Massage for insomnia: acupressure techniques and more

There are people who fall asleep as soon as their head touches the pillow. But there are also many who toss and turn and cannot sleep for a long time. There are “wonderful buttons” on the body, and it is enough to press them in a special way, and the person quickly flies into the arms of Morpheus. Competent acupuncture massage and knowledge of where a person’s sleep point is located will help you get enough sleep and have delicious dreams!

Insomnia or insomnia, as doctors objectively believe, is not just a fluctuation from the norm - it is a true disease. Illness prevents a person from sleeping well and renewing his strength, depriving him of energy, reducing his invaluable health every day. There are ways, in particular, acupuncture massage, that allow you to return the deepest sleep, the main thing is to know where a person’s sleep points are located, and also to be able to “press” on the necessary places.

Why do you need a massage?

Properly implemented acupressure can several times increase the effectiveness of any folk remedies used to treat insomnia. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary to seek support from a specialist - it can be done at home on your own just before bed. Of course, a full body massage will give greater results, but even a short self-massage for insomnia will prevent the formation of psychosomatic ailments and will provide an opportunity to improve the quality of sleep.

The secret of this method is simple. There are thousands of biologically active points on the human body, which are projected onto various organs and systems. Their location has been studied for centuries by eastern healers, who created and left us huge correspondence maps as a legacy. Internal organs respond to stimulation of such points and provide the opportunity to obtain excellent therapeutic effects:

complete muscle relaxation;
removal of vascular contractions;
decrease in blood pressure;
activation of capillary blood flow;
relief of anxiety and nervousness;
elimination of migraine-like conditions.

And everything mentioned above is precisely necessary in order to prepare the material body for a night’s rest. By performing self-massage, a person is focused on his actions, which means that the brain detaches itself from disturbing thoughts and also calms down.

By combining massage with folk remedies for insomnia, you can quickly achieve complete relaxation and peacefully fall asleep.

Fighting methods

A person who literally “suffers from dissomnia” tries to find the optimal means to solve the problem that has arisen. You can quickly get rid of insomnia in two ways: by resorting to traditional methods and by using medications.

Drug

There are groups of drugs aimed at regulating sleep. The use of this method is not recommended for a long period - it is aimed at eliminating the situational stage.

When resorting to a medicinal solution to the problem, it is worth considering Novopassit, Biolan, Persen, Rozerem against insomnia. You can also drink regular magnesium or valerian infusion.

ethnoscience

If medications are not recommended due to health conditions, you should pay attention to folk remedies for combating insomnia. You can solve problems with falling asleep with the help of medicinal tea and medicinal herbs

In the evening you can brew an infusion of chamomile, mint, dill or wormwood roots

You can solve problems with falling asleep with the help of medicinal tea and medicinal herbs. In the evening, you can brew an infusion of chamomile, mint, dill or wormwood roots.

These components have soothing and healing properties.

The necessary herbs can be purchased at pharmacies or collected yourself.

Editor's note: Causes of double vision

Pillow with healing herbs

The pillows are made independently - it is important that the inhaled aroma pleases the sleeper. Suitable contents include lavender, crushed hops, chamomile, pine needles

You can place a bag of herbs next to you or under your pillow.

Other

Aromatherapy. Oils, aroma sticks and candles also promote relaxation and pleasant rest. You should also choose fragrances based on your own preferences.

Baths. To improve sleep, you can take a bath with herbal decoction of calendula and lemon balm.

General understanding of acupressure techniques

The technique of using acupressure for insomnia appeared in ancient China. Then it was used not only to normalize sleep, but also for the overall health of the body.

Since ancient times, doctors believed that each organ has its own area on the plane of the body, by expressing the influence on which it is possible to implement effective therapy for many diseases. You just need to know what a certain zone is responsible for and influence it correctly.

At the moment, there are two techniques that allow impact on specific points located on the human body:

Acupuncture. This technique is more popular as acupuncture and involves the insertion of specialized needles into specific areas.
Acupressure. Involves influencing points on the body against insomnia through massage. And since this technique does not require the use of special tools, it is considered the easiest to perform at home.

But in order to effectively combat insomnia, you need to understand its specifics and mechanisms of origin.

