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"Cricket Feet" Is The Self-Soothing Habit That Can Help You Fall Asleep
Nothing helps you get comfy in bed quite like a round of “cricket feet.” The act of rubbing your toes together, just like a little cricket, is a quirky self-soothing habit that can actually help you fall asleep. And with a casual 69 billion views on TikTok, it seems to be an adorably universal experience.
There’s a legit reason behind the motion. Turns out that the feet are full of nerve endings and an array of acupressure points that, when stimulated, are known to help regulate and calm your central nervous system, says Dr. Eileen Li, PT, DPT, L.Ac, a licensed acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, and physical therapist practicing at Anew Integrative Acupuncture. Essentially, doing cricket feet give your dogs a much-needed massage at the end of the day — and one that just so happens to hit all the right acupressure points needed for relaxation.
On TikTok, @notyouraversagethrpst is one of the many creators who has posted about cricket feet. In her comments, one person wrote, “I’m in shock seeing all these people doing this. I didn’t know it had a name. Been doing it my whole life.” Another wrote, “I’m doing it right now” and someone else said, “It’s the only way I can fall asleep.”
Here’s why it’s so soothing: “Foot rubbing, also known as foot massage, is a form of relaxation and stress relief,” Li tells Bustle. “It can help alleviate tension, improve blood circulation, and provide a sense of comfort and well-being.” Cricketing your feet is a type of self-soothing habit thanks to how repetitive it is, she says, and it’s one that helps release feel-good hormones that alleviate stress.
According to Li, there are two specific acupressure points on your feet that are related to relaxation. The first is called the LV3 or Liver 3 located on the top of your foot between your first and second toes that you just so happen to massage while cricketing your feet together. There’s also a grounding spot under the ball of the foot located in a depression between the second and third toes called the KD1 or Kidney 1 that’s often involved in the cricket motion, too.
Before bed, you can get in there with your hands and massage each point individually or together for one to two minutes as part of your wind-down routine — or you can get cozy and try the cricket feet method. Who knew the insect was such a wellness icon?
注释：
quirky: adj
表示"古怪的"，means "informal terms; strikingly unconventional"，如：It was a quirky indie hit that took the nation by storm. 正是这部情节离奇的独立电影在全国掀起了一阵热潮。
legit: adj; n
表示" 合法的；正统的"，means "legitimate"，如：He state that he is the only legit inheritor. 他声称自己是唯一合法的继承人。
acupressure: n
表示" 针压法；指压按摩"，means "treatment of symptoms by applying pressure with the fingers to specific pressure points on the body"，如：With acupressure, a fingertip or a bead is used to press a specific pressure point, while needles are used in acupuncture. 指压按摩使用手指头或珠子于穴道上施压，而针灸则会使用针。
acupuncturist: n
表示"针灸医生"，如：I saw my acupuncturist weekly and the healing process accelerated.我每周见一次我的针灸医生，康复的进度加快了。
repetitive: adj
表示" 重复的；反复的"，means "characterized by repetition"，如：His job consists of dull, repetitive work. 他干的是些单调重复的工作。
中文简要说明：
现今不少人有睡眠问题，根据调查显示，平均每5个成年人，就有1人为失眠所苦，堪称是现代文明病，除了透过饮食和规律运动化解，国外网友也传授「搓脚」的小技巧，在社群平台上获得高达5千多万次浏览，并得到中医师的肯定。
综合《纽约邮报》、国外网站「Bustle」报导，「搓脚」（cricketing）顾名思义，就是像蟋蟀一样双脚互相摩擦，刺激腿上的神经。来自美国缅因州的网红克里斯廷（TikTok账号@notyouraveragethrpst）就分享了一段自己在睡前搓脚的影片，引起不少粉丝的回响，表示「这是我帮助我入睡的唯一方法」、「小时候我妈就这样教我了，她说这样做能帮助放松入睡。」
在美国康涅狄格州Anew Integrative Acupuncture诊所执业的中医师李爱玲（Eileen Li，音译）指出，由于人的脚上布满神经末梢和穴道，透过搓脚能适当刺激、按摩这些部位，帮助「调节和安抚中枢神经系统」，道理和针灸相似。
事实上，不只失眠者能透过搓脚获得好处，过动症或自闭症患者也经常摩擦手脚来获得慰藉。李爱玲医师建议，民众睡前可以花1至2分钟，按摩脚部大拇指和食指间的「太冲穴」（liver 3），以及脚底板人字纹路交叉点的「涌泉穴」（kidney 1），这两个穴点都能达到放松的效果，帮助更好入眠。
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