The effect of massage on sleep quality.

There are people who fall asleep as soon as their head touches the pillow. But there are also many who toss and turn and cannot sleep for a long time. There are “wonderful buttons” on the body, and it is enough to press them in a special way, and the person quickly flies into the arms of Morpheus. Competent acupuncture massage and knowledge of where a person’s sleep point is located will help you get enough sleep and have delicious dreams!

Insomnia or insomnia, as doctors objectively believe, is not just a fluctuation from the norm - it is a true disease. Illness prevents a person from sleeping well and renewing his strength, depriving him of energy, reducing his invaluable health every day. There are ways, in particular, acupuncture massage, that allow you to return the deepest sleep, the main thing is to know where a person’s sleep points are located, and also to be able to “press” on the necessary places.

Why do you need a massage?

Properly implemented acupressure can several times increase the effectiveness of any folk remedies used to treat insomnia. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary to seek support from a specialist - it can be done at home on your own just before bed. Of course, a full body massage will give greater results, but even a short self-massage for insomnia will prevent the formation of psychosomatic ailments and will provide an opportunity to improve the quality of sleep.

The secret of this method is simple. There are thousands of biologically active points on the human body, which are projected onto various organs and systems. Their location has been studied for centuries by eastern healers, who created and left us huge correspondence maps as a legacy. Internal organs respond to stimulation of such points and provide the opportunity to obtain excellent therapeutic effects:

• complete muscle relaxation;
• removal of vascular contractions;
• decrease in blood pressure;
• activation of capillary blood flow;
• relief of anxiety and nervousness;
• elimination of migraine-like conditions.

And everything mentioned above is precisely necessary in order to prepare the material body for a night’s rest. By performing self-massage, a person is focused on his actions, which means that the brain detaches itself from disturbing thoughts and also calms down.

By combining massage with folk remedies for insomnia, you can quickly achieve complete relaxation and peacefully fall asleep.

Fighting methods

A person who literally “suffers from dissomnia” tries to find the optimal means to solve the problem that has arisen. You can quickly get rid of insomnia in two ways: by resorting to traditional methods and by using medications.

Drug

There are groups of drugs aimed at regulating sleep. The use of this method is not recommended for a long period - it is aimed at eliminating the situational stage.

When resorting to a medicinal solution to the problem, it is worth considering Novopassit, Biolan, Persen, Rozerem against insomnia. You can also drink regular magnesium or valerian infusion.

ethnoscience

If medications are not recommended due to health conditions, you should pay attention to folk remedies for combating insomnia. You can solve problems with falling asleep with the help of medicinal tea and medicinal herbs

In the evening you can brew an infusion of chamomile, mint, dill or wormwood roots

You can solve problems with falling asleep with the help of medicinal tea and medicinal herbs. In the evening, you can brew an infusion of chamomile, mint, dill or wormwood roots.

These components have soothing and healing properties.

The necessary herbs can be purchased at pharmacies or collected yourself.

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Pillow with healing herbs

The pillows are made independently - it is important that the inhaled aroma pleases the sleeper. Suitable contents include lavender, crushed hops, chamomile, pine needles

You can place a bag of herbs next to you or under your pillow.

Other

Aromatherapy. Oils, aroma sticks and candles also promote relaxation and pleasant rest. You should also choose fragrances based on your own preferences.

Baths. To improve sleep, you can take a bath with herbal decoction of calendula and lemon balm.

General understanding of acupressure techniques

The technique of using acupressure for insomnia appeared in ancient China. Then it was used not only to normalize sleep, but also for the overall health of the body.

Since ancient times, doctors believed that each organ has its own area on the plane of the body, by expressing the influence on which it is possible to implement effective therapy for many diseases. You just need to know what a certain zone is responsible for and influence it correctly.

