After my third child was born, I endured 9 months of agonizing insomnia. I could not sleep. I would have panic attacks during the day as I passed by my bedroom door. I knew that every night, I would be gripped with fear as my heart pounded out of my chest and my brain raced. I knew I would lie in bed for hours, terrified that I would not be able to do my duties as a mother and wife the next day because I would be so exhausted and weepy.
After those long and agonizing months, I finally was able to sleep, but I have never taken a good night's rest for granted again.
After working on my own hormones and health, I was sleeping more deeply than I had for years, but I was still waking up a few times a night to go pee. I would also have the occasional night where I would be up for a few hours for no real reason. If that was the case, I would get up and have a small snack with protein and carbohydrates and I would generally fall right back asleep.
I took to sleeping on the floor two to three nights a week. I would get out of bed if I woke up and wrap myself in my fluffy down comforter, grab my Popples, curl up o nthe floor, and fall asleep almost immediately- and hard.
But I like my husband. And I like sleeping next to him. And he likes it too.
So when my friend Jennifer sent me a grounding mat, I figured I had nothing to lose. The premise of a grounding mat sounded hokey to me, and laughable to my born cynic of a husband. But I read the directions, snapped it into the grounding socket, and put it on our bed.
The first night, I slept like crap. And I felt smug. And tired.
The second night, I slept like crap. And I felt irritated.
The third night, I moved the mat down so only our legs were touching it. And I slept....great. Like, better than great.
And since then, I have been enjoying the deepest sleep of my adult life. I'm still a little hesitant to claim this, but it is true. And Beau feels the same. We have changed nothing else. Just the mat.
So I wanted to know everything about this voodoo. When I got the mat from JT, she included a thick book on the subject. I read it cover to cover and found the science behind "earthing" quite fascinating. I thought you might find it fascinating too.
What is Earthing?
Here is the premise in a nutshell: the surface of the earth is covered with electrons. Our bodies contain large amounts of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable because they lack an electron. By having direct contact with the earth, our bodies absorb electrons, which neutralize the free radicals. This reduces inflammation. Inflammation is the maddeningly catch-all root of all disease.
All information in this blog post comes from the book Earthing by Ober, Sinatra M.D., and Zucker
How Does Earthing Help the Body?
EMFs
As two conductive bodies (the earth and our feet) meet, electrons flow back and forth. This transfer of energy displaces electromagnetic frequencies that are disrupting the body, reducing effective exposure to these endocrine disrupting energy fields.
Lamps, clocks, radios, and especially wireless devices like phones or tablets all generate EMFs. Most people are not noticeably bothered by these energy fields. Yet some are very sensitive. If you sleep poorly and have a lot of electronic devices in your bedroom, consider moving them out of the room. Or get a grounding mat.
Inflammation
Everything from autism to depression to cancer has been linked to an increase of inflammation in the body. An inflamed body means a decrease in blood flow and viscosity leading to more pain. Fat cells produce inflammatory compounds that can lead to diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Earthing neutralizes free radicals, allowing inflammation in the body to cool and pain to reduce.
Cardiovascular Activity
A study published in the 2010 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that after 20 minutes of grounding, the following changes occurred:
"an increased respiration rate and stabilization of blood oxygenization, as well as a slight rise in heart rate. These changes occured about twenty minutes after grounding commenced and may suggest the start of a healing response necessitating an increase in oxygen."
So grounding increases blood flow and blood oxygen concentration. If your resting heart rate is consistently low due to sluggish metabolic activity, you may benefit from grounding.
Pain from Exertion
Another study involving a small sample (n=8) of young men showed that grounding reduced pain after exercise. The men were put through calf-exerting exercises that were designed to create pain due to muscle strain. Half of the group was grounded and the other half used a placebo grounding mat.
"Among the ungrounded men, there was an expected, dramatic increase in white blood cells at the stage when DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness] is known to reach its peak and greater perception of pain. This result indicates a typical heightened inflammatory response [as white blood cells hurry to the site of inflammation]. By comparison, the grounded group experienced a slight decrease in the white blood cell response, indicating almost no inflammation, and for the first time ever documented, a shorter recovery time."
So grounding may decrease the inflammatory response in the muscles that causes pain after exercise.
Thyroid Normalization
A grounding mat won't replace your natural dessicated thyroid medication, but it could help support healthy thyroid levels.
A study done on six male and six female subjects with no history of thyroid disease showed increased blood serum T4 and TSH levels after a single night of grounding.
Anecdotally, the authors note that numerous patients reported an increase in hyperthyroid symptoms after using grounding mats for a period of time. This may indicate that thyroid function slowly is returning to normal and that thyroid medications are too strong for the body as the body begins to produce its own hormones.
Free Therapy
While grounding mats are amazing and I highly recommend them, you can also start with real, actual earthing. Take your shoes off and go outside. Walk on the grass for 10-30 minutes. Slowly. Enjoy it. Many people use this therapy to reduce jet lag when traveling to other countries or time zones.
I like to do it a few times a week. I will just walk around my backyard while I am reading a book or doing nothing at all. I have started recommending this to my clients. They like it too.
Earthing Products
If you want to get a mat, I would advise you to get it sooner rather than later. And then get back to me and let me know if it helps. I have a friend with a daughter who, due to circumstances beyond earthly control, has not slept a full night in 4 years. With the earthing mat, she was sleeping soundly through the night. You can use it with your kids. I am getting them for my kids' beds. I also make my son use a mat one his feet while he is playing video games. The products are inexpensive and effective. To be clear, I am affiliated with Earthing. Their products work.
I love getting feedback, so tell me how you are sleeping after you get yours.
To your sleep health,
Jennifer