Acupressure as a method of relieving insomnia

You should begin performing acupressure massage for insomnia by identifying the zones that help a person fall asleep. Knowing such points, it is easy to induce a feeling of drowsiness, which is then guaranteed to lead to falling asleep and healthy sleep.

Special points and zones on the body

Among the most famous points that lead to sound sleep, the carotid artery is especially distinguished. With the correct influence on this zone, you can completely bring a person into an unconscious state. However, you should not resort to such radical measures, since there are much more gentle methods.

The following knowledge will help you find the main sleepy spots without any problems:

The first of them is located between the eyebrows. To determine it, you need to step back a centimeter above the bridge of your nose. Stimulation of this area involves very strong pressure and light massaging.
There is also a zone on the head near the crown and a little lower on the neck. By massaging these points, you can achieve relaxation and speed up sleep.
The next point is located on the hand. To determine it, you need to turn your wrist face up and feel your little finger in the area of the wrist fold. It is here, in the recess between the tendons, that this point is hidden. You should massage your left and right hands alternately. This approach promotes rapid activation of these sleepy points.
Abdominal massage. This exercise not only helps with insomnia, but also helps avoid problems with the digestive tract. To perform it, you need to lie on your back and massage your stomach, stroking it with one or the other palm. In this case, you should move in a circle, performing 20 movements clockwise and 20 counterclockwise.
There is another place on the hands that is responsible for sleep. It is located between the thumb and index finger. You can find it on the back of your hand. To do this, move your thumb slightly to the side, which will allow you to clearly see the depression on which you should apply gentle pressure. You need to apply pressure in such a way that pain and slight aches occur. These signs indicate that everything was done correctly.
The effect on the dimple, which is located behind the lower edge of the earlobe, has a calming effect. It is best to carry out the manipulation in a lying position.
Let's move on to the legs. There is also a carotid point on the outside of the foot. To find it, you will have to go down three centimeters between the first and second fingers. Here, feel for a small dimple, which is not so easy to massage on your own. Therefore, to obtain a guaranteed effect, it is advisable to ask someone close to you for help.

The information described above about sleep points allows you not only to effectively combat insomnia, but also to relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue. Such exercises are also good for emotional decline, when the body’s strength is not enough to overcome the difficulties that have arisen.

The essence of treatment and general rules for carrying out procedures

Acupressure is an effective technique in the fight against insomnia, which has been practiced in Eastern countries for thousands of years. The secret of its effectiveness is the correct impact on sleepy spots and a systematic approach. You must also adhere to the following rules:

It is very important to start the procedure by warming up your hands, and only after that should you start searching for the required point.
The second step is kneading the skin. To do this, smooth and gentle massaging movements are used, but they must be persistent. It is very important to increase the force gradually so that your fingers gradually push through the soft tissue.
Tolerable pain in the area of manipulation is a sure sign that everything is going well. Therefore, you should not feel sorry for yourself if you do not feel at least slight pain - the procedure is being performed incorrectly. First we influence the point strongly, then gradually slow down the pace.
An equally important factor is the development of correct acupressure. Press on the carotid point until a slight sensation of aching and dumbness appears. You can then rub the area with your fingertips using your index, thumb and middle fingers.
A sufficient duration of exposure is about 7 seconds. The normal number of “approaches” is 3-5 to each point.
It is very important to monitor your well-being while doing the exercises. If during a massage there is profuse sweating, nausea or a strong increase in heart rate, then the exercise should be stopped immediately and the body should be given a break.

According to Chinese massage therapists, each point should be kneaded exclusively clockwise, and in no case in the opposite direction.

It is important to know! It should be remembered that the results of acupressure will not be noticeable from the first days. A beneficial effect is possible only with systematic training. As a rule, on the fifth day, tangible progress appears - in addition to improving the quality of sleep, the person’s general condition improves.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that acupressure, when performed correctly, cannot cause harm to the body, one should not forget about a number of contraindications. They can be either temporary or absolute. Among them are:

kidney problems;
increased body temperature;
oncological diseases;
cardiovascular diseases;
skin damage.

In the absence of contraindications, such massage procedures can be performed by both adults and infants.

Rules for acupressure for insomnia

In Eastern medical science and practice, acupuncture is widely used to combat insomnia. Eastern healers pass on knowledge of where a person’s sleepy spots are located from generation to generation, and have been actively using the technique for many hundreds of years. We recommend mastering acupuncture, which is possible for all adults and very effective. The main thing is to apply regularly.

