SLEEP SUNDAY – LET’S TALK ABOUT ACUPRESSURE POINTS TO HELP YOU SLEEP…

If you struggle to get off to sleep and have tried lots of different techniques to help you go to sleep then give acupressure points a try. According to the tenets of traditional Chinese medicine, the human body is rife with invisible energy pathways called meridians. If the flow of this energy (also called “chi”) is blocked, it can negatively affect the body’s health.

Acupressure addresses sleep disorders both directly and indirectly. Massaging certain acupoints before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and have a better quality of sleep without the need for sedatives.

In terms of sleep, it helps with many physical and mental aspects which can interfere with it. It can help you to fall asleep more easily and sleep better once you do, as sleep-related acupoints help to calm the mind and the body.

There are several acupoints that, when massaged, can help to fight insomnia and improve sleep. They work by addressing the physical and mental aspects which affect sleep. If your sleep disturbances are caused by pains resulting from headaches and migraines or by gastrointestinal issues, then check out Doshamat’s posts here and here to learn how acupressure can help. 

One easy one to try is – to place the tips of your index and middle fingers on the centre of your breastbone, at the acupressure point known as ‘Sea of Tranquility. Now close your eyes and apply steady pressure, not too hard, for a minute or two. You will then soon feel tension, anxiety and stress start to slip away.

You could also use your first two fingers and tap them across the top of your head from temple to temple. Then work from front to back and side to side as this can get blood and oxygen moving to ease tension and restore focus.

To destress your shoulders make a gentle half-closed fist and with a loose wrist, tap your right hand gently but firmly up your left arm, along your shoulder and up the side and back of your neck. Repeat the same process on the other side to ease tension and release endorphins.

Source: Doshamat AjnaWell Being