Sleeping During Massage, Is it Rude?

“Hey, you seem a little out of sorts”, I said. “Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep last night.” she replied. It was my cue to bring some serious silence into the massage. It might seem awkward at first but I can assure you that you’re not being rude. Your therapist wants you to get the most of out of your session and sometimes that includes a quick nap.

Sleep deprivation is rampant among Americans, in my reading of current health articles I’ve come across this topic again and again. The main problem being our cell phone. It’s engaging, entertaining and can easily be incorporated into our nighttime routine. Also, most of us use our cell phone as an alarm clock. I remember the first time I witnessed this and I was surprised , “it can do that too?” I was amazed. But maybe it’s not late night binge watching, maybe it’s…

• the kids crying and wanting to co-sleep or maybe

• you’re a new mom and are breastfeeding every two hours

• your a budding business owner working a full time job and working on your side hustle into the wee hours of the night.

Hopefully, sleep deprivation is a momentary pattern in your life, not a permanent one. If it becomes permanent you could be looking at some health problems in the future.

But the glorious day you do find yourself in a massage secretly hoping to catch some Z’s there’s nothing wrong with letting your therapist know. I’ve always considered a compliment when someone can relax so deeply that they begin to snore. It’s similar to when someone burps after a meal, in some cultures it’s a great sign! If you find it hard to let your massage therapist know that you’d like to sleep, here are some helpful phrases.

“I haven’t been getting much sleep and might knock out during the massage, hope that’s OK”

“I’m so looking forward to this massage, its the only time I might get to nap.”

or

“I’m happy to be here _______ hasn’t be giving me much time to sleep and I’m hoping this massage could help me. “

If you don’t want to hurt the feelings of your massage therapist, these are some friendly but clear guidelines that you would love some shut eye. But you know, sometimes you have no idea how your body will response during the session. Most massage therapists are trained in spa massage where relaxation goals rule, the general remark is :

“don’t speak unless you’re spoken to or unless it has to do with the session”.

The first part of that rule always unnerved me and placed the therapist in a service role as opposed to a health care provider role. There’s nothing wrong with relaxation massage or being in service but this strict guideline in every massage creates a disconnect between client and therapist. Leaving many therapists feeling unseen as human and resentful. In contrast, a therapeutic-minded massage therapist will definitely speak with you most likely throughout the session because they might be working out some serious pain and might need to ask about pressure tolerance. If you enjoy getting massage I recommend knowing the difference between the two. Overall you can’t go wrong with clear and friendly communication. With that said, even a medically trained therapist should be client-focused enough to release their own pattern and cater to the client when needed. Let your massage therapist know:

“Hey , you still matter but I’m exhausted today!”

It doesn’t mean every session will be this way and your therapist should appreciate the effort in communicating your needs.

Michelle Orchid Rodriguez is a wellness lifestyle blogger,educator and an independent Licensed Massage Therapist. Her mission is to promote a higher quality of life for others through her work in therapeutic massage  & promoting healthy living. She is the founder of Lumina Massage Inc. in Miami Lakes,Florida. Lumina Massage is a specialty massage company that focuses on neuromuscular therapy for pain management and advanced prenatal bodywork.