Sleep is so important as without it our bodies cannot function properly, both on a physical and a psychological level. Even getting a few hours less sleep each night for a few days can be as detrimental to your health and well being as staying awake all night. Lack of sleep also impacts on our behaviour and we may can become irritable, have poor concentration, poor coping abilities such as in dealing with stress or every day pressures.
Not getting enough sleep also affects our hormones, including insulin, which helps to regulate blood glucose levels, whilst also having an impact on our immune system, thus reducing its ability to fight infections.
Long term, a lack of sleep can lead to many issues, including anxiety or depression, raised blood pressure. However most of us thankfully do get enough sleep and only very occasionally we have our sleep interrupted, but for some people not getting enough sleep can be a big problem.
How Reflexology Can Help To Promote Sleep:
By stimulating reflex points on your feet, hands, face and ears, Reflexology subtly impacts the whole body, affecting the organs and glands. A simple Reflexology routine that works on just the feet can help you or a loved one to drift off to sleep naturally. There are nearly 15,000 nerves in your feet alone, one of many reasons that foot reflexology is so calming, soothing and effective.
Reflexologists use a map of the feet where all the organs, glands, and corresponding parts of the body are laid out. The toes reflect the head. The ridge beneath the toes on the top part of the ball of the foot is a natural shoulder or neck line. The ball of the foot reflects the chest. The arch mirrors the digestive organs, and the heel and ankles contain reflexes for the reproductive system. The inside curve of each foot (where we find the spinal reflex) corresponds to the actual curves of the spine.
Reflexology can help to promote a deep sense of relaxation and studies have shown that Reflexology can result in many physiological changes in the body, including lowering blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, improving mood and immune function, and altering how we experience pain.
