Are you getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a night? Odds are, you’re not.

With nearly 70 million Americans suffering from a sleep disorder, it’s imperative we find solutions. The cause of these sleep disorders can be physical or mental/ emotional, and oftentimes, they are a combination of both. 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.” So what can we do to sleep better? Well, one of the sleep solutions is to pamper yourself and get a message! While a message can be viewed as a ‘luxury’ experience, they actually can be vital to accomplishing a healthier, more nourishing sleep cycle.

If you’ve ever gotten a massage, you know- it sometimes can be hard to stay awake during the session. While it can be embarrassing, waking up with matted hair and drool on the massage table is more common than you’d think- and the reason is purely scientific. Our bodies are wired to fall asleep. During a massage, our bodies enter a “parasympathetic” phase; our muscles relax and our nervous system starts signaling for our body to heal itself. Subsequently this means you experience a decrease in blood pressure and pain.

The mental benefits are equally as impressive. Massages increase levels of serotonin, and lower levels of Cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for anxiety, depression, memory loss and various other mental disorders. The Mayo Clinic found that even a 60 minute massage can lower cortisol levels by up to 30%.