Sometimes getting a full night’s sleep seems impossible to achieve. No matter the cause - stress, pain, your work schedule or another reason - if you are not receiving regular quality sleep it can interfere with your health. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says, “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.”

Sleep Awareness Week (March 6-13) gives us an opportunity to leave insufficient sleep behind and get back to the quality sleep that is so vital to our health and wellness. Here are a few ways you can start getting on track to better sleep habits.

Say adios to technology - well before bedtime.

Smartphones are everywhere and it’s not uncommon to find them creeping into your bedroom. Turn them off. Better than that. Turn them off and keep them in another room. Nix the TV, ipad, laptop and whatever else has found it’s way into your resting space. Break the habit and allow yourself to relax on a deep level.

Establish a routine that is calming and relaxing.

Humans are habitual creatures. How you wrap up your day can greatly impact the quality of sleep you receive. Finish the day with warm bath or shower, a cup of tea, cool the temperature in your room, and shut out the lights. Establishing a routine can triggers a natural response that tells the body, “it’s time for bed.”

Massage. Massage. Massage.

There I said it. Massage is HUGE when it comes to improving your sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies have found massage to be beneficial for insomnia-related stress, as well as:

Anxiety

Digestive disorders

Fibromyalgia

Headaches

Myofascial pain syndrome

Paresthesias and nerve pain

Soft tissue strains or injuries

Sports injuries

Temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)

Massage can not only increase relaxation and lower your fatigue, but it can reduce pain and improve your quality of sleep. Which can also help restore your sleep pattern. Our need for sleep has dramatically increased with the more technology available and the busier our schedules get. Massage is a great way to fulfill that need. In effort to celebrate Sleep Awareness Week, schedule a massage and be on your way to a better night’s sleep.