It is National Massage Therapy Week 🥳

October 23 - 29 is National Massage Therapy Week — a time to raise awareness about the benefits of massage therapy. From natural pain relief to stress reduction and relaxation, massage therapy can play an essential role in your regular health and wellness regime.

One lesser-known reason to invest in massage therapy is that it can improve your sleep quality. Let’s explore the top benefits of massage therapy for sleep.

An estimated 100 million U.S. adults aren’t getting enough sleep, and 70 million have been diagnosed with a chronic sleep disorder.  

Pain and stress are two conditions that can impact your ability to get a good night's rest. Pain may wake you up throughout the night while stress can keep you up, reducing the amount of sleep you get.

Thankfully, massage therapy is a known natural pain and stress reliever, making it the ideal wellness practice for improving your sleep quality.

Many people find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep when they experience chronic pain. Low back, hip, shoulder and neck pain can cause discomfort throughout the night, causing you to toss and turn.

Massage therapy, including self-massage before bed, can help relieve pain in a few ways.

Massaging motions help relax constricted muscles that have tensed up to protect damaged tissues or nerves. During massage therapy, you also experience a release of endorphins — the brain’s natural painkillers.

Stress is one of the top contributors to poor quality sleep. If you’re experiencing high levels of stress, it may take you longer to fall asleep. Not only does stress occupy the mind but it also tenses the body, inhibiting your brain from producing sleep hormones.

Massage therapy is a mind-body relaxation treatment — it relieves mental stress and reduces physical tension. It also stimulates the release of serotonin, which is a calming chemical involved in the sleep cycle.

In addition to helping you fall asleep sooner, regular massage therapy may also help you stay asleep throughout the night. One study found that twice-weekly massage therapy sessions reduced the number of sleep disturbances participants experienced over a five-week period.

Massage therapy can help improve blood flow and loosen muscles around the chest. By improving respiratory function and circulation, massage may help regulate oxygen variation throughout the night, leading to deep, undisturbed sleep.

Make massage therapy part of your nightly routine with massage solutions from Relax The Back®. Explore our collection of massage therapy products, from handheld massagers to full-body massage chairs. Find targeted solutions like portable massage cushions for your neck or low back, or shop for foot massagers to relieve foot pain.

To find more therapeutic products from home, work or on the go, shop our online collections or visit a Relax The Back® store near you.