Acupressure mat
A mat covered in plastic spikes, used for 15 to 40 minutes before bed
Thousands of small hard plastic points on a towel-sized mat press into the back and shoulders when you lie on it. The first minute or two is sharply uncomfortable; then blood flow rises, the skin warms and most people describe a wave of relaxation. Some lie on it before sleep, some meditate on it, some roll a towel under it to work the neck. Small trials suggest a real effect on relaxation and sleep onset. It is cheap and low-risk, and sold under a lot of unsupported claims about energy meridians.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Dave AspreyDoes it
Biohacker · Bulletproof Coffee
The routine he describes is shirt off, flat on your back on a spiked mat for about 20 minutes before sleep; the first minute feels impossible, then he says the body gives up and melts into it. Bulletproof sold one as the Sleep Induction Mat, and he says it gets him to sleep faster with more deep sleep.
Source: Bulletproof Radio Short Report #188: The Art and Science of Sleeping
Aimed at the same thing
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