At The Goodnight Co., we’re dedicated to sharing helpful hints and tips so our wonderful readers at home can better achieve their beloved forty winks. Hopefully you’ve been tuning in to our recent updates, you may have even experimented with pink noise, reviewed your relationship with sleep, or downloaded our sleep easy meditation. And, we hope it did your sleep wonders!
Now, we’re exploring how acupressure points help you sleep better. Acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers to gradually press key healing points, which stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the healing force of life flows within us, and we can manipulate it to treat certain problems, such as sleep disorders.
1. Nei Guan or Inner Pass
This first pressure point is located 2 cun (the distance between the tip and the proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger), or 3 finger-widths below the wrist crease in the middle of the arm on the inner side. Place the thumb of your other hand on the point, and press it. Gently massage in slow rotatory movements. This pressure point is known to calm the heart and spirit
2. Feng Chi or Wind Pool
This pressure point is located on both sides, in the area where the neck muscles attach to the base of the skull. Place your thumbs on these depressions found on either sides. Bending your head slightly forward, and then backward again, will help you feel these depressions easily. Gently massage in slow rotary movements. Take deep breaths. Inhale long breaths, build up for a few seconds, and release the breath slowly. It is known to be one of the most useful acupressure points when it comes to treating insomnia.
3. Yongquan or Gushing Spring
This pressure point is located on the sole of the foot in the depression under the ball of the foot between the second and third metatarsal bone. Lift your left foot and rest it on the knee of your right leg – this position will help you locate the point easily. Do not bend over – keep your back as straight as possible. Place the thumb of your other hand on the point, and press the point to a degree where the pain is bearable. Gently massage in slow rotary movements. Repeat the steps above with the other foot. This point is known to renew and vitalize the mind and body, thereby clearing the mind and draining all the exhausting energies from it.
If you’re open to alternative remedies to improve your sleep, give acupressure a go! And let us know how you went.
