If there’s one great unifier of our planet, it’s that no one seems to be getting enough sleep. Whether it’s your own stress or anxiety, your partner’s tossing and turning, your neighbor’s new motorcycle, kids, pets, roommates, the list goes on — there are disruptors around every corner (and some even call you by name). We’re all chasing those elusive seven to eight (dare we say, nine?) hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. And yet, so few can actually achieve it. 

Maybe you’ve committed to a nightly meditation practice or given screen breaks a real shot, is that another chamomile tea in the pantry? But there’s one thing you may not have tried and it’s scientifically proven to help achieve more zzz’s: percussive therapy. Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve a full-time, live-in masseuse (add that to your next manifestation sesh).

Percussion and vibration-based therapies have been used for way longer than we’ve been complaining about lack of sleep (aka centuries). This treatment involves rapid, concentrated pulses — and in today’s world, is most commonly used in the form of massage guns {Therabody enters the chat}. That’s right, the much-talked-about Theragun not only relieves aches, pains, and fatigue, but it actually helps you sleep better. Relieving tension from your muscles with routine percussive therapy allows your body to relaaax (for once), making it that much easier to enter a sleep-ready state. 

Over and over again, Therabody scientists have heard that using Theragun before bed results in better sleep. So they put these rumors to the test. Throughout a five-week study, they had the participants follow their typical nighttime routine for two weeks, then use the Theragun before bed for the next two weeks, and lastly, return to their typical routine for the final week.