Why rocking is soothing

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Why being rocked will help you sleep better. Share on Pinterest New research helps explain why sleeping in a hammock feels so good. How rocking affects sleep quality. Vestibular sensory stimulation is key. Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Yet it was previously unknown whether or not the same is true in other species. The second study found that, at least in mice, it is.

Like in the human study, rocking shortened the time it took the mice to fall asleep and increased the amount of sleep time, as measured by EEG recordings. Unlike humans, however, rocking did not seem to induce deeper sleep in the rodents.

The authors suspected rocking might exert its influence on sleep by stimulating the vestibular system, the sensory organs in the inner ears of mammals that control our sense of balance and spatial orientation. Using a strain of mice with impaired vestibular function, they showed this is indeed the case.

Mice without these otolithic organs showed none of benefits of rocking during sleep. Kompotis says the two studies could lead to improved treatments for people who have trouble falling asleep as well as for those with inner ear defects.

But for those hankering to add rocking to their fitness routines, he urges patience. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American.

Based on these results, the researchers suggest that a rocking motion has the effect of helping to synchronize the brain for sleep -- both to fall asleep more quickly and possibly to achieve longer periods of deep, uninterrupted sleep.

You may be surprised at how easily you can create the powerful sensation of rocking yourself to sleep. And maybe you can sleep a little deeper and for a little longer, too. Facebook: www. News U. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism. Special Projects Highline. HuffPost Personal Video Horoscopes. Follow Us. Terms Privacy Policy.

Part of HuffPost Wellness. All rights reserved. Every one of the participants fell asleep more quickly during their rocking nap. A majority eight out of 12 said they found the rocking nap "more pleasant" than the nap on the stationary bed. During the rocking nap, all of the sleepers moved more quickly from Stage 1 to Stage 2 of their sleep cycle.