It is important to start a massage for sleep consistently by warming up your hands. Only then can you start searching for the desired point. The required sleepy point makes itself felt with a feeling of slight numbness and aching. Next, you can proceed specifically to the manipulation, performing it with your fingertips. As a rule, the thumb, middle and index fingers are used.
The next and necessary step is kneading the skin. Massaging movements must be smooth, soft, but at the same time assertive: little by little it is important to increase efforts, as if bending the fingertips into the soft tissue. There is no need to feel sorry for yourself: pressure may feel painful (kind). Did you find where the sleepy point is located? Massage it more powerfully, and then gradually slow down the pace. Radial movements are best for soothing.
There is no need to apply too much pressure when massaging before bed: just apply pressure for 7 seconds and make 3 to 5 “approaches” to one point. Increased heart rate, nausea, profuse sweating and other unpleasant feelings should be the reason to stop manipulation.

Note: Japanese massage therapists are convinced that any sleepy spot must be stretched clockwise, but never counterclockwise.

You should not lose sight of the fact that excellent results from acupressure sessions are not always obtained from the first days. That is, you won’t be able to sleep like a baby after the first procedure. As practice shows, only after completing 5–7 sessions does a person begin to feel his body better, feel a favorable result, and invariably answer questions: I’m sleeping quite soundly.

Breathing exercises before bed

After preparing for classes and the appropriate emotional state, you can proceed directly to the exercises themselves, which will help you completely relax and fall asleep quickly. Traditionally, breathing exercises for insomnia include the use of the following techniques:

Full breath. Lying on your back, exhale as completely as possible, and then begin to slowly draw in air through your nose, first inflating your stomach, then expanding your chest, and lastly, lifting your collarbones, thus freeing up additional space. The next stage is a slow and smooth exhalation, during which the air is first pushed out by the collarbones, then by the ribs, and at the very end by the diaphragm. The exercise is performed 5-7 times.

Calming breathing. In this case, the entire load falls exclusively on the diaphragm, that is, during inhalation and exhalation, only the stomach rises and falls, and the chest remains completely motionless. The exercise should be repeated 5-7 times at a slow pace.

Editor's note: I have several seizures in a row that stop

Technique "4-7-8". The exercise begins with a slow and deep exhalation through the mouth, followed by the same leisurely inhalation through the nose, accompanied by a mental count from 1 to 4. The tip of the tongue should touch the palate behind the upper front teeth. Next, you need to hold your breath and count to 7. The next stage is a long exhalation through a half-open mouth (the position of the tongue remains unchanged), during which you should count to 8. After this, you can take an arbitrary break and repeat the exercise. In the first days, it can be performed 2-3 times, and then gradually increase the number of approaches to 8. To treat insomnia, it is recommended to use this technique daily for 2 months, repeating the exercise 2 times a day - sitting in the morning and lying down in the evening before bed.

Anti-stress exercise. It involves a combination of full breathing with the longest possible exhalation with the pronunciation of a hissing sound “s-s-s-s” or “sh-sh-sh-sh”. When releasing air, as if from a balloon, you need to imagine as clearly as possible all the negativity leaving the body along with it.

“Counting to 10” technique. When performing this exercise, you need to breathe in time with the count: inhale on odd numbers, and exhale deeply on even numbers. In this case, each number should be slowly pronounced to yourself, even trying to imagine it visually

At the same time, it is necessary to focus on the chest while breathing, mentally observing how it expands and deflates, as well as on the movement of air that enters the mouth, then descends into the lungs and returns back. Having mastered this technique, you can learn to quickly disconnect from the outside world, the signals of which often prevent a person from falling asleep, and completely relax, preparing for a good rest.

Technique 4-7-8

Also, when performing any exercises of this kind, it is necessary to take into account that as you inhale, the processes occurring in the body are activated, and as you exhale, they slow down. Therefore, by lengthening your exhalation, you can help yourself calm down, relax and enter a sleepy state, and by focusing on inhalation, you can become toned and recharged with energy.

Insomnia points

It is necessary to correctly determine where the sleeping points are. The effect of acupressure depends on this. The area to be affected is precisely determined by your own sensations.

