Why Do I Feel Tired After a Massage?

After receiving a relaxing massage, it is common for your body to feel tired. Before getting cautious and booking a doctor’s appointment to understand why you feel this tired, it is best to read our guide.

Why do I feel tired after a massage? The most common reason to feel that way is because of their body’s relaxation.

It feels safe and relaxed when the body experiences the professional touch (who works out all the kinks, tension, and knots in the body or a specific portion). As a result, the mind feels calm.

With that pent-up pressure and tension released, your muscles will feel heavy, causing the feeling of tiredness.

However, these are not the only reasons you feel tired after the massage.

Some of the other theories (other than muscle function) why people experience tiredness after a massage are:

Massage gives a proper amount of attention and input to the central nervous system. As a result, the body responds to that increased information, resulting in you feeling tired.
If your body feels pain, this is the result of a muscle group that has received more attention by the masseuse than it could handle at that particular time. Our body receives a fluctuating amount of sensory input during the day or week, causing this tiredness and pain.
Depending on the total stress (physical, emotional, and spiritual) experienced during the massage, your body feels tired.
The constantly changing influx of external factors also causes reactions. Therefore, you may feel tired.
You had a really good massage that worked wonders on your body. That’s why you feel a little sore and tired.

Now that we have explained why you could be feeling tired let’s move forward.

In this article, we will discuss:

How long should I feel tired after a massage?
How long should you rest after a massage?

How Long Should I Feel Tired After a Massage?

It is normal to feel tired after a massage. Typically, you will feel sore and tired for at least 24 to 48 hours.

Why I Feel Tired After a Massage?

Other than the reasons mentioned above (for feeling tired), the following reasons best explain why this tiredness occurs:

Due to Sore or Aching Muscles

Sore muscles after massage therapy are pretty standard. The treated area (whether the whole body or a specific part) may feel sore because the muscles during the massage may not have been touched or manipulated often.

Typically, sore muscles happen when you work out. You may feel a little sore in the days following the massage therapy. And if you do work out after a massage, the pain can be mild to moderate.

Due to Pain

Pain may also occur during massage therapy. It is common for your muscles not to be used for deep manipulation. This typically subsides during the massage. But if it doesn’t, it is best to put ice on the painful areas to reduce heat and inflammation. Moreover, it is recommended to stay away from intense physical exertion.

Due to Sleepiness

Feeling sleepy or tired is the most common massage after effect. This is because the muscles are relaxed or have released the pent-up stress after the massage. This effect doesn’t typically last longer than a day after the treatment.

Due to a Headache

A headache occurs if you experience awkward head positioning during the massage. Give your head a rest. Sleep it off or take a break from demanding activities. Chances are, the headache will be over within a day or two.

Due to Nausea

Massage therapy deals with and releases toxins from the body. It is not unheard of when people feel nauseous after a massage treatment. You may experience an upset stomach. If this happens, rest or drink water to alleviate nausea.

Due to Redness or Skin Heating

It is widespread if your body has signs of redness or you feel the skin is heating up. Generally, this isn’t anything serious. Since massage therapies like Deep Tissue massages apply pressure, the rubbing technique can impact your skin that way.

In addition, your skin heating up can be a good sign. It shows that your muscles react positively to the massage, resulting in the healing process’s beginning.

All these signs will disappear within 24 to 48 hours. If they don’t, you should call your chiropractor. I remember, recently, when I had a deep tissue massage (similar to a Swedish massage), I felt exhausted afterward.

My shoulder blades form some serious knots. During the massage, the masseuse paid serious attention to my shoulder blades and worked out all the kinks and knots. This not only relaxed my shoulder blades but also left some bittersweet pain.

After the massage, I felt sore and drained. It felt as if my body had gained some serious dead weight. Neither did I panic nor call for the doctor. Because I have had such massages before, I knew what to expect from this one.

It felt as if my body and mind were foggy. Yet, I felt so at ease. The side-effects(tiredness, sore muscles, sleepiness) of the massage I felt lasted up to 36 hours. After that, I was back to my usual self.

I felt more energetic and more productive after that. The purpose of explaining my experience is to understand that all this is natural.

So, in short, massage does not just work on the body; it works on the mind as well. Massage therapy helps destress and relax the mind and body, making you tired. Let your body heal for at least two days.

How Long Should You Rest After a Massage?

The important question is, “how long should you rest?” The best suggestion to give here is to give yourself a day off. As a result, you will enjoy maximum relaxation. If you plan on working and carrying out daily work right after the massage, then the massage won’t serve any purpose.

So, give a lazy day for at least 24 hours. Rest completely for the first 6 to 8 hours. Afterward, do the easy routine tasks. Here is how you should enjoy your day after the massage to keep yourself relaxed:

Drink Lots of Water

A massage’s main purpose is to remove toxins from the body. Water helps the body to excrete these toxins. With massage, the circulation of the blood and lymphatic system enhances. The blood in the body needs water to keep flowing and keep oxygenating the body while transferring nutrients to the muscles, other tissues, and organs.

Plus, it also helps flush out the waste products in the body made by the cells. The lymphatic system maintains the immune system and removes the toxins. So, it is recommended to drink lots of water after a massage. Plus, you should increase the amount of water you normally drink.

Rest

Now that your muscles are relaxed and you feel light and content heading to work or going out isn’t the best option. Give your body the time it needs to heal (at least 24 hours). Put your feet up, watch TV, read a book, and take a nap.

Do whatever you can that will help you prolong this feeling of contentment. Your muscles have just been worked up and manipulated, so sleep if you like. This is the time to repair, retune, and recover yourself.

Also, avoid doing any intense physical activity (like a gym). Heading to the gym or going for a jog won’t work. If you carry out extreme physical activities, the risk of muscle injury increases. You just pampered your body. So, enjoy this day.

Take a Bath

A nice warm bath will relax your body even more. Add some Epsom salts that will help ease the aches and pains you’re experiencing. The nutrients in the Epsom salt will absorb through your skin, while the warm water opens your blood vessels increasing blood circulation.

If you don’t have Epsom salts, a simple warm bath will work, too.

Conclusion

Next time you get a massage and feel tired, you will know why it’s happening, what to expect, how much to rest, and what you should do.

Now it’s time to hear from you:

Have you ever experienced this feeling of tiredness after a massage?

If yes, how long did you rest? What did you feel? How did you prolong this feeling of contentment and calmness?

Let’s hear about your experience in the comments section below.