At the moment, there are two techniques that allow impact on specific points located on the human body:

1. Acupuncture. This technique is more popular as acupuncture and involves the insertion of specialized needles into specific areas.
2. Acupressure. Involves influencing points on the body against insomnia through massage. And since this technique does not require the use of special tools, it is considered the easiest to perform at home.

But in order to effectively combat insomnia, you need to understand its specifics and mechanisms of origin.

Acupressure

The following types of points for acupressure are distinguished:

• Harmonizing;
• Calming;
• Alarm points;
• Stimulating;
• Special.

Acupressure helps:

• Regulate the functioning of internal organs;
• Activate energy potential;
• Find emotional balance;
• Relieve pain.

Long-term practice shows that acupressure has no contraindications, with the exception of skin allergies and thrombosis. But this applies to massage in general, when the effect on large areas of the body overstimulates blood circulation or causes irritation to sensitive skin.

Rules for acupressure for insomnia

In Eastern medical science and practice, acupuncture is widely used to combat insomnia. Eastern healers pass on knowledge of where a person’s sleepy spots are located from generation to generation, and have been actively using the technique for many hundreds of years. We recommend mastering acupuncture, which is possible for all adults and very effective. The main thing is to apply regularly.

1. It is important to start a massage for sleep consistently by warming up your hands. Only then can you start searching for the desired point. The required sleepy point makes itself felt with a feeling of slight numbness and aching. Next, you can proceed specifically to the manipulation, performing it with your fingertips. As a rule, the thumb, middle and index fingers are used.
2. The next and necessary step is kneading the skin. Massaging movements must be smooth, soft, but at the same time assertive: little by little it is important to increase efforts, as if bending the fingertips into the soft tissue. There is no need to feel sorry for yourself: pressure may feel painful (kind). Did you find where the sleepy point is located? Massage it more powerfully, and then gradually slow down the pace. Radial movements are best for soothing.
3. There is no need to apply too much pressure when massaging before bed: just apply pressure for 7 seconds and make 3 to 5 “approaches” to one point. Increased heart rate, nausea, profuse sweating and other unpleasant feelings should be the reason to stop manipulation.

Note: Japanese massage therapists are convinced that any sleepy spot must be stretched clockwise, but never counterclockwise.

You should not lose sight of the fact that excellent results from acupressure sessions are not always obtained from the first days. That is, you won’t be able to sleep like a baby after the first procedure. As practice shows, only after completing 5–7 sessions does a person begin to feel his body better, feel a favorable result, and invariably answer questions: I’m sleeping quite soundly.

Breathing exercises before bed

After preparing for classes and the appropriate emotional state, you can proceed directly to the exercises themselves, which will help you completely relax and fall asleep quickly. Traditionally, breathing exercises for insomnia include the use of the following techniques:

Full breath. Lying on your back, exhale as completely as possible, and then begin to slowly draw in air through your nose, first inflating your stomach, then expanding your chest, and lastly, lifting your collarbones, thus freeing up additional space. The next stage is a slow and smooth exhalation, during which the air is first pushed out by the collarbones, then by the ribs, and at the very end by the diaphragm. The exercise is performed 5-7 times.

Calming breathing. In this case, the entire load falls exclusively on the diaphragm, that is, during inhalation and exhalation, only the stomach rises and falls, and the chest remains completely motionless. The exercise should be repeated 5-7 times at a slow pace.

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Technique "4-7-8". The exercise begins with a slow and deep exhalation through the mouth, followed by the same leisurely inhalation through the nose, accompanied by a mental count from 1 to 4. The tip of the tongue should touch the palate behind the upper front teeth. Next, you need to hold your breath and count to 7. The next stage is a long exhalation through a half-open mouth (the position of the tongue remains unchanged), during which you should count to 8. After this, you can take an arbitrary break and repeat the exercise. In the first days, it can be performed 2-3 times, and then gradually increase the number of approaches to 8. To treat insomnia, it is recommended to use this technique daily for 2 months, repeating the exercise 2 times a day - sitting in the morning and lying down in the evening before bed.