You can start the massage from an asymmetrical point located between the eyebrows, about one centimeter above the bridge of the nose. You need to press it hard enough. The procedure will help get rid of heavy restless dreams.
The second acupressure point for sleep is located on the front side of the wrist on the little finger side at the end of the wrist fold. Identified by the depression between the tendons. The massage is done on the right and left hand.
The impact area is on the back of the hand in the cavity between the thumb and index finger. It is clearly visible when the thumb is pointed to the side. Aching or sharp pain when pressing indicates the correct determination of the point. The area on the right and left palms is being worked on.
You need to find a point on the outside of the foot, located in the depression between the tubular metatarsal bones. From the space between the first and second toes, a distance equal to three middle fingers of the hand is set aside. Massage of both areas is performed simultaneously in a sitting position.
The sleep points, located on the outer sides of both feet in the depression between the tubercle on the heel and the ankle, are massaged simultaneously.
If there is strong excitement, it is recommended to work on the area on the inside of the forearm. It is located approximately three fingers up from the wrist fold between the tendons. With deep pressure, a person relaxes and calms down.
The asymmetrical point lies at a distance of one and a half centimeters from the xiphoid process of the sternum. Acupressure is performed in a supine position.
It is convenient to act independently on the area at the base of the skull behind the lower edge of the earlobe. Painful sensations will help determine the exact location of the zone. You can massage the point with the adjacent area.
The area located in the area of the crown vortex is massaged in a sitting position.

It can be accurately determined by drawing a line from the top tips of the ears to the top of the head.

These special points on the human body should help with emotional imbalance, anxiety, and sleep problems. The first independent acupressure sessions do not always give the desired effect. After several procedures, skills appear, a person feels his body better and achieves a positive result.

Human sleepy spots

A person’s sleepy points are called “ho-u-san” and are classified as special. Many active bionodes are located on the head, arms and legs. A full massage of these points will take about an hour. In order to fall asleep, it is enough to work on the most accessible sleepy points of a person:

Between the eyebrows.
Three fingers' width up from the wrist.
Center of the foot.
The hole located between the index finger and thumb. It can be seen if you open your palm and raise your thumb up.
At the top of the head, the highest point of the skull.

Massage for insomnia is performed without oil in order to influence the point as deeply as possible. Otherwise the rules are simple:

Wash your hands and wipe dry.
Massage the point for 3 minutes.
Press the point on the foot with the pads of your index and middle fingers to feel the impact, but not pain.
The point between the eyebrows is massaged with the pad of the middle finger.

It is not necessary to massage all of a person’s sleepy spots. The body will tell you which one it likes best. The result will be healing, restful sleep.

Massage techniques

Insomnia is often a manifestation of stress. Therefore, with poor sleep, all relaxing types of massage will help - for example, hydromassage.

This procedure for insomnia can be performed using a special massager or even with your own hands. The simplest procedure consists of lightly massaging the head and neck. Sometimes this gives a positive effect very quickly and relieves feelings of tension and fatigue.

Acupressure and its principles

Acupressure (acupressure, shiatsu) can be classified as self-massage, but it is still a whole area of physiotherapy that requires detailed consideration. Official medicine classifies acupressure as reflexology. That’s how it is: by influencing biologically active points on the body, you can achieve relaxation in distant areas of the body or even the entire nervous system.

Acupressure is performed with the pad of any finger. You must first gently press on the point of influence, then make circular movements, increasing the pressure and pressing your finger into the body. The duration of exposure to one point is 2-3 minutes. The beauty of acupressure self-massage is that a person can independently control the force of pressure and avoid painful sensations. And to perform it you don’t need any special preparations: you can even wake up at night, realize that you can’t fall asleep again, remember which points to massage for insomnia, and have a short relaxation session.

Urgent acupressure

It is carried out directly 5-15 minutes before bedtime and does not take much time. These are just 5 points that are easy to remember.

On the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows.
On the top of the head.
Below the chest line, in the middle of the sternum.
On the wrist, closer to the little finger and to the beginning of the palm.
Above the knee joint, on the inside.

It is better to massage these sleep points in case of insomnia in a lying or semi-sitting position. At the same time, you cannot resist the urge to fall asleep. If sleep comes even at the 2nd or 3rd point, you need to slowly stop the acupressure and relax.

