How slow and gentle rocking improves sleep and overall health

One of the most overlooked methods of rest and relaxation is rocking. In this blog post, Lisa M. Cannon, M.D., sheds lights on how rocking improves not only one’s sleep but their overall health as well.

Perhaps it’s the simplicity (or redundancy) of the act that make many people dismiss rocking. However, it’s this simplicity (and merely) that makes rocking effective. Babies and toddlers know just how relaxing being rocked gently back and forth can be, and for all intents and purposes, it gives them much-needed sleep.

Lisa M. Cannon, M.D., notes that studies have been made on rocking and how adults fall asleep faster while rocking than simply lying still. It is important to note, though that while the duration of sleep was the same for both situations, there was a marked improvement in sleep quality once participants experienced rocking.

Aside from better sleep, Lisa M. Cannon, M.D., also mentions better memory consolidation and improved mood stability as side effects of rocking. And it has also been found that the motion of rocking also facilitates better blood circulation throughout the body while at rest.

What do you think about rocking? Feel free to share your thoughts with Lisa M. Cannon, M.D., in the comments below.

Lisa M. Cannon, M.D., graduated from New York Medical College in 1991 and received her pulmonary fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. She was affiliated with Pascack Valley Hospital and the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Dr. Cannon has since focused on her own private practice in New Jersey, specializing in pulmonary and respiratory medicine and sleep medicine. For more on sleep health, check out this page.