Try This DIY Foot Reflexology Technique for Fantastic Sleep!

Do you find going to sleep at night difficult? Do you lie in bed worrying about the lack of sleep and how it will affect your morning? Well, you are not alone. About one third of people state that they have a hard time going to sleep at least one night out of the week. That is a lot of people and a lot of sleeping hours missed.

Although turning to sleeping medication may seem like a good idea, the side effects of these medications are not worth any amount of sleep anyone might receive from them. One such side effect is daytime drowsiness. (It seems like that would happen with or without the sleeping pill.)

One way to promote sleep without medication is foot reflexology.

Reflexologists postulate that every part of the body can be accessed through the hands or feet and that by pressing certain points, they can release stress which helps the body to heal and regenerate. It is important to remember that reflexology does not heal; it helps the body heal itself. (source) That is why foot reflexology can be so good for removing the stress and anxiety that may be causing you to stay up at night instead of falling into a much- deserved deep sleep.

Big Toe Massage

One way to help regulate sleep is to massage the big toe. First, you need to support the big toe with one hand while getting ready to massage it with the other. Start at the top of the toe and slowly move your thumb down until you feel a dimple. This is the point you need to massage in a circular motion. You should find and massage both dimple points in the toes.

The point you are massaging stimulates the pineal gland. The pineal gland secretes the hormones that control your sleep cycle.

Inner Foot Massage

If anxiety is keeping you up at night, an inner foot massage is just what you need. Take your thumb and slowly walk it up the inside of the foot from the heel to the base of the toe. If you feel a tight spot, work on that area a little longer than the rest.

The inside of the foot represents the spine. Stimulating the spine, through foot reflexology, helps to relieve anxiety.

Toe Rub

If you feel a lot of tension in the head, just give your big toe a vigorous rubbing massage. Rub the whole toe to relax the mind and prepare the brain for sleep. The bottom of the toe represents the back of the head and the top of the toe represents the face.