I Tried Utilizing a Theragun for Sleep: Here is What Occurred

As somebody with each PTSD and a number of musculoskeletal ache, I am up rather a lot at evening. I at all times wake a number of occasions, and I battle to fall again asleep. So I’m sometimes sport to attempt any hack which may assist.

After I heard that therapeutic massage weapons can probably enhance the standard of your sleep, I made a decision to attempt a “one-week therapeutic massage gun for sleep problem.” I’ve had success utilizing a therapeutic massage gun after train to cut back muscle soreness and improve my vary of movement, so I figured it didn’t sound loopy that it may additionally assist me sleep higher.

The analysis behind utilizing a therapeutic massage gun for sleep

Therabody performed a research that requested 73 wholesome individuals (ages 18 to 40) to observe the Theragun Restoration and Sleep protocols whereas carrying a Biostrap wrist sensor to trace their high quality and amount of sleep and restoration.

The topics had been adopted for 5 weeks. In the course of the first two, baseline information was collected with out utilizing any form of therapeutic massage gun. Then, topics carried out the Theragun Restoration and Sleep protocols with the Theragun Elite half-hour earlier than mattress in addition to restoration therapeutic massage gun protocols instantly after train for 2 weeks. In the course of the last week, they returned to their regular sleep routines with out the therapeutic massage gun.

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Outcomes confirmed that 87 % of the research individuals fell asleep extra rapidly utilizing the Theragun—4 minutes and 15 seconds quicker, on common. Moreover, 70 % of the individuals had fewer wakings through the evening.

Possibly most notably, after utilizing the Theragun Elite instantly after train and half-hour earlier than mattress following the Therabody app‘s sleep routine, 100% of the themes reported enhancements of their total high quality of life. Who doesn’t need that?

How I used my Theragun for sleep

In fact, I’m a case research of 1, and this wasn’t some form of well-controlled scientific research with captured sleep monitoring information. However I made a decision to see how this technique might work for me, utilizing my Theragun Professional.

Simply as I used to be about to embark by myself check, Therabody introduced a partnership with Oura ring to create a sleep therapeutic massage gun protocol within the Therabody app. Excellent timing.

The Therabody sleep protocol is a totally guided, six-minute routine, concentrating on areas of the physique that are likely to have built-up rigidity, just like the neck, decrease again, forearms, quads, shins, and ft. Every space will get a 30-second remedy, which looks like simply lengthy sufficient to loosen issues up with out taking endlessly to get by the whole-body wind-down. The protocol makes use of lighter strain, which is claimed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, or the “relaxation and digest” system, whereas heavy strain can lead you to be extra alert.

What occurred once I used a Theragun each evening earlier than mattress

My regular sleep routine is to go to mattress round 9:30 pm and to get away from bed round 5:30 am, so I used the Theragun Professional at 9:00 each evening for every week, doing a three-day lead-in with out it to ascertain a baseline. Listed here are my outcomes (don’t decide me—I get up a lot!):

Baseline nights

In the course of the baseline three nights, I went to mattress at simply earlier than 9:30 every evening. These are the approximate occasions I wakened:

• 10/14: 10:30 pm, 11:45 pm, 1:10 am, 3:00 am, 5:30 am
• 10/15: 10:20 pm, 11:40 pm, 1:20 am, 2:25 am, 5:20 am
• 10/16: 10:15 pm, 10:45 pm, 11:20 pm, 2:00 am, 3:10 am, 4:55 am

Evening one utilizing the sleep protocol

As somebody who’s well-acquainted with anatomy, I discovered the sleep protocol simple to observe, however should you’re much less aware of particular muscle teams, it could be useful to do a dry run with out the therapeutic massage gun on to look at the app and follow. (As a perfectionist, I used to be continuously trying on the app to verify I used to be pinpointing all the correct spots.)

As soon as it was time to get in mattress, I didn’t really feel like I fell asleep any quicker. Truthfully, I believe it took about 10 to fifteen minutes longer as a result of I appeared keyed up, so I used to be type of bummed about that.

Nonetheless, I solely wakened thrice within the evening! This might not be a victory for the typical particular person, nevertheless it was two-plus fewer occasions for me.

Nights 2 and three

The second and third nights went higher. I used to be nervous that it will take a very long time to go to sleep once more, however the reverse occurred. One evening, I used to be out like a lightweight and the opposite it was about on par with my normal sleep timing. I continued to solely get up thrice (yay!).

Notably, I additionally skilled a lot much less ache at evening and wakened feeling much less stiff.

Evening 4

This was a troublesome evening. I did a tough kettlebell exercise through the day and was tremendous achy at bedtime. It was additionally an emotionally powerful day for me and I couldn’t flip off my mind. Even after utilizing the therapeutic massage gun, I used to be nonetheless mendacity there stressed for over an hour, so I truly caved and took a Tylenol. Fortunately, it took the sting off of my ache and I ultimately fell asleep.

Nights 5 by 7

The final three nights, I used to be like a brand new particular person (new sleeper?). I fell asleep rapidly, wakened two or thrice per evening (two awakenings is my private document now!), and felt much less stiff and sore once I acquired up within the morning.

My takeaway: Did the Theragun assist me sleep?

I initially set out simply to check this for only a week, and since I’m normally all about simplifying my bedtime routine, I figured I’d cease as quickly because the week was over. However now, I would simply maintain it going.

Though I haven’t been totally satisfied that I’m undoubtedly sleeping significantly better, I’m completely positive it’s at the least serving to to calm down my thoughts and it’s actually stress-free my muscle groups and easing a few of the achiness I normally wrestle with at evening.

Subsequent up? I wish to attempt utilizing the Oura ring to benefit from the distinctive partnership with the Theragun therapeutic massage gun sleep protocol. As a numbers woman myself, I’d love to really monitor my sleep cycles and sleep high quality for a bit extra of a quantitative analysis of the advantages. For now, it looks as if I’ve acquired a brand new bedtime routine that’s working—and I’m actually going to run with that!