Massage of individual areas

Reflexology is widespread in China, where this direction is developing. And over many centuries, several different acupressure techniques for insomnia have appeared there.

Foot

Yun Quan. The point is located on the foot. To find it, you need to squeeze your toes and look at the metatarsus. There will be a depression in the middle. This is the massage point for insomnia Yun Quan. It needs to be massaged according to all the rules of acupressure.

Back

A more serious Chinese technique for saving insomnia is hijam. This is both a massage and cleansing the body of toxins through the blood. Hijam involves bleeding on the back and extracting blood using vacuum cups. This is a very serious procedure that is performed only by specialists. There is an effect both from one hijama and from the course.

Neck

An Mian points (translated from ancient Chinese as “soft sleep”) are located in the recesses behind the ears. If you massage them for 5-10 minutes, insomnia goes away. You can also act on these points simply for general relaxation.

Thumb

According to the method of su-jok therapy for insomnia, you need to put an elastic band on the extreme phalanx of the thumb of either hand. It should tighten significantly, but not too much, so as not to impede the flow of blood. It is believed that such continuous pressure on this point can cause relaxation and speed up sleep.

Acupuncture

The same as acupressure, only the effect is performed not with soft fingertips, but with sharp needles. Acupuncture comes from Chinese medicine and is still used there today as one of the most common methods of treating a wide variety of diseases and illnesses.

But if acupressure allows you to perform self-massage, then acupuncture techniques are only subject to specialists. Still, the skin is pierced with needles, so only a doctor should do this. There are many more acupuncture points for insomnia, and an acupuncturist knows not only their location, but can also assess the depth of insertion of the tip.

Atmosphere for massage

If insomnia strikes unexpectedly, and urgent measures need to be taken, then there will be no time for the atmosphere. The person will begin to remember acupressure techniques and massage the fingers, neck or area behind the ears. If this is a real daily ritual aimed at relieving long-existing muscle spasms and manifestations of anxiety, then you should prepare for it.

Music

If everyone has their own musical tastes, then for a massage against insomnia you need soothing tracks in ethno style, sounds of nature, Russian or Chinese motifs. There are ready-made compositions on the Internet that are called “music for massage.” Deafening, stimulating tracks such as rock and roll or techno are not recommended. Otherwise, there is a risk that after such songs insomnia will begin after the massage.

Aromatherapy

Pairs perfectly with massage for insomnia. You just need to choose the right incense that will not cause cheerfulness, but will calm the nervous system. This is for example:

lavender;
chamomile;
incense;
geranium;
patchouli;
cedar.

These can be fragrant sticks or essential oils. It is not recommended to mix aromas, because they can give off a heavy odor that will be unnerving. It’s better to focus on one thing that leaves positive emotions. The oil can be poured into an aroma lamp or simply applied to a cotton napkin and placed next to you.

Subsequently, it may turn out that massage for insomnia is no longer required. Aromatherapy alone is enough: a person will smell the smell, unconsciously remember a wonderful pastime, and fall asleep to it.

Where and how to massage

It is acceptable to do this in a private bedroom, so that such a pleasant and calming event is associated with rest and sleep. You can sit or lie down on the bed, turn on pleasant music, dim the lights, light the aroma lamp and throw all thoughts out of your head. Try to tune in to relaxation or concentrate on massaging one or another point on the body for insomnia.

If the massage for insomnia is performed by a stranger, then conversations will be unnecessary. The massage therapist can tell you something monotonously, but you don’t need to answer him. This is a common method, proven more than once in practice, when students fall asleep while a teacher is speaking, employees fall asleep during meetings, etc.

What to think about

Massage is always a relaxing process. And when it is performed with the aim of getting rid of insomnia - even more so. And during the massage you need to make an attempt to relax not only the body, but also the thoughts as much as possible. If you can’t not think about anything, you need to remember something pleasant. You can also try to count, slowly and measuredly: 1, 2, 3... And it’s not at all necessary to imagine sheep. You just need to get into the rhythm.

Not only chronic insomnia is dangerous for the body, but also one-time cases. Lack of sleep can seriously affect a person's physiological and psychological health. And it’s not a fact that the next night you will be able to rest for the previous one. Insomnia can very quickly become chronic, because the reasons for its provocation overlap one another. Lack of sleep, exhaustion, nervousness, difficulties at work or in the family, lack of sleep - a vicious circle is formed, from which you can get out with the support of massage.

