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I don’t sleep all night on a bed of spikes, but I do lie on one for about a half an hour before I turn out the light. And I have fallen asleep.
It’s an acupressure mat, and while the spikes are made of plastic, they are plenty pointy. The mat’s directions caution against any sudden movements – something you won’t forget after your first mistake.
Not to sound like an internet ad – “After Doing This One Weird Thing, Seattle Woman Sleeps Like a Baby” – but it is weird, at least in the U.S., and it does help me sleep.
There are several makers of such mats. Shakti is a little more expensive, so I went with a Spoonk cotton mat for my experiment. It has 6210 spikes, is made with hypoallergenic, organic materials, and is free of flame retardants. If I lay on my back with the top at my shoulders, it goes to just above my knees. It’s a mat covered in a grid of sharp silicone spikes every inch or so.
When I lower myself down, gently, without a trace of shimmy, I may feel some pinching. Like a Lego block, if you step on it unexpectedly, it hurts like heck.
So why am I subjecting myself to low-level pain?
Mainly to improve my sleep, because all the wellness experts agree that sleep is probably the biggest needle-mover in terms of your readiness for the day. Loss of sleep can impair your cognition, reaction time, and even make you crave extra carbs!
The other reason, the one that keeps me coming back, is because immediately after that little pinch, I get a full dose of Ahhhh. There’s a rush of warmth. It’s probably blood rushing to the area ready to form blisters as needed, but it feels great. Whether this is now a conditioned response from me because I’ve been doing it regularly for about a week, or causality, I can’t be sure. At any rate, I pick up my bedside book, and forget all the spikes. I have fallen asleep on it on several occasions.
I can also say that my Fitbit Charge HR shows excellent levels of deep sleep – averaging an extra half-hour per night– after using my bed of training nails. I’ve achieved three nights with a sleep score over 90 (Excellent) while using it, so I’m hooked, pun intended.
It looks like I’m not the only one trying this technique. Some corporations will fund acupressure mats through their health-saving-plan accounts, according to a 2021 USA Today story.
Author and physician Dr. Mark Hyman (“Food: What the Heck Should I Eat”) says using an acupressure mat helps to “increase your parasympathetic nervous system and get you into deep relaxation before sleep.”
Your nervous system has two modes: sympathetic (aka “fight-or-flight”) or parasympathetic (relaxation). Naturally, barring life-threatening danger, we’ll operate more efficiently physically and mentally in the parasympathetic, because the body and mind talk to each other.
Designed to mimic the effects of acupuncture at home, touted benefits of acupressure mats include decreased anxiety, heightened sense of well-being, and relief from chronic pain or muscle tension. A study here: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446809/ concluded that “mechanical needle stimulation pads” was an “effective treatment” for participants with neck and low back pain.One main difference is that an acupuncturist targets certain meridians (energy channels in Chinese medicine) to stimulate whereas the mats attack their surface area indiscriminately.
It’s recommended to ease into the practice by laying the mat on a soft surface like your bed with a thin barrier like a blanket or wearing a t-shirt to lessen the initial shock and work up to 15-20 minutes at a time. When one becomes really advanced, they can lay the mat on the floor for a more intense experience.
The Spoonk company suggests the mat can be used before sleep for up to 40 minutes as I do, to wake up in the morning for 10 minutes, to stretch post workout for 10 minutes to reduce stiffness, or even (for the very brave) lying on your belly to stimulate digestion and energy for 20 minutes (T-shirt recommended).
It warns pregnant women, people with very sensitive or autoimmune-challenged skin, and those taking blood thinners or with high blood pressure to avoid using the mat.
In terms of choosing a mat to try, the pricing relates to materials and the sturdiness of construction (i.e., how long the needles will last without breaking off), the density and number of needles on the mat, and bonus gear like a carrying bag or needled pillows for battling head and neck tension.
I have also used it on my feet at the end of a long day with good results. The videos show people rolling up the mat as a pillow, which felt good to me but left my uber-sensitive bamboo sheets looking like the aftermath of a cat fight, so be careful where you roll your spikes, people.
So, if you’re not ready for full-on acupuncture, and are interested in trying a new way to relax, consider starting with a travel size or pillow and embrace the spikes. Up next week: tips for walking on hot coals. Just kidding. I haven’t been to a Tony Robbins retreat, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ...