Most people want to sleep better every night, but only a few people are able enjoy that luxury.
Even if you get the recommended 8-hour sleep daily, poor or disturbed sleep can leave you feeling drowsy, unrefreshed, listless, and fuzzy. What’s worse, you can end up swigging endless cups of coffee to get through the day. This could lead to a vicious cycle of poor sleep at night and caffeine dependence during the day.
Yawning away your sleep disorders is unlikely to change much. Fortunately, there is a natural, safe and effective solution to help you sleep better, and it’s called earthing.
Researchers have unearthed fascinating info with studies showing that earthing affects the electrodynamics of the blood, improves heart rate variability, and normalise overnight cortisol levels to help improve sleep.
What is Earthing?
Our ancestors were always in touch with Mother Earth. They grounded themselves by sitting or lying on the floor and walking barefoot. They also used footwear and mattresses made of natural materials like leather.
We have lost this contact by keeping away from the floor in every possible way. We sleep on beds, sit on chairs, and wear footwear made of artificial materials like plastic or rubber that cut our contact with the earth.
Our penchant for cleanliness and aversion to dirt has led us to stop our children from frolicking in the mud. Some parents even confine their children to indoor games and gadgets. This is in stark contrast to previous generations where childhoods were splashed away in mud pools, building sandcastles on beaches, or pottering around in gardens to look for worms and slugs. Playing in the dirt as a child can actually strengthen your immune system.
Today, researchers believe that grounding ourselves back to mother earth can relieve sleep dysfunctions, stress, chronic ill-health, and inflammation. This process is referred to as ‘earthing’.
The surface of the earth holds a limitless supply of free electrons. Reconnecting with the earth, either by going barefoot or using an indoor earthing system, transfers these electrons to our bodies where they behave like antioxidants.
We’ve published an article that explained thoroughly the relationship between earthing and antioxidants. Get a better understanding of how earthing help reduce free radicals here.
How does Earthing help improve your sleep?
Cortisol, a hormone that the adrenal glands produce, is one of the many culprits of stress, sleep dysfunctions, and inflammation. The adrenal glands release cortisol in varying amounts based on a day-night pattern. Normally, cortisol works as a stimulant to help you stay awake and energised throughout the day. Cortisol levels decrease at night to help you fall asleep.
However, long-standing stress and chronic inflammation lead to abnormally high cortisol levels even at nighttime. Disrupted cortisol levels can cause insomnia, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, increased blood pressure, and other heart complaints.
Ghaly and Teplitz conducted a pilot study in 2004 and concluded that earthing or grounding during sleep reduces cortisol levels. The study showed marked improvements in the subjects’ sleep patterns. Improvement in sleep quality and relief from insomnia led to reduced aches and stress levels as well. You can see results from this study in the following charts. Note the reduction in cortisol levels after 6 weeks of earthing in the bottom chart.
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Participants in the study reported improved quality of sleep, faster return to sleep after waking during this study.
How can you use Earthing on a daily basis?
The benefits of grounding yourself to the earth are reasons enough to kick off your shoes and indulge in a nice long barefoot walk in the garden or along the beach. Don’t have the time to walk barefoot regularly?
Sleeping on an Earthing Sleep System is a convenient way to get a daily dose of the earth’s healing energy. It’s also a great way to help rid yourself of sleep disorders and daytime drowsiness too. Take a look at our Better Earthing shop for bedding ideas.
References:
Ghaly M, Teplitz D. The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2004;10(5):767–776.