Sleep laboratory: how to trick the body and always feel cheerful

With the arrival of cold weather, you just want to go into hibernation, but no one canceled your daily routine. How to feel energetic even with a hectic schedule, how to get up easily in the morning, how to quickly adapt when changing time zones, and is it possible to work night shifts? The correspondent of the online publication m24.ru asked these and other questions to the President of the Russian Society of Somnologists, Head of the Sleep Medicine Center of the Barvikha Clinical Sanatorium of the Presidential Administration, Doctor of Medical Sciences Roman Buzunov. And we also learned how many dreams we see per night and how to remember them all.

Photo: YAY/TASS

How many hours should you sleep?

In 2015, American sleep specialists came to a consensus that normal sleep for an adult should last from 7 to 9 hours. Other scientists believe that the norm is purely individual,” Buzunov said. – There are short sleepers who sleep for four hours their entire lives, for example Napoleon or Margaret Thatcher. And Einstein slept for 10 hours and also felt great. The range of sleep norms is from 4 to 12 hours. There is a good rule: you need to sleep so much that you go to bed and fall asleep in 15 minutes, and in the morning you wake up and join the normal rhythm of life in 15 minutes.

Photo: YAY/TASS

How to choose an alarm clock and wake up easily: cutting a bill and the smell of fried bacon

There are many alarm clocks that make a person jump out of bed in terror. Some have to be caught throughout the apartment or thrown against the wall. Recently in the USA they developed an alarm clock in which you need to put a banknote in the evening. If the person does not get up after the first ring, the device will cut the bill into small pieces. Another original alarm clock fries a piece of bacon itself and wakes you up with an alluring smell.

The most comfortable alarm clocks are light alarm clocks and trackers on the wrists,” said the somnologist. – On the alarm clock, a lamp lights up half an hour before waking up and gradually increases the intensity of the glow, simulating dawn. Because of this, the body suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that is produced in the dark, and a person wakes up more easily. It is most advisable to use alarm clocks in the fall and winter, when you have to wake up in complete darkness. Wrist trackers track sleep cycles and wake a person at the most appropriate moment. The fact is that sleep consists of several cycles, and each cycle has several stages. The first is dormancy, the most superficial stage; the second - basic, then deep, third and fourth - REM sleep - with rapid movements of the eyeballs, during which we see dreams. After it, the brain is awakened, and the whole cycle repeats again. Trackers wake a person immediately after REM sleep or during arousal. This makes it much easier to wake up.

Photo: AP/TASS/Bebeto Matthews

On average, one cycle takes 90 minutes, but for different people it can last an hour or two hours. Thus, a person experiences four to five cycles during the night. But trackers also have their drawbacks. If you need to get up at 7 a.m. maximum, you reserve the tracker from 6 to 7 so that it can “catch” the end of REM sleep. But he can wake you up at 6 o’clock, and a person is unlikely to refuse to sleep for another hour.

If you use an alarm clock on a smartphone, it is advisable to enable the gradual increase in volume function. Then the awakening will be soft and gradual.

To quickly get into the rhythm of life, you need to immediately open the curtains or turn on the lights, take a contrast shower, do physical exercise and drink tea or coffee, advised the somnologist.

Photo: YAY/TASS

How to have several dreams per night and remember everything

It is enough to sleep for 5-7 minutes after REM sleep for us to completely forget the dream, Buzunov said. – And if a person woke up directly during a dream, then the person will remember everything. People who say they never dream simply do not wake up during this REM stage. During the night we have 3-5 cycles, respectively, a person sees 3-5 dreams. It is very difficult to remember a dream from the first and second cycles in the morning, even if you woke up at night and remembered what you dreamed. We usually remember dreams from the last cycle before waking up.

Thus, if you want to remember more dreams, place a piece of paper and a pen next to you on your nightstand and write down a summary of the dream immediately after waking up.

Eating instead of sleeping or sleeping instead of eating

When we lack sleep, we want to somehow replenish our strength, and after a sleepless night we try to have an extra snack. A good night's rest will help you break this habit. It is best to eat your last meal four hours before bedtime. You shouldn't go to bed hungry. During REM sleep, when a person dreams, there is an increase in the secretion of gastric juice. If the stomach has nothing to digest, gastritis or peptic ulcers may develop.