Anti-stress exercise. It involves a combination of full breathing with the longest possible exhalation with the pronunciation of a hissing sound “s-s-s-s” or “sh-sh-sh-sh”. When releasing air, as if from a balloon, you need to imagine as clearly as possible all the negativity leaving the body along with it.

“Counting to 10” technique. When performing this exercise, you need to breathe in time with the count: inhale on odd numbers, and exhale deeply on even numbers. In this case, each number should be slowly pronounced to yourself, even trying to imagine it visually

At the same time, it is necessary to focus on the chest while breathing, mentally observing how it expands and deflates, as well as on the movement of air that enters the mouth, then descends into the lungs and returns back. Having mastered this technique, you can learn to quickly disconnect from the outside world, the signals of which often prevent a person from falling asleep, and completely relax, preparing for a good rest.

Technique 4-7-8

Also, when performing any exercises of this kind, it is necessary to take into account that as you inhale, the processes occurring in the body are activated, and as you exhale, they slow down. Therefore, by lengthening your exhalation, you can help yourself calm down, relax and enter a sleepy state, and by focusing on inhalation, you can become toned and recharged with energy.

Insomnia points

It is necessary to correctly determine where the sleeping points are. The effect of acupressure depends on this. The area to be affected is precisely determined by your own sensations.

1. You can start the massage from an asymmetrical point located between the eyebrows, about one centimeter above the bridge of the nose. You need to press it hard enough. The procedure will help get rid of heavy restless dreams.
2. The second acupressure point for sleep is located on the front side of the wrist on the little finger side at the end of the wrist fold. Identified by the depression between the tendons. The massage is done on the right and left hand.
3. The impact area is on the back of the hand in the cavity between the thumb and index finger. It is clearly visible when the thumb is pointed to the side. Aching or sharp pain when pressing indicates the correct determination of the point. The area on the right and left palms is being worked on.
4. You need to find a point on the outside of the foot, located in the depression between the tubular metatarsal bones. From the space between the first and second toes, a distance equal to three middle fingers of the hand is set aside. Massage of both areas is performed simultaneously in a sitting position.
5. The sleep points, located on the outer sides of both feet in the depression between the tubercle on the heel and the ankle, are massaged simultaneously.
6. If there is strong excitement, it is recommended to work on the area on the inside of the forearm. It is located approximately three fingers up from the wrist fold between the tendons. With deep pressure, a person relaxes and calms down.
7. The asymmetrical point lies at a distance of one and a half centimeters from the xiphoid process of the sternum. Acupressure is performed in a supine position.
8. It is convenient to act independently on the area at the base of the skull behind the lower edge of the earlobe. Painful sensations will help determine the exact location of the zone. You can massage the point with the adjacent area.
9. The area located in the area of ​​the crown vortex is massaged in a sitting position.

It can be accurately determined by drawing a line from the top tips of the ears to the top of the head.

These special points on the human body should help with emotional imbalance, anxiety, and sleep problems. The first independent acupressure sessions do not always give the desired effect. After several procedures, skills appear, a person feels his body better and achieves a positive result.

Massage techniques

Insomnia is often a manifestation of stress. Therefore, with poor sleep, all relaxing types of massage will help - for example, hydromassage.

This procedure for insomnia can be performed using a special massager or even with your own hands. The simplest procedure consists of lightly massaging the head and neck. Sometimes this gives a positive effect very quickly and relieves feelings of tension and fatigue.

• Hydromassage

It also works simply and effectively. It is only recommended to stand in the shower for at least 15–20 minutes, otherwise the effect will not be felt. The water should be warm, but not hot.

Along with the shower, it is recommended to use other soothing hygiene products, such as lavender soap or fir oil.

• Cervical

According to the Chinese method, lightly massaging the points behind the earlobes quickly makes you want to take a nap somewhere. You just need to take into account the force of impact; it should not be strong.

