Trouble Sleeping? Have You Tried Grounding?

Did you know the simple act of earthing, otherwise known as grounding can help to improve sleep?

Sound a bit strange – or to good to be true?

Earthing works because when direct skin comes into contact with the ground, it helps to rectify an electron deficiency.  Essentially the body becomes charged with negative electrons that are abundant on the surface of the earth.

Think of it as topping up your vitamin G – as in G for ground.

This in turn helps to reduce inflammation, reduce pain and lower stress hormones such as cortisol, which in most cases helps to improve sleep.

When we sleep better, it also enables the body to heal properly, and this was illustrated in a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2004), where improvements in sleep quality and relief from insomnia led to reduced aches and stress levels as well.

So if you struggle to sleep due to pain, then a regular practice of grounding may be a great free, non-pharmaceutical strategy to consider.

So whether you’ve just returned home after night-shift, or you’ve done a string of erratic shifts (we know how much fun they are!!) – I recommend allocating at least 15-30 minutes of your day where you toss your shoes to the side and place your bare feet in direct contact to the earth.

It doesn’t have to be on the beach, although that’s a bonus if you’re lucky enough to live close to one – on the grass or the ground will work just as well.

Not only will you begin to notice improvements in your sleep, but your energy levels will begin to improve as well which is like winning the lotto for anyone working 24/7!

Audra x

P.S:  For those wanting to learn more about some of the benefits of grounding including certain “gadgets” such as bed sheets, desk pads, mattresses and patches that may prove helpful, I can highly recommend the book “Earthing:  The most important health discovery ever?”

References:

.

Chevalier, G, Sinatra, S, Oschman, J, Sokal, K & Sokal P 2012, ‘Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the earth’s surface electrons’, Journal of Environmental and Public Health, vol. 2020, p1-8.

Ghaly, M & Teplitz, D 2004, ‘The biological effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress’, Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 767-776.

Oschman, J, Chevalier, G & Brown R 2015, ‘The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, would healing, and prevention of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases’, Journal of Inflammation Research, vol. 2015, no. 8, pp. 83-96.

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