Can reiki help you sleep?

What is reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese healing tradition which in practice is a type of energy healing for stress relief and relaxation. The word reiki itself translates to ‘mysterious atmosphere, miraculous sign’. With roots dating back to ancient India, Reiki saw a revival when it was redeveloped by Japanese Dr Mikao Usui in the 1920’s.   

According to Medical News Today, the idea behind reiki is that energy can stagnate in the body where there has been physical injury and emotional pain. In time, these energy blocks can cause illness and so through reiki, and helping the movement of these energies, symptoms should be reduced.

Reiki can also come in the form of a reiki massage that is less physical than a regular massage and uses a light touch to stimulate energy healing.

Can reiki help with sleep?

Although there are many critics of reiki and evidence may still be inconclusive, there may be a suggested link between improved sleep and reiki healing techniques. 

It’s easy to find sleep reiki carried out with the intention of improved sleep, but is there any evidence to suggest that it works?

A study was conducted around reiki and sleep, which assessed the repercussions of reiki therapy. It looked at reiki for the promotion of health and sleep quality in hospital nursing professionals. It was found, through the study, that reiki did in fact have a positive impact on the sleep of nursing professionals.

During a reiki session a practitioner will likely set up a peaceful environment and look to focus on the energy flow through your ‘chakras’, which are the main seven energy focus points throughout your body. Whilst we are hesitant to claim that the energy flow can be taken literally, and some may not believe in the spiritual side, it is likely there are benefits as proven by the study.

It could be that the relaxing environment and the space to switch off, as well as the singing or scents during a reiki session, improve your sleep quality or ability to wind down. 

Whether or not you believe it works, reiki is likely to be a form of mindfulness practice that can help you sleep. Mindfulness is a great way to stay relaxed for sleep and we’ve previously covered why mindfulness is important for sleep here.

You can definitely try a reiki session and see what the impact is on your sleep and there are many other additional ways to motivate yourself into a better sleep routine through mindfulness practices. 

Reiki and sleep disorders

There have been some claims in the past that reiki may be able to help with sleep disorders. For example, you may be looking for reiki to treat sleep apnea or insomnia. However, as we mentioned previously there is no conclusive link to suggest there may be a link between the practice and improving sleep health. 

However, improving your sleep wellness, especially if you have a sleep disorder, is always beneficial. The best thing you can do if you are suffering from a disorder like sleep apnea or insomnia is to speak to your doctor to help manage the condition. You can also keep up to date with our sleep health articles to get the best tips on managing symptoms.