It is believed that 5 minutes is enough to achieve results. These same points are recommended to be used for general relaxation if necessary.

• Thumb

Some healers recommend applying a rubber band to the extreme phalanx of the thumb of either hand. Only it should not be tight so as not to disrupt the blood flow.

Constant exposure to this place has a calming effect and induces sleep.

• Hijam

This type of massage affects the back. It is carried out simultaneously with bloodletting, so it is recommended only to be performed by a specialist.

• Acupuncture

This procedure is accompanied by acupuncture. You cannot do it yourself; only a trained specialist can do it. If an amateur takes up the matter, irreparable harm can be caused to the patient.

Acupressure and its principles

Acupressure (acupressure, shiatsu) can be classified as self-massage, but it is still a whole area of ​​physiotherapy that requires detailed consideration. Official medicine classifies acupressure as reflexology. That’s how it is: by influencing biologically active points on the body, you can achieve relaxation in distant areas of the body or even the entire nervous system.

Acupressure is performed with the pad of any finger. You must first gently press on the point of influence, then make circular movements, increasing the pressure and pressing your finger into the body. The duration of exposure to one point is 2-3 minutes. The beauty of acupressure self-massage is that a person can independently control the force of pressure and avoid painful sensations. And to perform it you don’t need any special preparations: you can even wake up at night, realize that you can’t fall asleep again, remember which points to massage for insomnia, and have a short relaxation session.

Urgent acupressure

It is carried out directly 5-15 minutes before bedtime and does not take much time. These are just 5 points that are easy to remember.

1. On the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows.
2. On the top of the head.
3. Below the chest line, in the middle of the sternum.
4. On the wrist, closer to the little finger and to the beginning of the palm.
5. Above the knee joint, on the inside.

It is better to massage these sleep points in case of insomnia in a lying or semi-sitting position. At the same time, you cannot resist the urge to fall asleep. If sleep comes even at the 2nd or 3rd point, you need to slowly stop the acupressure and relax.

Massage of individual areas

Reflexology is widespread in China, where this direction is developing. And over many centuries, several different acupressure techniques for insomnia have appeared there.

Foot

Yun Quan. The point is located on the foot. To find it, you need to squeeze your toes and look at the metatarsus. There will be a depression in the middle. This is the massage point for insomnia Yun Quan. It needs to be massaged according to all the rules of acupressure.

Back

A more serious Chinese technique for saving insomnia is hijam. This is both a massage and cleansing the body of toxins through the blood. Hijam involves bleeding on the back and extracting blood using vacuum cups. This is a very serious procedure that is performed only by specialists. There is an effect both from one hijama and from the course.

Neck

An Mian points (translated from ancient Chinese as “soft sleep”) are located in the recesses behind the ears. If you massage them for 5-10 minutes, insomnia goes away. You can also act on these points simply for general relaxation.

Thumb

According to the method of su-jok therapy for insomnia, you need to put an elastic band on the extreme phalanx of the thumb of either hand. It should tighten significantly, but not too much, so as not to impede the flow of blood. It is believed that such continuous pressure on this point can cause relaxation and speed up sleep.

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Acupuncture

The same as acupressure, only the effect is performed not with soft fingertips, but with sharp needles. Acupuncture comes from Chinese medicine and is still used there today as one of the most common methods of treating a wide variety of diseases and illnesses.

But if acupressure allows you to perform self-massage, then acupuncture techniques are only subject to specialists. Still, the skin is pierced with needles, so only a doctor should do this. There are many more acupuncture points for insomnia, and an acupuncturist knows not only their location, but can also assess the depth of insertion of the tip.

Atmosphere for massage

If insomnia strikes unexpectedly, and urgent measures need to be taken, then there will be no time for the atmosphere. The person will begin to remember acupressure techniques and massage the fingers, neck or area behind the ears. If this is a real daily ritual aimed at relieving long-existing muscle spasms and manifestations of anxiety, then you should prepare for it.