What should coffee lovers do?

Products containing large amounts of caffeine - coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate - can literally deprive you of sleep. Moreover, tea, especially green tea, has even more caffeine than natural coffee. What should coffee lovers do?

Photo: Solo Imaji/Barcroft Media

How to drink coffee without harming your sleep

You need to drink coffee in the morning and afternoon, no later than six hours before bedtime;
It is safe to drink no more than three cups of coffee (300 milligrams of caffeine) per day;
Coffee with cream or milk is safer for sleep, since caffeine partially binds to milk fats and has a weaker effect on the nervous system;
Arabica has less caffeine than Robusta;
It is better to drink light and medium roast coffee;
Bean coffee has less of an impact on sleep than instant coffee, which often has caffeine added. And it is better to drink freeze-dried instant coffee than granulated and powdered coffee. Freeze-dried food will most likely not contain harmful additives.

The fastest way to cheer up

There is a simple way to quickly recover after a sleepless night, even if you don’t have time for an hour’s sleep. It is enough to sleep for 20 minutes and drink a cup of coffee before going to bed. When you wake up, the coffee will just start to take effect. If you need to continue working for a long time, you can sleep for 10 minutes. Such a short nap will restore your performance for an hour.

Photo: YAY/TASS/Sergey Galushko

How to get ready for bed

Those who have difficulty falling asleep need to properly prepare for bed. It is very beneficial to exercise several times a week. The most effective aerobic exercises are running, cycling, swimming or dancing. In this case, classes should end no later than three hours before bedtime.

Don't sit at the computer until late at night. Instead, it's better to read a book, chat with family, or take a bath. You shouldn’t take gadgets to bed either (at least you shouldn’t look at the screen for a long time). The glow of the screen is similar in spectrum to sunlight; it suppresses the brain’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin, and sleep recedes. If you cannot do without devices, it is better to dim the screen brightness as much as possible.

How to quickly adapt when changing time zones

When traveling long distances, many find it difficult to adapt to time zone changes: during the day you always want to sleep, and at night you go to the refrigerator. This condition is called jet lag, or jet lag (from the English jet - jet plane and lag - delay).

Flights to the east are the hardest to endure. They seem to “shorten” the day, since at the place of arrival you need to wake up and go to bed earlier.

Photo: Zhang Naijie Zuma

How to prepare for jet lag

If you do not tolerate jet lag well, you need to prepare for this before the flight. Four to five days in advance, wake up and go to sleep an hour earlier or later (depending on the time at your point of arrival). Change your dinner time in the same way;
You should not drink alcohol for two or three days, as it increases the manifestations of the unpleasant syndrome;[
It is better to arrive to the place a few days before the important event in order to fully adapt;
Adaptation will be easier if you arrive in the evening local time;
In the evening before departure, you can take an adaptogen that reduces the symptoms of jet lag;
Before the flight, you need to get a good night's sleep, this will smooth out the time difference. Therefore, you should not buy tickets for early morning flights;
It is better to arrive at the airport in advance. If you are late, you will experience stress, and against this background the change of belts will be felt more acutely;
You should drink more water on the plane. Dehydration, in turn, disrupts the transport of oxygen into the blood and increases the resulting desynchronosis. Alcohol leads to dehydration. Two sips of alcohol on an airplane have the same negative effects as three sips on the ground.
Half an hour before bedtime, during adaptation, you can take analogues of the “sleepy” hormone melatonin;[

Why do larks get up earlier than owls?

For early risers, the internal biological clock runs faster than the astronomical clock, while for night owls, it runs slower. If a person is placed in a room without time-setters (the same lighting, temperature, humidity throughout the day and no clock), the person will begin to live according to the internal biological clock,” said Roman Buzunov.

For early birds, a day can last 20-22 hours, and for night owls, it can last up to 30 hours. The "owl" will sleep for 10 hours and be awake for 20 hours, the internal clock will always lag. When the astronomical clock shows 12 o'clock at night, it will be 9 o'clock in the evening and she will not want to sleep. And the same thing in the morning: it’s 7 am, and it’s 3 am for her. An “owl” always wants to go to bed later and get up later, while a lark always wants to go to bed earlier, so it’s easier for larks to wake up.

Is it dangerous to work night shifts?

