The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress.
Ghaly M, et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2004.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Diurnal cortisol secretion levels were measured and circadian cortisol profiles were evaluated in a pilot study conducted to test the hypothesis that grounding the human body to earth during sleep will result in quantifiable changes in cortisol. It was also hypothesized that grounding the human body would result in changes in sleep, pain, and stress (anxiety, depression, irritability), as measured by subjective reporting.
SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Twelve (12) subjects with complaints of sleep dysfunction, pain, and stress were grounded to earth during sleep for 8 weeks in their own beds using a conductive mattress pad. Saliva tests were administered to establish pregrounding baseline cortisol levels. Levels were obtained at 4-hour intervals for a 24-hour period to determine the circadian cortisol profile. Cortisol testing was repeated at week 6. Subjective symptoms of sleep dysfunction, pain, and stress were reported daily throughout the 8-week test period.
RESULTS: Measurable improvements in diurnal cortisol profiles were observed, with cortisol levels significantly reduced during night-time sleep. Subjectsā 24-hour circadian cortisol profiles showed a trend toward normalization. Subjectively reported symptoms, including sleep dysfunction, pain, and stress, were reduced or eliminated in nearly all subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that grounding the human body to earth (āearthingā) during sleep reduces night-time levels of cortisol and resynchronizes cortisol hormone secretion more in alignment with the natural 24-hour circadian rhythm profile. Changes were most apparent in females. Furthermore, subjective reporting indicates that grounding the human body to earth during sleep improves sleep and reduces pain and stress.
PMID
15650465 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
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Earthing products can be found here
Europe - https://www.groundology.co.uk/
Somebody posted this on https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheArtOFAdrenalFatigueMastery/?fref=nf
the only thing you need to do to do āearthingā or āgroundingā as i prefer to call it and always have called it is to go outside barefoot and walk on the grass or dirt or sand (whatever youāve got where youāre located).
you can even just stand still - as long as your feet are bare and you are in direct contact with the earth (no concrete, no socks, no blanket, etc), you will be getting the benefits.
you can also find some water and walk down to it and then stick those bare feet into it and just sit for a while. that gives you the benefit of cleansing in addition to the grounding.
for those who live where it is too cold part of the year - you can still do this by standing for a few minutes on the grass/dirt barefoot, or you can wear very thing cotton or bamboo socks if itās just that cold where you canāt have bare skin exposed
the other alternative during winter time is to get a box that is big enough for you to plunk both feet into and just fill it with dirt from your yard and keep it inside somewhere so that you can do the barefoot thing in the comfort of your heated house.
during winter time, iāve also just gone over to the creek and sat for a while - i found that, even when itās that cold and even when thereās snow on the ground, sitting by the water still provides a ton of benefits and you do still ground - especially if you sit (on the ground or on a boulder if there is one there).
edit to add:
you can also use your hands to do some grounding. put them on the ground/grass/sand or into the water. and you can also put them on a nice friendly tree trunk. although hands donāt give as intense a grounding most of the time, when itās a situation like full on winter with 20 degree weather sometimes thatās easier and more comfortable to do than to stand barefoot on crisply frozen grass blades!
rounding as all about energy. itās the direct contact with the earth that gives the benefit - by having direct skin to earth contact you receive the earths energy (and give it some of your own as well).
i forgot to mention using your hands to ground - you can put them on the ground or touch a tree with your full palm and still get an energy transfer (itās just not as intense usually). gonna edit my comment to add that!