at https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/ (Accessed 15 August 2018)
NHS (2018) Why lack of sleep is bad for your health [Online] Available at https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/ (Accessed 15 August 2018)
Tochikubo O (2018) Effects of Insufficient Sleep on Blood Pressure Monitored by a New Multibiomedical Recorder [Online] Available at https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/hyp.27.6.1318 (Accessed 16 August 2018)
Teloken P et al (2005) Defining association between sleep apnea syndrome and erectile dysfunction [Online] Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090429505016936 (Accessed 16 August 2018)
Richards K (1998) Effect of a back massage and relaxation intervention on sleep in critically ill patients [Online] Available at https://search.proquest.com/openview/a6bef0dfba6af9152076eab0fe660918/1 (Accessed 16 August 2018)
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Hi, I am having trouble with my sleep. I have given birth to my first child recently and it seems my baby doesn’t respect the fact I require more sleep than he does. Do you think you can help me please? MT
Hi Martha, I understand your problem. Yes, there is a good chance massage can aid your sleep and how you are feeling duing your waking hours too in the short term. You might like to look into local groups for new mothers as they may offer some good advice for you in the longer term. Please feel free to contact me (Kevin) by email or text 07979 814388 at any reasonable hour. All the best, I look forward to hearing from you, Kevin
I am having trouble sleeping. There is so much happeing in my life at the moment, its really stressing me out. At night mymind is eletric with thoughts even when I shout my eays. Are you guaranteeing I will get a good night after a massage?
Hi Charlotte, sorry to hear about your stress and the problems it is causing you. If this has been happening for 2 or 3 months, you might want to talk to your gp about it. If you have been to your doctor and the solutions offered are not working, massage might help in the short term. I cannot guarantee it 100% but, in my follow ups (asking people how they are the next day after a treatment) a large percentage do say “I slept like a log” or something similar. Feel free to book in anytime. All the best, Kevin