What’s the one thing all of us mothers want, but never seem to get enough of? That pesky five letter word: SLEEP. From my experience as a mom, I know that even if my son goes to sleep at a decent hour, he still seems to wake up at least three times a night. The trouble with that is when he falls asleep around 8:00 P.M., I’m definitely not ready to go to sleep myself. There are dishes to do, laundry to fold, and a million other things that need to get done. Heaven forbid I actually want some time to take a bath, read a book, or watch a good movie. By the time I fall into my bed, it’s usually about 11:30 P.M., and after about an hour my son wakes up to let me know he’s hungry. He tends to wake up about every two to four hours. With that said, this working mommy doesn’t get enough sleep! Thankfully I’ve found a helpful tool to assist the working mother with sleep: Acupuncture and massage are both used to treat sleep disorders as well as health conditions that contribute to inadequate sleep.
Why Acupuncture & Massage?
The answer is simple: because it works! A report done in 2014 showed that patients who received acupuncture regularly were able to fall asleep faster, slept for longer periods of time, and experienced better quality of sleep overall. In my personal experience with acupuncture, I was able to finally relax after treatments. After my first treatment I went home and was able to really decompress for the first time in a long time. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of relaxation.
The Natural Way
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Approximately 40% of adults struggle with insomnia in one form or the other. Doctors will typically prescribe benzodiazepines or another sedative agent. While those medications usually work, the adverse side effects are serious. Dependency all the way up to addiction, memory loss, and critical withdrawal symptoms are just a few side effects to mention. A really great way to avoid dealing with the harmful side effects of medication is through receiving acupuncture or massage. Trying the ‘natural way’ by avoiding medications can be extremely rewarding. By avoiding the harmful things that medications can do to your body and trying a method that assists with both sleep problems and overall quality of life, you’re doing a wonderful thing for your body and mind.
Bringing Balance Back
As busy human beings, we don’t realize the true importance of sleep. For me, sleep keeps me grounded, relieves stress and anxiety, and helps me be a better mother. Sleep is crucial! Here at Anjuna Medicine, I get to hear people rave about their wonderful experiences with acupuncture and massage every day. What a joy it is to hear people speak about how the sleep and overall quality of life has improved since walking through our doors!
