Published 8 years ago
Massage and pampering to sleep happily
Eaten too much? Just finishing the report for your boss? Was the five-a-side soccer match that ended half an hour ago very exciting? Was tonight’s movie the scariest one of the decade? Well, if one of this things – or other similar ones - have occurred, perhaps you are not sleeping and – perhaps – you are surfing SlowSleep to look for a remedy against insomnia. Keep Calm & Relax: you are at the right place!
There is a way to get a grip: the anti-insomnia massage (Note: this is a relaxing massage, not a medical treatment).
The very ancient art of massage is based upon a physiological reaction linked to skin contact. Touching each other induces serenity thanks to the production of endorphins (the substances produced by the nervous system that have an analgesic function). The massage that induces sleep – or it is perhaps better to say that it fights the obstacles to rest – is therefore a traditional technique that originates from what happens in nature: also in the world of animals, contact is the tool by which the mothers calm and reassure their puppies.
Preparing to the anti-insomnia massage
To fight the stress and the psycho-physical agitation that prevents sleep, first of all you should clear the environment. Fresh air, stop to the LED’s and electronic devices, off the wi-fi and – if needed – a stream of warm light accompanied by a whisper of music in the background. Also any tight clothing, that covers too much or – even worse – slips and underwear that 'leave the mark' slowing down the blood circulation should be banned as well.
Massaging the partner who can’t sleep
Massaging is welcoming and taking care: taking the corresponding metal attitude is of the essence. Having an essential oil – e.g. lavender or chamomile – at hand can be of help to induce relaxation.
The movements of massage must be slow and never too heavy, always at the same rhythm. To find the right speed, you may imagine a stream of water flowing down your partner’s body and scan the movements based on the flow of this imaginary water.
You may start massaging from the head and shoulders, i.e. the areas where the tension generate by the stress is storing up. After the head and shoulders, you may pass to the back, keeping strength, frequency and speed of the movements. The final part of the anti-insomnia massage passes from the back to the legs and from the legs to the sole of the feet.
Half an hour of massage may recover hours and hours of lost sleep.
Self-massage to sleep
Not everybody has a partner to ask for a massage; no worries: you can do yourself a nice self-massage and happily land to the world of dreams.
After complying with the instructions for the preliminaries, you can self-massage (preferably after a hot bath) lightly touching legs and feet. Then, it is the turn of the head: massage by gentle movements, starting from the middle of the forehead and reaching the temples, from the root of the hair up to the eyebrows. You may finish by drawing small circles around your temples.
Massaging a child who cannot sleep
If the one who cannot sleep is a child, massage is effective in any case. Never as much as in this case should we talk about caresses rather than massages.
Gently touching the children’s body helps them being cared for and pampered, it induces calmness, works as a neurologic stimulant and some believe it fights the colics.
To massage well a little child, you can trust your instinct, starting from movements with the open hand, to end with actual 'palpations' of the muscles. In this case, the precautions concern the delicacy and length of the 'treatment', which should not exceed half an hour.
