Acupressure for Headache Relief and Sound Sleep When Sleep-Deprived

You have probably experienced tossing and turning in bed all night, only to have your day disrupted by an inevitable throbbing headache in the morning. While Donguibogam spoke of the circulation of wind and qi, modern medicine explains this in slightly more specific scientific language. Sleep deprivation turns on an emergency light in our body's autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve; when you cannot sleep properly, the sympathetic nerve that responds to stress situations becomes excessively activated, just as if you were in a continuous state of tension. This excessive activation of the sympathetic nerve causes several changes in our body. First, it affects the blood vessels. It can constrict or dilate cerebral blood vessels, causing an imbalance in blood flow, which becomes a direct cause of headaches. In particular, people with migraine tend to react even more sensitively to changes in cerebral blood flow during sleep deprivation. Second, it increases the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol levels rise, the entire body is placed in a state of tension, and muscles around the shoulders and neck stiffen considerably. The continuous contraction of these muscles easily leads to a tension headache that feels as though the back of the neck is being pulled. This is precisely why you feel a heavy, stiff sensation as if a boulder were placed upon you. In addition, sleep deprivation disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. In particular, it affects the serotonergic system, which is important for pain regulation and mood control, thereby increasing sensitivity to pain. Modern medicine can also explain why acupressure on GB20 is effective. This acupoint is located where the cervical vertebrae meet the occipital bone, where muscles at the back of the neck, such as the trapezius muscle and suboccipital muscles, begin. Stimulating this area relaxes tight muscles and improves blood circulation to the head and neck. Furthermore, part of the vagus nerve, which influences parasympathetic nerve activity, passes near GB20. Activating the parasympathetic nerve through acupressure can calm the heightened activity of the sympathetic nerve, guiding our body into a relaxed state. This has a scientific basis that can greatly help reduce the stress response and induce deep sleep. Please remember that this is not merely a headache from being tired, but an SOS signal sent by the body's complex system.