Music

If everyone has their own musical tastes, then for a massage against insomnia you need soothing tracks in ethno style, sounds of nature, Russian or Chinese motifs. There are ready-made compositions on the Internet that are called “music for massage.” Deafening, stimulating tracks such as rock and roll or techno are not recommended. Otherwise, there is a risk that after such songs insomnia will begin after the massage.

Aromatherapy

Pairs perfectly with massage for insomnia. You just need to choose the right incense that will not cause cheerfulness, but will calm the nervous system. This is for example:

• lavender;
• chamomile;
• incense;
• geranium;
• patchouli;
• cedar.

These can be fragrant sticks or essential oils. It is not recommended to mix aromas, because they can give off a heavy odor that will be unnerving. It’s better to focus on one thing that leaves positive emotions. The oil can be poured into an aroma lamp or simply applied to a cotton napkin and placed next to you.

Subsequently, it may turn out that massage for insomnia is no longer required. Aromatherapy alone is enough: a person will smell the smell, unconsciously remember a wonderful pastime, and fall asleep to it.

Where and how to massage

It is acceptable to do this in a private bedroom, so that such a pleasant and calming event is associated with rest and sleep. You can sit or lie down on the bed, turn on pleasant music, dim the lights, light the aroma lamp and throw all thoughts out of your head. Try to tune in to relaxation or concentrate on massaging one or another point on the body for insomnia.

If the massage for insomnia is performed by a stranger, then conversations will be unnecessary. The massage therapist can tell you something monotonously, but you don’t need to answer him. This is a common method, proven more than once in practice, when students fall asleep while a teacher is speaking, employees fall asleep during meetings, etc.

What to think about

Massage is always a relaxing process. And when it is performed with the aim of getting rid of insomnia - even more so. And during the massage you need to make an attempt to relax not only the body, but also the thoughts as much as possible. If you can’t not think about anything, you need to remember something pleasant. You can also try to count, slowly and measuredly: 1, 2, 3... And it’s not at all necessary to imagine sheep. You just need to get into the rhythm.

Not only chronic insomnia is dangerous for the body, but also one-time cases. Lack of sleep can seriously affect a person's physiological and psychological health. And it’s not a fact that the next night you will be able to rest for the previous one. Insomnia can very quickly become chronic, because the reasons for its provocation overlap one another. Lack of sleep, exhaustion, nervousness, difficulties at work or in the family, lack of sleep - a vicious circle is formed, from which you can get out with the support of massage.

Massage for insomnia in pregnant women and newborns

These two groups of people always figure things out together. Because both pregnant women and infants need a more simplified approach.

During pregnancy, massage will not only help you cope with insomnia, but also awaken the blood and lymph of an inactive expectant mother. After all, even if she tries to walk more, she still cannot use all muscle groups. And specifically because of their stagnation, pregnant women are often debilitated by insomnia. Therefore, massage can and should be done. Although a doctor's advice wouldn't hurt.

Massage during pregnancy must be as careful as possible. You should preferably avoid applying forceful pressure to the abdomen.

Breasts will also benefit from this procedure. Babies often sleep fussily because of muscle spasms, so massaging the arms, legs and back will relieve this tension and put the baby to sleep. A gentle tummy massage will also help prevent colic.

Side effects and contraindications

It is worth considering that not far from the sleepy points on the body there are also wakefulness zones. Therefore, in order not to want to sleep, you should carefully look for the desired point on the body and stimulate it correctly. Otherwise, instead of eliminating insomnia, side effects of an incorrect session may appear:

• dizziness;
• increased sleep disorders;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• headache.

Also, these side effects can be caused if there are contraindications to an acupressure session. These include hyperemia, thrombophlebitis, cardiovascular pathologies, the presence of open skin lesions, burns, neoplasms, and inflammatory processes.

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