Would massaging a sleeping person give the same therapeutic benefit as...

[Angela]

...massaging them when they're awake? That is, assuming they stay asleep throughout the massage. My little boy is asleep and I want to massage his tender little sleeping feet...because he's often angry during the daytime, and recoils from hugs. He needs love and now that he's sleeping and not running away, and his little clean feet are sticking out of the blanket