15/31 in the 31 in 31 Blogging Challenge.
How many of you need to catch up? 
Seems we are all so busy that we are constantly trying to catch up on something.
Laundry, work, the yard, cleaning, email, blogs, phone calls, sleep….
I am not sure I will ever really catch up. Sleep seems to interfere in my life.
I feel bad about all those times I pitched a hissy fit when I was little and didn’t want a nap.
There are times I wish I had one of those naps back.
I am not a good napper. So I have found a few things that help me as much, if not more than a nap.
Water or Carrot Juice, beats coffee, tea and sodas, I can drink it later in the evening and it doesn’t keep me up. In fact, just forget sodas exist. You will sleep better without those in your system.
Sleep late when you can. Really, don’t feel guilty about this just do it once in a while.
Go to bed earlier. Turn in. Turn off the TV. Grab a book or your nook and read a bit. Pop in some music and just relax, in your bed. Going to bed earlier and getting in that habit makes a huge difference.
Stop trying to get everything done. Some things will wait. Sure we all want to be amazing and be able to cut our candles in half and burn all four ends and get every done but, it doesn’t work that way. You won’t get done or it you won’t be proud of how well it is done and you will still be tired.
Take a bath, a nice long soak. Get some nice bubbles, oils or something to put in the bath and reclaim bathing as your artistic endeavor of the day or evening. I adore www.LUSH.com and they always have plenty of things that not only smell amazing but, are super fresh, most of them are Vegan and all of them are cruelty free, so nothing is tested on animals. Take the time to treat yourself because you do deserve it.
You knew it was coming…Get a Massage. Really it can help so much with fatigue. If you sleep well at night I suggest you get a massage earlier in the day. If you don’t sleep well and/or wake up in the middle of the night then try getting a massage later in the evening to see if that helps.
There is even research and a position statement to back this up.
Massage Therapy Can Help Improve Sleep Position Statement
Approved October 2012
It is the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) that massage therapy can help improve sleep.
Background Information
Quality sleep is vital to health and wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
“Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression—which threaten our nation’s health. Notably, insufficient sleep is associated with the onset of these diseases and also poses important implications for their management and outcome. Moreover, insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related crashes, causing substantial injury and disability each year. In short, drowsy driving can be as dangerous—and preventable—as driving while intoxicated.”1
It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans experience sleep issues that affect their health.2
Research is indicating that massage can improve sleep in:
children and adolescents
those with psychiatric disorders
those who are hospitalized or institutionalized
those with lower back pain
adults
those with cerebral palsy
those with fibromyalgia
those with insominia
those in pain
those with hand pain
those with cancer
infants
infants with dyssomnia
those who have had heart surgery
those with breast disease
those with migraines
caretakers of hospitalized individuals
the elderly
Give me a call at 610-906-2322 if you would like to make the time to catch up and schedule a massage. If you would like a copy of the full Position Statement on Sleep feel free to ask for that too. I will be glad to send it to you. It is just too lengthy with all the research to put on this blog.