These points to press on the face and which help you sleep

According to an Ifop survey conducted in May 2023 for the Emma bedding brand, 8 out of 10 French people have trouble sleeping (1). As a general rule, improving your sleep involves simple daily actions: waking up at the same time every morning, including weekends, getting natural light during the day, and turning away from screens in the evening. Meanwhile, we can also employ non-medicated relaxation strategies as we approach bedtime, such as massages, which aim to relax the body and mind. This is also one of the leitmotifs of acupressure, a digital modeling technique from traditional Chinese medicine aimed at balancing our energies. Aurelia Delsol, founder of the Face Soul Yoga method and facial specialist, gives us the main massage points to stimulate on the face to promote the return of relaxation and thus sleep.

The encouraging pressure

To fall into the arms of Morpheus, it is necessary to reduce the level of cortisol, which is also called the stress hormone. To achieve this, the facialist recommends first rubbing your hands and placing them on the forehead and the other on the back of the neck. “Focusing your attention on the warmth that emanates from our shores is immediately very relaxing,” emphasizes Aurelia Delsol. According to the specialist, this gesture is especially suitable for situations of anxiety before sleep, as it provides a sense of security and comfort.

“Yintang” to relax the eyebrows and relieve irritation

To combine business with pleasure, we can also combine these pressure points with our evening beauty routine, massaging with serum and/or night cream. With your emulsion (or not) on your index finger, for example, press the area between the eyebrows, called “Yintang” in Chinese medicine, then make small circles for 20 to 30 seconds. “This pressure point not only helps calm the hustle and bustle of the day, but also relaxes the entire brow area, which gets a lot of tension every day when we’re thinking or concentrating behind a screen,” explains the founder. The face soul yoga method. As a bonus. the point also helps to smooth our famous facial lines, assures Aurelia Delsol.

“Fenchi” against lack of sleep

Another popular item this time against insomnia is “Fenchin”, which is also called “wind pool” in English. This is located at the base of the skull. In practice, place both hands behind the ears and run one or more fingers along the base of the skull toward the softer hollow on each side. Once done, massage in a circular motion for at least one minute. “For it to be very effective, you need to breathe well during the movement and focus your attention on the heartbeat that you will perceive,” says Aurelia Delsol.

Massage of clenched jaws

Some people experience jaw clenching, disrupting their sleep and potentially leading to bruxism, in other words, involuntary jaw clenching during sleep, which is responsible for, among other things, pain in the area. To stimulate the relaxation of this part of the body, the makeup artist invites you to place your left middle finger on the tragus of the left ear and the right on the tragus of the right ear. With the index fingers, you work the massaging muscles of the jaws. “By stimulating them and gently massaging, we will calm this area, which is also considered the most powerful in the body,” informs Aurelia Delsol.

If you are undergoing a period of intense stress, Aurelia Delsol invites you to incorporate each of these gestures into your evening routine for 2 to 5 minutes each day. On her Facial Soul Yoga platform, the facialist also learns other acupressure points needed for relaxation and offers facial yoga video classes, breathing exercises, meditation sessions… all live or in person.

More information at facesoulyoga.com

(1) The IFOP survey for Emma was conducted in May 2023 using a sample of 1,000 people aged 18 and over in France.