I Tried Using a Theragun for Sleep: Here’s What Happened

As somebody with each PTSD and numerous musculoskeletal ache, I am up rather a lot at night time. I all the time wake a number of instances, and I battle to fall again asleep. So I’m usually sport to strive any hack that may assist.

Once I heard that therapeutic massage weapons can probably enhance the standard of your sleep, I made a decision to strive a “one-week massage gun for sleep problem.” I’ve had success utilizing a therapeutic massage gun after train to scale back muscle soreness and enhance 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 study that requested 73 wholesome individuals (ages 18 to 40) to comply with 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. Through 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. Through the last week, they returned to their regular sleep routines with out the therapeutic massage gun.

Outcomes confirmed that 87 p.c of the examine individuals fell asleep extra rapidly utilizing the Theragun—4 minutes and 15 seconds sooner, on common. Moreover, 70 p.c of the individuals had fewer wakings through the night time.

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

How I used my Theragun for sleep

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

Simply as I used to be about to embark alone take a look at, Therabody introduced a partnership with Oura ring to create a sleep therapeutic massage gun protocol within the Therabody app. Good 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 toes. Every space will get a 30-second remedy, which seems like simply lengthy sufficient to loosen issues up with out taking perpetually 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 night time 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 Pro at 9:00 each night time for per week, doing a three-day lead-in with out it to determine a baseline. Listed here are my outcomes (don’t choose me—I get up a lot!):

Baseline nights

Through the baseline three nights, I went to mattress at simply earlier than 9:30 every night time. These are the approximate instances I awoke:

• 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 comply with, however for those who’re much less aware of particular muscle teams, it is perhaps 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 always trying on the app to verify I used to be pinpointing all the proper spots.)

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

Nevertheless, I solely awoke 3 times within the night time! This is probably not a victory for the common particular person, nevertheless it was two-plus fewer instances for me.

Nights 2 and three

The second and third nights went higher. I used to be nervous that it might take a very long time to go to sleep once more, however the reverse occurred. One night time, I used to be out like a light-weight and the opposite it was about on par with my typical sleep timing. I continued to solely get up 3 times (yay!).

Notably, I additionally skilled a lot much less ache at night time and awoke feeling much less stiff.

Evening 4

This was a troublesome night time. I did a tough kettlebell exercise through the day and was tremendous achy at bedtime. It was additionally an emotionally robust 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, awoke two or 3 times per night time (two awakenings is my private file now!), and felt much less stiff and sore once I bought 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 often all about simplifying my bedtime routine, I figured I’d cease as quickly because the week was over. However now, I would simply hold it going.

Though I haven’t been absolutely satisfied that I’m undoubtedly sleeping significantly better, I’m completely certain it’s at the very least serving to to calm down my thoughts and it’s actually enjoyable my muscle mass and easing a number of the achiness I often wrestle with at night time.

Subsequent up? I need to strive utilizing the Oura ring to make the most of the distinctive partnership with the Theragun massage gun sleep protocol. As a numbers woman myself, I’d love to truly monitor my sleep cycles and sleep high quality for a bit extra of a quantitative analysis of the advantages. For now, it looks like I’ve bought a brand new bedtime routine that’s working—and I’m actually going to run with that!