SLEEP FOR OUR WELL-BEING
When we talk about health and the different things we should do to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we often insist on diet and exercise. Along with these two pillars of well-being, sleep quantity and quality are also essential.
We spend about one-third of our life sleeping. Getting a good night’s sleep allows energy recovery, improves memory, strengthens the immune system, and makes it easier to cleanse the brain of toxins and the body of viruses and bacteria.
However, this is not to be taken for granted: some people struggle to fall asleep, some wake up frequently during the night, others are up at the crack of dawn. Among the main causes of insomnia and night awakening there are anxiety related situations, resulting from physical and mental stress.
According to Classical Chinese Medicine, insomnia is the result of an energy imbalance due to physical (hormonal alterations, digestive disorders or hyperactivity) and mental changes. Sleep deprivation and lack of rest may lead to several diseases: besides insomnia, which about 10 per cent of the population suffers from, there is the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, as well as the ‘restless legs’ syndrome, which manifests itself with discomfort and restlessness in the lower limbs.
There are some tips that can help improve sleep quality, such as eliminating coffee, having a good diet, and exercising in the morning. In some cases, supplements, such as melatonin, or specific medical herbs are also prescribed. These methods can certainly help us to rest properly, but they should be combined with an in-depth examination to discover the real cause of sleep deprivation: a period of job stress, an emotional or relational distress, a repetitive thought.
On World Sleep Day, whose aim is to make people aware of the importance of good sleep for our health, Lefay is also trying to raise awareness of what may appear as a normal aspect of life and yet negatively affects the well-being of twelve million people in Italy.
Among the Lefay SPA Method Health Programmes, “Il Sentiero di Hypnos” Sleep Programme focuses on restoring sleep and improving its quality. In addition to the medical examination, phytotherapy and the Lefay SPA menu, the experts of the Team have developed specific treatments.
Lefay SPA energy massage L’Abbraccio di Morfeo, for example, is intended to promote sleep and involves both body and head. According to Classical Chinese Medicine, insomnia is in fact due to an energy imbalance concentrated in the head, which is caused by factors such as excessive worry, stress, ageing, lack of self-compassion, physical and psychological traumas, anaemia and more.
The Tuina massage, on the other hand, aims to rebalance your emotions: anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, sadness and fear.