If you constantly work night shifts, the body can be deceived by the presence of artificial lighting, explained Roman Buzunov. – The spectrum of white light from energy-saving lamps is similar to that of the sun. And during the day you can curtain the windows and sleep in silence. True, you will still have to go to the solarium, because the body needs ultraviolet radiation to produce some vitamins.

Photo: YAY/TASS

It’s a completely different matter to work on a shift schedule, for example, every three or four days, like doctors, police officers and firefighters. 20 percent of the adult population of large cities work in shifts. These people constantly live in desynchronosis. The fact is that the body adapts to a change in time zones of just an hour for a day (respectively, for 2 hours - two days).

If a person needs to work tonight and sleep tomorrow, then the body does not have time to readjust. Problems also arise for employees of full-cycle enterprises working in three shifts. Every week the schedule shifts by eight hours and the human body constantly does not have time to adapt to the new regime. If a person works on a shift schedule for five years, the likelihood of developing insomnia increases five times. The risk of developing cardiovascular, endocrinological and nervous diseases also increases. Many experts agree that the risk of certain types of cancer increases.

Photo: YAY/TASS

Is it worth sleeping in on the weekend?

You shouldn't get up much later on weekends than on weekdays. Let’s imagine that all week a person wakes up at 6–7 am, goes to bed around midnight, and on Saturday sleeps until 9–10 am (in the best case). Then on Sunday night he will go to bed late at night and get up at 10-11 in the morning. Then he will try to go to bed early before work, but he will not be able to, and on Monday he will have a very hard time waking up early in the morning.

With this weekend “rest” scheme, the biological clock shifts by 3–4 hours in one direction, and then back. It's the same as flying to Krasnoyarsk for the weekend and returning back. And some manage to “fly to Vladivostok” in this way and then feel defeated.

When preparing the material, I used Roman Buzunov’s book “How to Improve Sleep. Recommendations for managers and businessmen."

Massage for insomnia in pregnant women and newborns

These two groups of people always figure things out together. Because both pregnant women and infants need a more simplified approach.

During pregnancy, massage will not only help you cope with insomnia, but also awaken the blood and lymph of an inactive expectant mother. After all, even if she tries to walk more, she still cannot use all muscle groups. And specifically because of their stagnation, pregnant women are often debilitated by insomnia. Therefore, massage can and should be done. Although a doctor's advice wouldn't hurt.

Massage during pregnancy must be as careful as possible. You should preferably avoid applying forceful pressure to the abdomen.

Breasts will also benefit from this procedure. Babies often sleep fussily because of muscle spasms, so massaging the arms, legs and back will relieve this tension and put the baby to sleep. A gentle tummy massage will also help prevent colic.

Side effects and contraindications

It is worth considering that not far from the sleepy points on the body there are also wakefulness zones. Therefore, in order not to want to sleep, you should carefully look for the desired point on the body and stimulate it correctly. Otherwise, instead of eliminating insomnia, side effects of an incorrect session may appear:

dizziness;
increased sleep disorders;
nausea;
vomit;
headache.

Also, these side effects can be caused if there are contraindications to an acupressure session. These include hyperemia, thrombophlebitis, cardiovascular pathologies, the presence of open skin lesions, burns, neoplasms, and inflammatory processes.

NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR HEALTHY SLEEP

Causes of insomnia

Sleep disturbance occurs in children or adult patients. To effectively eliminate the condition, it is necessary to identify the true cause. The following factors leading to insomnia are identified:

chronic fatigue caused by prolonged study or work;
prolonged nervous tension and exhaustion, depression;
emotional overexcitation, characteristic of young children;
neurological, endocrine diseases of a chronic type;
pain of different localization (dental, headache, caused by inflammatory processes of internal organs, damage to the limbs).

The use of acupressure methods only helps if insomnia is not caused by chronic diseases or damage to parts of the body.

If the condition is caused by a pain syndrome, consultation with attending physicians with diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease is required. Often the reason for lack of sleep is negative thoughts that do not let go of a person throughout the day.

If insomnia is not eliminated in a timely manner, exhaustion of the body, excessive nervous tension, and neurological and mental disorders will occur.

The causes of the condition are determined by a neurologist or somnologist. Consultation with a psychotherapist is rarely required. Diagnostic tests, such as an electroencephalogram, may be needed.