The Key to a Good Night’s Sleep…is in Your Feet!
By djsheryl on September 28, 2022
Would you give anything for a good night’s sleep? Before you reach for a pill…reach for your feet! A new study suggests that a foot massage can help women reduce sleep disruption, anxiety, and insomnia. The Cleveland-based North American Menopause Society (NAMS) found that a foot massage can increase a woman’s average daily sleep duration by as much as one hour each day. In addition to reducing anxiety, more sleep also has a positive effect on your immune system. So, what kind of foot massage do you need? The researchers say reflexology, a specific type of massage therapy, increases overall relaxation. Foot massages in particular help individuals relax and restore the body’s balance by “stimulating the nerve cells located in the legs.”
This is not the first study which suggests that massage therapy can have health benefits. A 2020 study conducted in Germany found that just 10 minutes of massage can help active the body’s regenerative, stress-fighting systems. That research tied brief massages to the reactivation of the body’s stress-eliminating parasympathetic nervous system.
So, go ahead and book that pedicure. Doctor’s orders!