Can’t Sleep? Serotonin & Massage May be the Answer

Do you struggle for hours to get to sleep, no matter how tired you are? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and lay awake for hours, watching the clock and worrying about the next day? If so, you’re not alone. Insomnia is a very common sleep problem with more than 30% of the adults in the U.S. suffering from it, and 10% experiencing chronic insomnia (National Sleep Foundation).

Insomnia comes from the Latin words for “no sleep.” It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficultly staying asleep, waking up too early and poor quality, “non-restorative” sleep. Chronic insomnia is poor sleep every night or most nights for more than six months.

Insomnia takes a huge toll on your energy, mood, and ability to function during the day. Chronic insomnia can even contribute to long-term health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

But you don’t have to put up with insomnia. There are a wide variety of methods recommended for treating insomnia. Many of them involve simple life-style and daily habit changes such as not watching TV in bed, avoiding excessive alcohol and caffeine in the evenings and developing a relaxing bedtime routine. Others involve a variety of medications – some over the counter; others prescriptive. There are also complementary alternative medical (CAM) choices, one of which is therapeutic massage.

Serotonin plays a key role in mood, body temperature, physical coordination, appetite and sleep; and therapeutic massage can work to increase serotonin levels. A 2000 study on back pain and massage conducted by the Touch Research institute and the University Of Miami School Of Medicine demonstrated that in addition to a decrease in long-term pain, subjects receiving regular therapeutic massage also experienced an increase in serotonin levels and improved sleep.*

Therapeutic massage is a healthy and substance-free way to increase serotonin levels for the sleep deprived. Additionally, serotonin is a natural way to produce melatonin, which causes a drop in body temperature and positively influences sleepiness.

If you’re one of the thousands of Americans suffering from lack of sleep, simple changes to your lifestyle and daily habits can always help. But you should also consider massage, as regular therapeutic massage sessions may prove to be the healthy, logical, safe and inexpensive way to put a stop to your sleepless nights.

Not sleeping? The skilled massage therapists at Elements Therapeutic Massage can help you get a good night’s rest. Call Elements Therapeutic Massge Johns Creek at 770.622.4000 or visit us online.

 

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